Quality of Experience for Augmented Telepresence

By combining these two techniques it is possible to for example to operate a crane from a different location.

Background

In Augmented Telepresence you combine Telepresence with Augmented Reality. Telepresence usually means high quality videoconferencing where the user experience is good enough for remote participants to be received as they were almost physically present. In Augmented Reality you artificially includes information from databases, data or image analysis in real time. By combining these two techniques it is possible to, for example, operate a crane remotely from a different location or improve rehabilitation training for stroke patients at a distance.

In this project researchers will address the problem of assessing Quality of Experience (QoE) for Augmented Telepresence. This is a new research field that builds on Augmented Reality and telepresence and as such it is virtually unexplored when it comes to assessment of QoE Augmented telepresence is highly immersive, with users trying to accomplish complex tasks making the service very mentally demanding.

The project will build a test subsystems and a fully working augmented telepresence systems and using them to perform QuE user studies. The expected results will be new test protocols for QoE, which will benefit both academia and industry. The industrial partners are HIAB and Alkit Communication who already have systems that can form a starting point for the experimental systems and pilot studies. They will use the project results for their development of commercial augmented telepresence systems.

Alkit Communications

Alkit Communications develops customized communication solutions for the automotive industry and health care section. Their expertise is within high quality video communication, data capture and visualization. They have for example developed a video-based rehabilitation training systems for home care patients giving them a possibility to of remote interaction with medical professionals.

Alkit is interested in developing their video communication platform since they seen a growing need of advanced services by combining high quality video communication with data capture and visualization. Alkits products will benefit from a deeper investigation of quality of experience and the new opportunities available with Augmented Telepresence technology.

HIAB

HIAB is a world leading truck crane manufacturer and has as the first company in the industry introduce a new vision system that allows remote the operator to move the crane from the safety and comfort of the truck cabin. Based on the recent advancement in virtual reality goggles, cameras, and connectivity Hiab has developed a system with cameras mounted on top of the forestry crane which enables the crane operator to see the working area and to operate the crane remotely using VR goggles. In this research project HIAB is interested in how additional information should be presented in the best way in the virtual reality mode. HIAB also like to investigate how the stereo view can be transferred to a remote location with minimizing delays and secure the integrity.

Acreo

Mid Sweden University and Acreo have been cooperation since several of years and the research has provided both objective and subjective quality assessment methods for the 3D video industry to improve their techniques thus allowing better 3D quality of experience for customers.

Objectives

The overall research question in this project has been formulated as: “What is Quality of Experience for Augmented Telepresence in the context of complex and industrial tasks, and what protocols and methods should be used in assessments?”

The goal of the project is based on the case studies to create a functional demonstrator and to draw conclusions about the benefits of Augmented Telepresence, increase the understanding of the Quality of Experience for Augmented Telepresence and to develop reliable subjective methods to evaluate quality.

This overall goal can be broken down a few sub-goals:

• Conduct a user pre-study in a somewhat limited Augmented Telepresence system to set the requirement and give guidance for the controlled experiments
• Develop the Augmented Telepresence subsystems to allow Quality of Experience experiments.
• Develop the Quality of Experience methodology based on pilot studies on subsystems
• Plan, perform and analyze the results an experiment on the complete Augmented Telepresence system
• Summarize the results into recommendations for the Quality of Experience for Augmented Telepresence