Interfacing with Virtual Worlds

Interfacing with Virtual Worlds An Introduction to MPEG-V Christian Timmerer Klagenfurt University (UNIKLU)  Faculty of Technical Sciences (TEWI) Department of Information Technology (ITEC)  Multimedia Communication (MMC) http://research.timmerer.com  http://blog.timmerer.com  mailto:christian.timmerer@itec.uni-klu.ac.at Authors : Christian Timmerer, Jean Gelissen, Markus Waltl, and Hermann Hellwagner Slides available at http://www.slideshare.net/christian.timmerer

Outline
Introduction
Part 1: System Architecture
Overview of MPEG-V Parts 2 and 4
Part 3: Sensory Information
Concept
Sensory Effect Description Language
Sensory Effect Vocabulary + Usage Examples (cf. paper)
Conclusions
(Demo Video)
2009/09/30 Christian Timmerer, Klagenfurt University, Austria

Introduction
Multi-user online virtual worlds (NVE, MMOG) reached mainstream popularity
e.g., World of Warcraft, Second Life, Lineage
Boost real world economy by connecting virtual and real world? – Not only Gaming
Entertainment, education, training, getting information, social interaction, work, virtual tourism, etc.
For fast adoption of virtual worlds we need a better understanding of their internal economics , rules and regulations

Introduction (cont’d)
Finally, interoperability achieved through standardization
MPEG-V (ISO/IEC 23005) :== system architecture + associated information representations
Interoperability between virtual worlds
E.g., digital content provider of a virtual world (serious) gaming, simulation, DVD
And real world
E.g., sensors, actuators, vision and rendering, robotics (e.g. for revalidation), (support for) independent living, social and welfare systems, banking, insurance, travel, real estate, rights management

MPEG-V System Architecture 2009/09/30 Christian Timmerer, Klagenfurt University, Austria Media context and control Pt. 1: Architecture Pt. 3: Sensory Information Pt. 4: Avatar Information Pt. 2: Control Information

Part 2: Control Information 2009/09/30 Christian Timmerer, Klagenfurt University, Austria
Sensory Device Capabilities as ext. of dia:TerminalCapability
unit, max/minIntensity, numOfLevels, delay, position
light (color, flash), heating, cooling, wind, vibration
scent, fog, water sprayer, color correction
kinestetic, tactile
User Sensory Preferences as ext. of dia:UserCharacteristics
adaptability, max/minIntensity
light (color, flash), heating, cooling, wind, vibration
scent, fog, water sprayer, color correction
kinestetic, tactile
Fundamental Input to any Control Device (aka Adaptation Engine)

Part 4: Avatar Characteristics
Appearance
Contains the high level description of the appearance and may refer a media containing the exact geometry and texture
Haptics Properties
Contains the high level description of the haptics properties
Animation
Contains the description of a set of animation sequences that the avatar is able to perform and may refer to several medias containing the exact (geometric transformations) animation parameters
Communication Skills
Contains a set of descriptors providing information on the different modalities an avatar is able to communicate
Personality
Contains a set of descriptors defining the personality of the avatar
Control
Contains a set of descriptors defining possible place-holders for sensors on body skeleton and face feature points

Part 3: Sensory Information
Universal Multimedia Access (UMA)
Anywhere, anytime, any device + technically feasible
Main focus on devices and network connectivity issues
Universal Multimedia Experience (UME)
Take the user into account
Multimedia Adaptation and Quality Models/Metrics
Single modality (i.e., audio, image, or video only) or a simple combination of two modalities (i.e., audio and video)
Triple user characterization model
Sensorial , e.g., sharpness, brightness
Perceptual , e.g., what/where is the content
Emotional , e.g., feeling, sensation
Ambient Intelligence
Add’l light effects are highly appreciated for both audio and visual content
Calls for a scientific framework to capture , measure , quantify , judge , and explain the user experience
2009/09/30 Christian Timmerer, Klagenfurt University, Austria F. Pereira, “A triple user characterization model for video adaptation and quality of experience evaluation,” Proc. of the 7th Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing , Shanghai, China, October 2005, pp. 1 – 4. B. de Ruyter, E. Aarts. “Ambient intelligence: visualizing the future”, Proceedings of the Working Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces, New York, NY, USA, 2004, pp. 203–208. E. Aarts, B. de Ruyter, “New research perspectives on Ambient Intelligence”, Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments, IOS Press, vol. 1, no. 1, 2009, pp. 5–14.

