Sheffield-based Ten24, renowned for their cutting-edge work in creating hyper-realistic 3D models for the gaming and visual effects industries, is extending a unique invitation to the public.
They are calling on Sheffielders to visit their studio in Crookes to participate in a project that could shape the future of digital character creation. Participants will have their faces scanned in just 15 minutes, receiving £50 for their time.
Ten24, established in 2008, has long been a leader in the industry, specialising in photogrammetry – a process that uses multiple high-resolution cameras to create precise 3D models. Their work is widely known in the industry, with assets used in major projects like Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots and video games such as Halo 4 and Baldur’s Gate 3. Traditionally, creating a game-ready digital human could take months, but Ten24 helped to pioneer a technique using advanced scanning technology to drastically reduce this to just a few days, which has subsequently become a new industry standard.
However, with the rise of AI, the landscape of 3D modelling is shifting. As AI technology becomes more adept at generating realistic characters, the demand for high-quality datasets has increased. This is where Ten24’s latest project, Sapiens, comes in. The studio is seeking to create the most comprehensive and diverse 3D human dataset to date, which will be used to advance AI technologies and digital character creation.
“We understand that AI isn’t for everyone, and it’s completely okay to choose not to participate if it doesn’t align with your values. It’s important that people feel empowered to make that decision,” explained Ben Carlin, Creative Producer at Ten24.
“However, at Ten24, we genuinely believe that the Sapiens project has the potential to make a positive impact across various industries – from gaming to healthcare – by creating technology that is more inclusive and representative. We’re also committed to supporting our local community by compensating participants fairly for their time, which puts money back into the local economy.”
“We’ve traditionally worked with actors and models, but now we’re opening this up to the general public,” he added. “This is about contributing to the future of gaming and AI in a way that’s open and transparent. Participants will know how their data is being used and what it definitely won’t be used for, and they’ll be compensated for it. Our goal is to approach this project with the utmost transparency and respect for everyone involved, ensuring that those who do choose to participate feel valued and informed every step of the way.”
The scanning process, which takes place in a high-tech rig resembling a futuristic spaceship, is straightforward yet sophisticated. Participants will sit for a brief session where their faces are captured from multiple angles. These scans could contribute to a dataset designed to diversify the digital characters seen in games and films, train AI to better reproduce human faces or assist robots in industries like healthcare, hospitality and customer service to better understand facial expressions.
Rest assured, you will be fully informed about the privacy terms, ensuring complete transparency and security throughout the process. Other small but important notes to bear in mind: make-up must be removed, beards aren’t allowed and you must be 18-plus to be scanned.
Ten24’s transparency about the project is notable, especially in an era where concerns about data privacy are at a high. “We’re committed to ensuring that this data is used responsibly. We’re on hand to answer any questions throughout the process. Unlike many big tech companies that scrape our social media profiles without us really knowing about it, Ten24 is setting a new standard for ethical, opt-in, GDPR-compliant data sets,” said Ben.
This initiative marks a significant step for Ten24 as they move towards a more public-facing role. The studio has already made waves with their 3D Scan Store, an industry-standard platform for purchasing digital human assets, and they are excited to see how the public responds to this new opportunity.
The initial phase of the project will take place at their Crookes studio, with plans to expand to a city centre location later in the year. Interested Sheffielders can sign up via the QR code on this page or simply visit sapiens-booking.com.
For more information, visit ten24.info.
