It might not have been strange to see a virtual idol named Luo Tianyi appearing on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 2021. It is, however, a strange and eye-opening experience to see how the "virtual human" industry has grown, as our reporter experienced recently in the studio of Wuhan Observer Digital Technology Co. Ltd.

In a live broadcast room of the company, a "virtual person" was seen selling products. In addition to serving as a leading role in advertisements for renowned brands, they can also act as customer service staff, news anchors, weather reporters and even tour guides in scenic spots.

Real person in live broadcast room (left) and Real-time virtual human (right)

The virtual-real fusion live video technology independently developed by the company has been widely applied in fields such as ecommerce live broadcasting and the creation of short animated videos.

Chi Qiancheng, company founder and general manager, said, "In the first quarter of 2022, the orders our company received tripled those of Q1 last year." He hoped that his company will continue to upgrade and develop hyperrealistic digital human technology, and make it available to all.