Sberbank : Sber launches Visper virtual character design platform

A beta version of the Visper online virtual character design platform developed by the SberDevices team will be available starting today. All users can now use the service to animate a presentation or record a video clip featuring visual characters. The characters can be put to use in various areas: in marketing, for online education services, to create news and entertainment media content, as well as social media content. The platform's capabilities will soon be significantly enhanced, including through the addition of GameDev solutions, where developers will be able to design avatars and characters for video games using Visper tools. Access to the platform will be free during the beta-testing period.

The video content market is immense, and almost all business segments will require video formats to promote their services at some point. Visper's developers proposed a semi-automatic conversion process for turning presentations into videos with visual characters, making the process as simple as possible so that it does not require technical skills. Users just need to set the desired parameters and the platform will do the rest. Moreover, users on the Russian market will for the first time have access to a tool to convert traditional format presentations (e.g., PDF) into video clips.

When designing a virtual character, users can:

• tailor the character's appearance - various image and style options are available;
• choose a voice model for the character's speech synthesis - neutral, friendly, or business-like;
• add gesticulation behaviors, e.g., gestures to address someone or indicate approval with a thumbs up - the character can greet viewers or address them while talking;
• add images or videos to complement the video with the character.

The platform's web interface is easy to use and currently has two main sections: the desktop and the editing table.

Desktop

Draft videos and all previously generated videos are stored on the desktop. There are three ways to start a new video project - from scratch, from complete presentations in PDF format, and using clips generated earlier. The user has access to three document templates by default, which they can use to make their own videos.

Editing table

Users can regulate their character settings and add text to a video in the editing section. They can also set the positioning and size of the character and content in the frame, disable content or turn off the visual rendering of the character, and change backgrounds, as well as listen to synthesized speech extracts and watch entire scenes. Video clips can be sent to be generated or they can be saved for further editing.

Before beginning a video project, the user starts off in their character control panel, where they select a background, voice, look, and name for their virtual character. Previously created characters are located here, as well as the option to generate new ones.

One of the fundamental features of Visper's characters is the fact that they can express themselves in gestures, which, like in real life, helps to emphasize key messages and keep the audience's attention. An option will soon be added to automatically select gestures: users will only need to upload a text and check whether the algorithm has given their character the right cues. Furthermore, the platform will soon include 3D character generation tools.

You can learn more about the opportunities offered by Visper and create your own virtual character project on the website https://visper.tech/. You only need an email address to access the platform.