research_projects [Communications and Multimedia Laboratory, NTU]

Experience Fusion: Secure and Scalable Human Centric Computing, August 2004 - Present

The vision of this project is to realize the principle of human centric computing in multimedia-rich ambient intelligent space, and enable so called ubiquitous media access where people can access multimedia contents anywhere, anytime, from any types of pervasive devices in the ubiquitous computing environment. In order to achieve this vision, this ambient intelligent space must run on heterogeneous device platforms, support more natural (e.g., voice, gestures) human computer interactions, and provide intelligent media services such as content analysis, scalability, synchronization, and security. In addition, it must conform to MPEG-4 and MPEG-7 international standards to ensure practical and widespread deployment.

The relationship between people and digital technologies has evolved from device-orientated computing in the past, followed by service-oriented computing nowadays, to end-user experience computing of the future. That is, digital technologies are entering a new era of human-centric computing with a strong emphasis on "getting the end user experience right", making digital technologies adapting to the users rather than users adapting to the digital technologies. This new era presents a new multimedia research direction in adapting human centric computing and experience fusion. In Taiwan, although there are many ongoing, heated discussions about the need to create "knowledge economy" and "intellectual economy", they all fall short on how to realize them through the deployment of digital content infrastructure for "experience economy" or "artistic economy". The ultimate goal of the digital media evolution should bring forth a new media experience where media can be more seamlessly integrated with our everyday lifestyle and physical working environment. For example, the upcoming digital media evolution can turn our everyday activities, thoughts, emotions, etc., into digital contents that can be archived, recalled, and shared.

We believe that there are two key factors for success in digital media evolution. The first success factor lays in technical innovations for efficient, secure content creation, storage, communication, authoring, and presentation. The second success factor is that any new enabling technologies should follow through the vigorous process of international standard development to ensure worldwide adaptation.

This project will research and develop two major systems called UbiFun Space and Ambient Media Wizard, while the following key technical components can be integrated to support them: multiuser telecollaboration, portable media presentation desktop, advanced control and mobile graphics, advanced MPEG-4 modules (H.264/AVC/AFX/X3D), content analysis and adaptation modules, location-aware modules, and media streaming. This project will use PC and mobile devices as the main development platforms.

Content Engineering: Research on MPEG-4/7 Multimedia Technology, August 2001 - July 2004

The project, "Content Engineering : Research on MPEG-4/7 Multimedia Technologies", aims at develop a complete multimedia content framework which covers every phase of the content manipulation lifecycle, including the creation, storage, search, manipulation, management, delivery, presentation and interaction of multimedia content. The framework will conform to the MPEG-4 and MPEG-7 standards.

Due to the great success of MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 in the A/V market, the ISO MPEG committee continued to develop the next multimedia standard - MPEG-4. The standard has been completely designed in December 1998. Under the trend of the integration of computer, communication, consumer electronic, and contents, MPEG-4 targets on the following issues: authoring and encoding of object-oriented scene, encoding of natural and synthetic media, media streaming, uniform transmission interface in heterogeneous network environments, and enhanced human-machine interactions. Therefore, MPEG-4 is designed to be applicable for a wide spectrum of applications.

In addition, resulting form the great technical achievement audio-video technologies has made digital camera, DVD player, MP3 player, dominate the consumer market. To satisfy the customer needs, a tremendous amount of multimedia contents have been produced around world. In this trend, we need a standard way to describe the multimedia content which can make the access, exchange, and re-use of contents more effective and more efficient. In October 1996, MPEG committee started a new project to develop the MPEG-7 international standard, called "Multimedia Content Description Interface", which has been completed by September 2001.

In this project, a number of techniques will be developed. The techniques include: MPEG-4/7 interactive server, MPEG-4 interactive scene editor, MPEG-4 interactive player, audio/video features extraction tools, content analysis and summarization nodule, content streaming module, 3D workbench for MPEG-4 scene/animation construction, query by example 3D, MPEG-2 transport stream for MPEG-4 data and MPEG-4/7 Qos-supported proxy server and so on. Base on these techniques, two applications, "Interactive Information Media Service System" and "Home Media Center", will be developed.

MPEG-4 Hybrid-Media Virtual Environment, August 1998 - July 2001

Not Available.

Digital Classroom Supporting Software Module Developing, August 1995 - July 1998

Not Available.

Advanced Collective Research on Multimedia Office System, July 1992 - July 1995

Not Available.

Projects