Tech Project
Description of the challenges faced by the Tech Project
Immersify, which is a research project financed by the European Commission in Horizon 2020, develops key tools for allowing the next generation of immersive media applications and interactive content. The research focuses on advanced video compression tailored for the need for VR video. This HEVC compression with necessary extensions makes possible to deliver and display the huge files that will appear as a result of increased resolution, frame rate, color gamut, dynamic range and better image formats. Advanced video codecs need to be optimized and customized for VR applications and content. The goal of the project is to integrate the technologies required for making high-quality live events with VR video, which requires the integration of real-time encoders, media servers, streaming solutions, and media players. Missing technologies and applications will be developed based on the technology challenges and new devices appearing on the market.
Brief description of technology
The residency will be hosted by visualisation and media laboratories of PSNC, Poznan, Poland. There are several installations and devices that could be used in the process of collaboration between artists and research groups. The visualisation installations provided by PSNC are: a) 6-meter-wide full-8K 60p wall composed of 12 blended BARCO projectors and image processors, that can project also 8K stereo; b) Immersive cubic 4-sided stereoscopic “CAVE 1” with dimensions 3.6m x 2.5m with resolution 2K x 2K per wall c) Immersive cylindrical tiled display “CAVE 2” composed of 45x 4K TVs. The current resolution of the installation is 20K x 2K Additionaly we provide: - 4x 8K camera from SONY with 2x 3D rigs for stereo capture - Computational clusters and PCs that may render video and CG images - Immersive audio installation: 25 microphones (3 circles by 8 microphones) and 25 loudspeakers - Motion capture system - Laser scanners - TV studio - Associated software for video editing, rendering, audio and image processing.
What the project is looking to gain from the collaboration and what kind of artist would be suitable
The essential objective for collaboration between the project and artists involved in STARTS is to create innovative ways of immersive content production that would drive our research related to compression and display technologies; the key aspect of the technology to be considered is an ultra-high definition (8K and beyond) and stereoscopy. We are looking for artists who are not afraid to pioneer the challenges of media convergence based on modern technologies. In order to do it, the artist should work on ideation of the innovative VR usage scenarios, combination of immersive audio and video, new VR cinematographic language that involves not only multidimensional video but also audio, new forms of the interactive and immersive content, interconnecting of displays, non-linear interactive storytelling, new experiences of full immersion, as well as the way of creation content which is possible to be displayed on different types of visualisation devices.
Resources available to the artist
PSNC labs are located in new building near Poznan city center. We provide office desk and easy access to all laboratories, high speed internet connection with possibility of streaming or establishing dedicated link, also dedicated storage, processing and rendering power, 8K and 360 cameras, laser scanners and all associated devices mentioned in technical description. All 3 visualisation installations are located in the same building, while the motion capture system and immersive audio installation are placed in different office at the opposite side of the city. The laboratories are serviced by qualified IT staff, providing assistance and consultation during the project.