Concept of MPEG-V Sensory Information
Consumption of multimedia content may stimulate also other senses
Vision or audition
Olfaction , mechanoreception , equilibrioception , thermoception , …
Annotation with metadata providing so-called sensory effects that steer appropriate devices capable of rendering these effects
2009/09/30 Christian Timmerer, Klagenfurt University, Austria … giving her/him the sensation of being part of the particular media ➪ worthwhile, informative user experience

Sensory Effect Description Language (SEDL)
XML Schema-based language for describing sensory effects
Basic building blocks to describe, e.g., light, wind, fog, vibration, scent
MPEG-V Part 3, Sensory Information
Adopted MPEG-21 DIA tools for adding time information (synchronization)
Actual effects are not part of SEDL but defined within the Sensory Effect Vocabulary (SEV)
Extensibility : additional effects can be added easily w/o affecting SEDL
Flexibility : each application domain may define its own sensory effects
Description conforming to SEDL :== Sensory Effect Metadata (SEM)
May be associated to any kind of multimedia content (e.g., movies, music, Web sites, games)
Steer sensory devices like fans, vibration chairs, lamps, etc. via an appropriate mediation device
➪ Increase the experience of the user
➪ Worthwhile, informative user experience

Sensory Effect Description Language (cont’d) 2009/09/30 Christian Timmerer, Klagenfurt University, Austria EffectDefinition ::= [activate][duration][fade][alt] [priority][intensity][position] [adaptability] SEM ::=[DescriptionMetadata](Declarations|GroupOfEffects| Effect|ReferenceEffect)+ Declarations ::= (GroupOfEffects|Effect|Parameter)+ GroupOfEffects ::= timestamp EffectDefinition EffectDefinition (EffectDefinition)* Effect ::= timestamp EffectDefinition

Example 2009/09/30 Christian Timmerer, Klagenfurt University, Austria < sedl:GroupOfEffects si:pts="3240000" duration ="100" fade ="15" position =" urn:mpeg:mpeg-v:01-SI-PositionCS-NS:center:*:front " > < sedl:Effect xsi:type=" sev:WindType" intensity="0.0769"/> < sedl:Effect xsi:type=" sev:VibrationType " intensity="0.56"/> < sedl:Effect xsi:type=" sev:LightType" intensity="0.0000077"/> </sedl:GroupOfEffects>

Conclusions
MPEG-V: Media Context and Control
Information exchange between Virtual Worlds
Information exchange between Virtual and Real Worlds
Currently comprises four parts (more to come, e.g., refsw, conf)
MPEG-V Part 3: Sensory Information
Annotation with metadata providing so-called sensory effects that steer appropriate devices capable of rendering these effects
➪ enhanced , worthwhile , and informative user experience , giving the user the sensation of being part of the actual media
Future work
Standardization: currently at CD level & going to FCD in October 2009
Research & Development:
Optimized and efficient delivery framework for MPEG-V enabled content
New Quality of Service/Experience metrics
Mechanism for (semi-)automatic generation of MPEG-V metadata
End-to-end reference implementation of MPEG-V

References
M. Waltl, C. Timmerer, and H. Hellwagner, “A Test-Bed for Quality of Multimedia Experience Evaluation of Sensory Effects”, Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Quality of Multimedia Experience (QoMEX 2009) , San Diego, USA, July 29-31, 2009.
C. Timmerer, J. Gelissen, M. Waltl, and H. Hellwagner, “Interfacing with Virtual Worlds”, accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the 2009 NEM Summit , Saint-Malo, France, September 28-30, 2009.
C. Timmerer, “MPEG-V: Media Context and Control”, 89th ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11 (MPEG) Meeting , London, UK, June 2009. https://www-itec.uni-klu.ac.at/mmc/blog/2009/07/08/mpeg-v-media-context-and-control/
MPEG-V: http://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg/working_documents.htm#MPEG-V
MPEG-V reflector: http://lists.uni-klu.ac.at/mailman/listinfo/metaverse

2009/09/30 Christian Timmerer, Klagenfurt University, Austria Demo & Video

Thank you for your attention ... questions, comments, etc. are welcome … Ass.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Christian Timmerer Klagenfurt University, Department of Information Technology (ITEC) Universitätsstrasse 65-67, A-9020 Klagenfurt, AUSTRIA [email_address] http://research.timmerer.com/ Tel: +43/463/2700 3621 Fax: +43/463/2700 3699 © Copyright: Christian Timmerer 2009/09/30 Christian Timmerer, Klagenfurt University, Austria

Interfacing with Virtual Worlds

by Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt on Sep 30, 2009

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