Panoramic Video

Cultural memory of local artists and poets is typically cultivated through festivals devoted to these people usually by way of commemorations on the anniversaries of their deaths, and are held in places in which they lived and worked. These methods, however, are intangible and if not passed to next generations may be lost or forgotten. What is more, they do not help to protect from oblivion the environment which once surrounded an artist and was a source of inspiration for their work. This paper uses a case study of Charles Causley, a Cornish poet, to propose a new method for preserving his memory, as well as his hometown of Launceston where he spent most of his life. As poems written by Causley were loco-descriptive (topographical) and described various objects and places in Launceston, the approach proposed in this research relies on this paradigm. Loco-descriptive poems provide a basis for the spatial exploration of the town with interactive narratives based on traversing multiple trajectories. Causley's inspirational environment was recreated by 360° images taken in his home and in various locations in the town and also 360° videos were recorded between these locations to allow movement along paths which the poet walked on a daily basis. The approach adopted in this project borrows the concept of traversing from surveying and applies it to the movement between different locations in loco-descriptive narrative that has its roots in polychronic narrative and uses Kinoautomat paradigm when presented in the panoramic immersive environment (360° screen). The project described in this paper was presented on multiple screens for a large audience and is also available on-line for a single user (panoramic virtual environment).

The intention of this demonstration is to present a novel immersive telepresence system that enables remote students to participate in seminars and lectures using online streaming video and audio connections. In this system, a virtualized video view is created using a 360° panoramic video projected onto a 180° curved projected screen (immersive shell). This recreates a more natural human-like perception of real environments and thereby stimulating the learning process. 3D audio is also collected and reproduced at the remote location adding to the realism. To accomplish this we us a 360° mirror situated in the classroom which we use with a camera to transmit a panoramic image to the remote users where they reconstruct the original image from spherical to Cartesian. To process the audio we use a small array of microphones at the classroom end. In addition, we provide various tools to allow the participants to control their position within the virtualized views, thereby creating an inn...

Still and video panoramas provide exciting opportunities for individual users to take virtual journeys through a wide range of environments. The opportunity they provide for the basis of interactive storytelling has not been substantially investigated. A combination of computer graphics and 3D modelling enriches the educational aspects of narratives created using a spherical video camera by illustrating objects that are hidden, not only physically but also due to the passage of time. Video panoramas created using a spherical video camera and within 3D modelling software are discussed in this paper employing the example of two heritage sites: Charles Church in Plymouth, UK and the town of Launceston, UK. Objects and artefacts created through the process of laser scanning and QTVR object movies can be placed within panoramic environments using XML and Flash based panoramic viewers enriching the experience of the audience by merging educational components with entertainment.

Historically, learning has been seen as part of the human process to achieve a status, income and a better future. Traditionally students travel to attend lectures or participate in brainstorming and training sessions benefiting from the interaction afforded by the physical learning environment, the classroom, and the wider University facilities. However, financial pressures arising from national and global competition are putting pressure on Universities to find more cost-effective ways of delivering education. While distant learning has been always there, it is clear that this approach needs substantial improvements in order to deliver a similar learning experience to physically attending a university. To these end, this paper presents a novel immersive telepresence system that allows remote or distant students to customize their virtual presence at seminars and lectures based on a 360° panoramic video projected onto a 180° curved projected screen (an immersive shell). Audio is al...

The rapid development of virtual reality technologies in recent years has led to an
increase in interest in 360-degree video and, as a consequence, in the production of
equipment for shooting. Shooting 360-degree video differs from regular video
shooting by the need to use multiple cameras (lenses) to create panoramic video.
Stitching the video from several video cameras (lenses) in order to form panoramic
video comes to the fore in this case. Currently, there are a number of algorithms and
software solutions available for implementing video stitching. The purpose of the
paper is to analyze and search for optimal algorithms and tools for 360-degree video
stitching. The analysis takes into account, first of all, the quality of the stitching
algorithms, which involves the absence of visible seams in the resulting image. The
performance of the stitching methods also plays an important role, since the speed of
processing the video footage is critical and ideally should be done in the real-time
mode, which allows broadcasting 360-degree video. The main result of the study is
the selection of optimal methods and parameters of video stitching, depending on the
purposes, determined by the balance of speed and quality of processing. Given the
increased interest in this topic in recent years, this study allows systematizing existing
methods and will help 360-degree video producers with a choice of methods and tools
for stitching.

This paper presents a method for the merging of poetry into interactive storytelling that is based
on still and video panoramas. This non-linear approach aims to give a young audience a new
understanding of poetry, by exploring the poet Charles Causley’s house and the town of
Launceston in England where he spent most of his life. His poetry mentions a number of locations
from this town and artefacts located in his house. The user of the interactive application based on
Adobe Flash plug-in and Lucid Viewer (panoramic viewer), take a number of narrative journeys in
order to search for hidden poems, voice marks or trails signs that have references to the town. Still
panoramas localised at decision-making points were linked by using video panoramas (360-degree
video), which were recorded with a spherical video camera – Ladybug2 mounted on a motorised
wheelchair. Still and video panoramas are elements that create a branching narrative. The aim of
this application is to develop the interest not only in the Causley’s biography but also in literary
output of the poet.

The rapid development of digital communication technologies in the 20th and 21st centuries has affected the way researchers look at ways memory – especially cultural memory – can be preserved and enhanced. State-of-the-art communication technologies such as the Internet or immersive environments support participation and interaction and transform memory into ‘prosthetic’ experience, where digital technologies could enable 'implantation' of events that have not actually been experienced.
While there is a wealth of research on the preservation of public memory and cultural heritage sites using digital media, more can be explored on how these media can contribute to the cultivation of cultural memory. One of the most interesting phenomena related to this issue is how panoramas, which are immersive and have a well-established tradition in preserving memories, can be enhanced by recent digital technologies and image spaces.
The emergence of digital panoramic video cameras and panoramic environments has opened up new opportunities for exploring the role of interactive panoramas not only as a documentary tool for visiting sites but mainly as a more complex technique for telling non-linear interactive narratives through the application of panoramic photography and panoramic videography which, when presented in a wrap-around environment, could enhance recalling.
This thesis attempts to explore a way of preserving inspirational environments and memory sites in a way that combines panoramic interactive film and traversing the panoramic environment with viewing the photo-realistic panoramic content rather than computer-generated environment.
This research is based on two case studies. The case study of Charles Church in Plymouth represents the topical approach to narrative and focuses on the preservation of the memory of the Blitz in Plymouth and the ruin of Charles Church which stands as a silent reminder of this event. The case study of Charles Causley reflects topographical approach where, through traversing the town of Launceston, viewers learn about Causley’s life and places that provided inspirations for his poems.
The thesis explores through practice what can be done and reflects on positive and less positive aspects of preserving cultural memory in these case studies in a critical way. Therefore, the results and recommendations from this thesis can be seen as valuable contribution to the study of intermedia and cultural memory in general.