Social networking giant Facebook is developing a camera-equipped set-top box for TVs that would support functionalities like video-calling, a media report said.
Internally codenamed 'Ripley', the device would use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automatically detect and follow people as they move through the frame during a video call, news website Cheddar reported on Tuesday.
Apart from facilitating video-chat, the device could also help Facebook compete with the likes of Apple and Amazon in the TV segment.
Earlier this month, the social networking major launched its smart-speakers Portal which incorporated AI technology to follow user movements while on a video-chat and remove unwanted background noise during a call.
Priced at $199, sporting a 10-inch display, built-in Amazon Alexa support and pre-loaded with Facebook's own Watch video service, the smart speakers would begin shipping in November.
With projects like Portal and Ripley Facebook is trying to build a consumer-hardware business outside of its virtual reality brand Oculus that was acquired by the social networking giant in March 2014 for nearly $2 billion.
Facebook declined to comment on the subject, the report added.
For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.