FascinatE
Immersive scene capture and interactive viewing
Introduction
European Framework 7 collaborative project to develop technology for panoramic imaging and 3D audio acquisition, delivery and interactive viewing
What we've done
FascinatE is a €9.5m EU funded project involving a group of partners from across Europe, running from January 2010 to July 2013. The project name is an acronym for Format-Agnostic SCript-based INterAcTive Experience. The aim is make the broadcasting of live events a more interactive experience no matter what device the viewer is watching on.
The project is developing a system to allow end-users to interactively view and navigate around an ultra-high resolution video panorama showing a live event, with the accompanying audio automatically changing to match the selected view. The output will be adapted to their particular kind of device, covering anything from a mobile handset to an immersive panoramic display. At the production side, this requires the development of new audio and video capture systems, and scripting systems to control the shot framing options presented to the viewer. Intelligent networks with processing components will repurpose the content to suit different device types and framing selections, and user terminals supporting innovative interaction methods will be needed to allow viewers to control and display the content.
Further details can be found on the FascinatE project website
Project updates
White Paper WHP 207: Combining Panoramic Image and 3D Audio Capture with Conventional Coverage for Immersive and Interactive Content Production
Combining Panoramic Image and 3D Audio Capture with Conventional Coverage for Immersive and Interactive Content Production
More project info
Our goals
One of our roles in the project is to investigate how conventional broadcast cameras can be used together with an ultra-high-resolution panoramic camera to provide the best experience for viewers. A panoramic camera can provide an image that allows viewers to explore the scene from the “best seat in the stadium”, but the close-up views from broadcast cameras are still needed to give the best viewing experience. This is analogous to the way in which big in-stadium screens are used for sports and concerts. Or work includes looking at image-based registration of broadcast cameras with the panoramic image, so that a broadcast camera feed can be offered automatically when a corresponding region of the scene is selected.
We have also been organising test shoots to allow the technology to be tested in real-world productions that were being covered by the BBC. These included a football match and a Proms concert.
We are also looking at how to integrate the system with other projects at BBC R&D, in particular in relationship to the use of IP throughout the programme chain.
People and partners
Project team
Project Partners
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Joanneum Research
Non-profit organisation concentrating on applied R&D, based in Graz, Austria
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Alcatel-Lucent Bell NV
Solution provider for voice, data and video communication services
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Arri
Manufacturer of professional motion picture equipment
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The Interactive Institute
Swedish national research institute performing multi-disciplinary research and innovation within the field of digital media
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Fraunhofer – Heinrich Hertz Institute
German research institute in the fields of mobile broadband communications, photonic networks, electronic imaging and multimedia
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Softeco Sismat
Italian SME working in telecommunications, services, finance and security
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Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
University based in Barcelona, Spain
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The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)
Not-for-profit research organisation, supporting industry and society in general in transforming knowledge into products and processes of economic and societal value
