title: Low-cost telepresence for collaborative virtual environments.
abstract: We present a novel low-cost method for visual communication and telepresence in a CAVE -like environment, relying on 2D stereo-based video avatars. The system combines a selection of proven efficient algorithms and approximations in a unique way, resulting in a convincing stereoscopic real-time representation of a remote user acquired in a spatially immersive display. The system was designed to extend existing projection systems with acquisition capabilities requiring minimal hardware modifications and cost. The system uses infrared-based image segmentation to enable concurrent acquisition and projection in an immersive environment without a static background. The system consists of two color cameras and two additional b/w cameras used for segmentation in the near-IR spectrum. There is no need for special optics as the mask and color image are merged using image-warping based on a depth estimation. The resulting stereo image stream is compressed, streamed across a network, and displayed as a frame-sequential stereo texture on a billboard in the remote virtual environment.
authors.affiliation: Visual Computing and Virtual Reality Laboratory, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Daehyun-Dong, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, Korea. blue@ewhain.net
authors.forename: Seon-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Remo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: Jiyoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naef
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Myoung-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003196:Computer Graphics; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004777:Environment; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013685:Telecommunications; D014584:User-Computer Interface