CSR-DMSS, SM: View Control Management in Geographically Distributed Tele-Immersive Environments

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

Revised Budget/Statement Abstract for our project (about 250 words) Emerging 3D Geographically Distributed Tele-immersive Environments (3DTI) are becoming viable collaborative environments over the Internet to allow for joint physical activities such as tai-chi training and many other usages. These environments fuse multi-dimensional streams from multiple 3D cameras and other sensors across multiple sites to render a shared multi-view visual cyberspace at each site that immerses all participants. In the cyberspace, each participant manipulates herself (e.g., positions, size), and interacts with remote participants or graphical objects ?virtually?. A fundamental challenge in these environments is the need for effective real-time interaction among multi-site geographically distributed 3DTI environments and the PI observes that maintaining a consistent, information-rich shared visual context is the key to effective real-time interaction. If the views of different participants become out of sync, their collaboration is severely disrupted. In this project, the PI presents a novel view control management, called VIEWCALL. VIEWCALL presents (1) a holistic approach to view dissemination where the PI investigates forest construction and load balancing for view-centric stream dissemination among individual 3DTI environments; (2) a novel approach to visual context/feedback distribution due to dynamics in view or resource demands, and (3) new distributed algorithms for capturing, updating, coordinating and synchronizing view-based visual context metadata. The VIEWCALL system has an impact on the 3DTI environments where research community investigates new forms of dance choreography, students learning tai-chi, in-home care of ageing population, computer gaming, and wheelchair-basketball coaches training players with movement disabilities. VIEWCALL is regularly shown at the annual UIUC?s Engineering Open House as well as to ChicTech all-schoolgirl summer camp.