TNA project : Research on new enablers for artistic virtual environments and performances

Acronym : 136-Research on new enablers for artistic virtual environments and performances-Delaere

Project Lead : Simon Delaere From : SPECIFI project

Dates : from 16th September 2013 to 12th November 2013

Description :



Motivation and objectives :
The project aims to join multiple actors related to the creative industry, in particular those involved in performing arts, culture and technology, to create distributed performances using low latency & ultra high quality audio and video transmission. This project will provide a system for artistic communities, enabling research and co-creation using multiple audiovisual contents. Consequently it is necessary the study, design, experimentation, test and demonstration of a high-resolution low-latency multi-stream communication system using the infrastructure provided by Visionair’s partners and their UHDNET (network). At technical level, the joint trans-national action (TNA) performed by Visionair and Specifi project members will enable creative industry to experiment with and make use of advanced real-time transport and visualization technologies. It is also relevant to use the existing infrastructures to stimulate the creation and promote innovative co-creative and research frameworks. So this TNA aims to explore how to open new ways of experimentation and co-creation using multiple and distributed audiovisual contents. The overall system will be validated using a set of metrics to observe the efficient transmission of multiple high-resolution audiovisual contents. The final demonstration scenario will be defined in the framework of cultural virtual performances (an extremely demanding use case at technical level). To complete this TNA, the quality of service (QoS) and the quality of experience (QoE) will be under evaluation during starting training sessions and also in a final public exhibition. The final exhibition is expected to be carried out during the ICT 2013 (1) , which will be held in Vilnus, Lithuania on 6th, 7th and 8th November (with 3 time-slots of around 45 minutes per day). This is one of the most important events in Europe in the Future Internet field. Representatives from the most important and influencing entities in this area at international level will meet during the event. This fact is a key dissemination action for the Visionair project. This final exhibition will make use of the infrastructures of the INRIA Grenoble, the i2CAT Foundation and PSNC, from the Visionair project. Specifi’s partners will coordinate artists from the cities of Barcelona, Poznan and Vilnus. Representatives from i2CAT and PSNC will be sent to the demonstration venue to provide the necessary equipment and technical support in order to prepare and carry out the event. (1) http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/ict-2013

Teams :
The aim of the Digital Society Research Department is to complement iMinds research with social, economic and policy insights and expertise. While focusing on three main application domains, Future Internet, Future Media and Digital Arts, the Digital Society department links up to the four technology driven research departments of iMinds. In its research, Digital Society is applying three interrelated research approaches: it studies Market Innovation and Sector Transitions; the department conducts also User Empowerment Studies and performs ICT Policy Assessments. The Research Department engages in a close interaction with the facilitatory iMinds iLab.o (Brussels), iLab.t (Ghent), the gaming experience lab (Ghent) and iLab.u (Leuven) with a view of methodological fine-tuning and infrastructural support. In these iLab contexts, innovation and user centric design methodologies, Living Lab methodologies and business modelling tools will be further tested, developed and improved. SMIT, established at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Free University of Brussels in 1990, is specialized in fundamental, applied and contract research in the area of ICT and media, markets and policy. With currently a staff of over 65 researchers, and an annual turnover of well over 4.5 M€, SMIT is a major research centre in Europe for policy & socio-economic research relating to ICT and media. SMIT specialises in social scientific research on media and ICT, with an emphasis on innovation, policy and socio-economic questions. SMIT research combines user, policy and business analysis with both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. In order to develop new methodological tools, a continuing dialectic between theory and empirical research is one of the centre’s high-level objectives. ICT and the advent of an information and knowledge society leads to new forms of organising work, education, leisure, social interaction, political participation, health, well-being etc. This way, ICT do impact on every aspect of the life of the ‘networked individual’. In recent years, SMIT has done research for various governments, institutions and enterprises. It is a member of several important European and international academic networks (e.g. EMTEL, COST, ENCIP). From its inception, SMIT has been a member institution of the iMinds, formerly the Interdisciplinary Institute for Broadband Technology (IBBT), being one of the two research centres constituting the Digital Society department.

Dates :
starting date : 16 September, 2013
ending date : 12 November, 2013

Facilities descriptions :
http://visionair-browser.g-scop.grenoble-inp.fr/visionair/Browser/Catalogs/GRIMAGE.FR.html

Recordings & Results :
The TNA proposed and executed had two main challenges, one at technical level and one another from the artistic perspective. At technical level, there were multiple issues to address: coordination of PSNC, INRIA, i2CAT with the SPECIFI project and the support staff located in Vilnius; find the optimal technical solution that guarantees a successful event, integrating multiple solutions in very short period of time; combine artistic needs with technical capacities and transmit to the artists how the system is working and adapt their performance.

Conclusions :
The demonstration was very successful. The quality of the 3D model was quite good. It was not experienced serious technical issues. The bandwidth available enabled to run the experiment with a good video and audio streaming. This performance was of great impact for both projects involved (i.e.: Visionair and Specifi), due to the profile of the concurrence in the event. All performances were followed by a large audience and get multiple expression of interest. It is also important to highlight the presence of Neelie Kroes, Vice-president of the European Commission, who showed her interest for the performance and both projects. As a conclusion, it can be stated the fact that each TNA is involving further personnel and are a perfect demonstration of the challenges defined by Visionair, integrating facilities and opening its infrastructures to a wide range of entities. Another important aspect to mention, is that this TNA opened new questions and challenges to be addressed and will probably drive the partners involved into new scenarios of cooperation.