HOW is it being done
MEDAL will use existing Mbone multimedia conferencing tools as the research
platform :
- Robust-Audio Tool (RAT)
(developed at UCL by the multimedia group)
- video tool (vic) (developed at LBL, USA)
- Either a shared text editor (wb) (developed at LBL,USA)
- Or nte (developed at UCL by the multimedia group)
- A new multimedia storage server (developed
at UCL by the multimedia group).
This research is multi-disciplinary, and requires experience in real-time
information coding, usability
(HCI), fixed and mobile networking, and computing to produce enhanced
quality flexible multimedia systems
for use over fixed and mobile networks.
The research is novel because the
combination of the shared
heterogenous packet network with seamless multicast access from restricted
bandwidth mobile users, and the
use of heterogenous platforms that do not provide support for real-time
applications make this a new problem. Consequently, existing research is not directly
applicable.
The development of
improved quality audio and video, and
the integration of enhanced reality and computer-based training facilities
into existing multimedia conference
facilities is a necessary development for distance learning, if commercially
viable systems are to result.
Development of publicly available enhanced quality multiway audio and
video facilities for use in distance learning.
- Wide-band speech
Currently telephone quality speech is used for transmission over the M-Bone.
It is well-known that wideband speech improves the effectiveness of audio
communication. Think of a radio talk show....you can hear the quality difference
between the presenter (wide-band quality) and guests who call in (telephone
quality).
- Lip synchronisation (with reasonable frame rate video)
Development of real-time multimedia multicast mobile network access for
distance learning.
- Multicast scaleable flow and error control mechanisms
Integration of enhanced reality systems into the distance learning facilities.
- Voice recognition
- 3D spatial audio
- Multimedia storage facilities
