Section: Software

PRIMA Automatic Audio-Visual Recording System

Participants : Patrick Reignier [ correspondant ] , Dominique Vaufreydaz.

The PRIMA automatic audio-visual recording system controls a battery of cameras and microphones to record and transmit the most relevant audio and video events in a meeting or lecture. The system uses a can employ both steerable and fixed cameras, as well as a variety of microphones to record synchronized audio-video streams. Steerable cameras automatically oriented and zoomed to record faces, gestures or documents. At each moment the most appropriate camera and microphones are automatically selected for recording. System behaviour is specified by a context model. This model, and the resulting system behaviour, can be easily edited using a graphical user interface.

In video-conferencing mode, this system can be used to support collaborative interaction of geographically distributed groups of individuals. In this mode, the system records a streaming video, selecting the most appropriate camera and microphone to record speaking inviduals, workspaces, recorded documents, or an entire group. In meeting minute mode, the system records a audio-visual record of "who" said "what".

The system is appropriate for business, academic and governmental organizations in which geographically remote groups must collaborate, or in which important meetings are to be recorded for future reference.

The primary innovative features are:

1. Dynamic real time detection and tracking of individuals and workspace tools

2. Dynamic real time 3D modeling of the scene layout.

3. Dynamic recognition and modeling of human activity using stereotypical graphs of situations.

This system can dramatically improve the effectiveness of group video conferencing. It can eliminate the need for human camera operators and editors for recording public meetings. The product reduces energy consumption by allowing video conferencing to serve as an effective alternative to airline travel.

Market for this system is determined by:

1. The number of "business meetings" between remote collaborators

2. The number of important meetings for which an audio-visual record should be maintained.

This system is actually part of our demonstration environment. It is under deployement at one of the main conference room on the campus: the Jean Kuntzman amphitheater. Another plan is to use this automatic audio-visual recording system at the ENSIMAG school in order to permit students in two 15kms-separated buildings to follow the same curses at the same time sharing and interacting with the same professor.