JALI Research Inc. (JALI) today announced it will showcase its real-time facial animation and lip sync technology at NAB Show 2026, April 18 to 22, at the Las Vegas Convention Center at the HP Booth (#N2561). JALI’s pipeline solutions will power interactive AI character performances as part of a connected production workflow developed by Immersive Enterprise Laboratories (IEL), an independent animation studio.
From AAA in-game animation to feature animation, JALI is redefining production through intelligent automation. The technology delivers high-fidelity performance and multilingual lip sync at scale while empowering artists to direct expressive, believable digital characters across feature animation, video games, and immersive media. Over the years, JALI has transformed its lip sync solution from a background utility into a creative powerhouse, helping teams deliver feature-quality results on time, on budget, and on model.
JALI Technology in IEL’s Live Production Workflow
This interactive experience at NAB Show reflects IEL’s larger, real-time, integrated workflow that unifies capture, creation, animation, broadcast, and audience interaction into a single continuous system. Within this environment, JALI provides the 3D performance backbone beneath any AI adjustments for continuity, consistency, and control across production and live real-time workflows.
As one of the activations at the HP booth, visitors will get the opportunity to step inside the world of Ruby for a live AI-driven interactive meet-and-greet, The Ruby Interactive Experience. Attendees can engage with Ruby, a transmedia character developed by IEL, with JALI powering the expressive facial animation, lip sync, and body idle performance system as she seamlessly interacts with guests with her characteristic and infectious curiosity that has led her from her stardust origins to countless adventures across worlds in pursuit of understanding the science behind everything in episodes, virtual concerts, and a very busy trade show schedule.
Whether scripted or live, JALI’s toolset contributes to Ruby’s story narrative resulting in authentic, expressive dialog and live character performance that reflects her personality and remains consistent with her visual expression across every interaction. Built for Unreal Engine, Ruby’s interactive system is the result of a longtime R&D partnership between JALI and IEL and reflects their shared vision and commitment to bridging the chasm between technology and creative vision.
Sarah Watling, Co-Founder and CEO, JALI Research, notes that while performant animation systems and rigs, backend Large Language Models (LLMs), and custom Retrieval-Augmented Generated (RAG) models are important elements, what has made this particular instance of an interactive digital character stand apart is the shared belief that incredible interactive experiences do not happen by accident, even when unscripted.
“Partnerships are at the core of JALI’s approach to developing production-ready solutions trusted worldwide by companies like Blizzard Entertainment, CD Projekt Red, Activision, Pearl Abyss, DON’T NOD, Obsidian Entertainment, 2K, The LEGO Group, and Riot Entertainment, said Watling. “Our collaboration with IEL exemplifies what becomes possible when dedicated teams share a commitment to creativity and pushing technical achievement. We are excited to show NAB attendees how our reliable production-ready facial animation pipeline enables story-driven experiences that bring imaginative worlds and the characters who inhabit them to life for true audience engagement.”
Connected, Real-Time Production
The NAB activation reflects a broader shift toward integrated, real-time production models, where traditionally separate stages of animation and content creation operate simultaneously, and is a powerful illustration of how JALI’s, non-destructive, procedurally generated 3D facial animation solutions can be integrated into a connected, AI-enhanced production workflow rather than a downstream production step.
“Our NAB demonstration highlights how specialized technologies can contribute to a larger, unified production environment,” said Daniel Urbach, co-founder of Immersive Enterprise Laboratories. “At IEL, we design the overall system where story, performance, and interaction operate together in real time. JALI plays an important role within that environment by enabling expressive facial animation that supports live character interaction.”
Media Appointments
Sarah Watling will be available during the 2026 NAB Show, exhibits April 19 to 22, for one-on-one briefings at the HP Booth (#N2651). To schedule an appointment, contact Vicky Gray-Clark at vicky@ambientpr.com, or stop by the booth.
2026 NAB Show
Las Vegas Convention Center exhibit hours:
Sunday, April 19 (10 a.m.–6 p.m.)
Monday, April 20 (9 a.m.–6 p.m.)
Tuesday, April 21 (9 a.m.–6 p.m.)
Wednesday, April 22 (9 a.m.–2 p.m.)
About JALI Research
JALI Research Inc. (JALI) is a Toronto-based developer of powerful automated lip sync, expressive multilingual facial animation, and production-ready rigging and pipeline solutions. JALI technology empowers animation studios and animators with powerful, high-end, scalable pipeline tools that support both large-scale production and craft-centric animation houses to deliver cinematic-quality animation at scale, efficiently, reliably, and with the confidence to thrive creatively
The JALI software suite includes natively deployed plugins for Autodesk Maya and Unreal Engine. Its embedded Heart & Mask system is based on performance theory and psychology, enabling animators to blend internal emotion (Heart) with outward expression (Mask) for emotionally rich performances across infinite takes without sculpting each frame. The streamlined workflow eliminates repetitive tasks and gives artists the freedom to iterate quickly and explore a broader emotional range for 3D characters across games, feature animation, and immersive media.
JALI technology is used across the full spectrum of production, from pre-production – character development, script visualization, and narrative development – to previz and blocking, animation production, and final render. In offline production environments, the software is used in interactive VR and drives AI characters.
JALI Research Resources
- Website: https://jaliresearch.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jaliresearch-inc/posts/?feedView=all
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jaliresearchinc
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