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3D teleimmersion for collaboration and interaction of geographically distributed users

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Abstract

Teleimmersion is an emerging technology that enables users to collaborate remotely by generating realistic 3D avatars in real time and rendering them inside a shared virtual space. The teleimmersive environment thus provides a venue for collaborative work on 3D data such as medical imaging, scientific data and models, archaeological datasets, architectural or mechanical designs, remote training (e.g., oil rigs, military applications), and remote teaching of physical activities (e.g., rehabilitation, dance). In this paper, we present our research work performed over the course of several years in developing the teleimmersive technology using image-based stereo and more recently Kinect. We outline the issues pertaining to the capture, transmission, rendering, and interaction. We describe several applications where we have explored the use of the 3D teleimmersion for remote interaction and collaboration among professional and scientific users. We believe the presented findings are relevant for future developers in teleimmersion and apply across various 3D video capturing technologies.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Ram Vasudevan and Edgar Lobaton, University of California at Berkeley, for contribution on the stereo reconstruction and Zhong Zhou, University of Beijing, for texture compression. We also thank Tony Bernardin and Oliver Kreylos, University of California at Davis, for the implementation of the rendering and support in integration with the Vrui framework. Furthermore, we thank all of our past and current collaborators, including Jeremy Bailenson (Stanford University), Maurizio Forte (UCM), Jay Han (UCDMC), Louise Kellogg (UCD), Klara Nahrstedt (UIUC), and Lisa Wymore (UCB). This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF grants: #0703787, #0724681, #0840399, #1111965), HP Labs, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), and the Center for Information Technology in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) at University of California, Berkeley. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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  1. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720-1764, USA

    Gregorij Kurillo & Ruzena Bajcsy

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  1. Gregorij Kurillo
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Correspondence to Gregorij Kurillo.

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Kurillo, G., Bajcsy, R. 3D teleimmersion for collaboration and interaction of geographically distributed users. Virtual Reality 17, 29–43 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-012-0217-2

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