Microsoft’s first AI-powered smart camera launches for the Surface Hub 2

The Surface Hub 2 will have a camera. Businesses that have bought into Microsoft's future-of-work vision with the Surface Hub will now be able to upgrade its camera capabilities. Automatic reframing, a wide field of view, and image correction are some of the features of the Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera.

Steven Bathiche, corporate vice, explains thatSurface Hub 2 Smart Camera enables incredibly wide angles of view, all without any warping, distortions, or depth-of-field issues that might otherwise limit what is visible.

Image: Microsoft

The camera has more compute power than the original Xbox, with a 12-megapixel sensor and 136 degree field of view. Microsoft is using this power in combination with an algorithm it has developed that automatically compensates for distortions, tilt, and wide-angle corrections to ensure objects stay true to life. The Smart Camera can detect everyone in a room and make sure they are visible during meetings.

The Surface Hub 2 has a Smart Camera that can be attached to the top with a magnetic click. It is designed for the Surface Hub 2 and will be available separately at $799.99 or combined with the 85-inch Surface Hub 2S for $21,999.99. If it is as smart as Microsoft promises, it might be a worthwhile upgrade for businesses that have spent thousands of dollars on Surface Hub 2 devices.