You are here
Our research > Past Research Projects > Video for Mobile Commuters
Video for Mobile Commuters
- Project Team:
- Project Leader: Anil Kokaram
- Description:
-
Many mobile phone companies once viewed video over wireless as the application that will increase the take up of the next generation of mobile phones. Sadly, this has not materialised. There are many reasons, but one of these is that the technology for creating low bandwidth video streams is simply not mature enough for a robust application. Another aspect is that even if the bandwidth of the stream were 64kbits/sec, servers may still be unable to cope with the demand for video supply to thousands of consumers.
This project focuses on the problem of creating low bandwidth video streams for the user interested in viewing traffic conditions. For instance, it may be interesting for a commuter to see which part of the approaching train has available seats at rush hour, or to see what is causing the traffic at the next intersection. By restricting the media content to deal with traffic, it is possible to develop robust mechanisms for extracting the useful information and expressing that in a different visual form that occupies an extremely low band-with. By creating usable media streams that are lower than 28 kbps say, the overall media communication system becomes viable.
Initially the technical work involves automated segmentation of video streams for restricted content scenarios. We will then consider how these segments can be visually re-expressed for a further bandwidth reduction. It is hoped that some kind of simple off-line demonstration could be made available at the end of the project.
- Funding Agency:
