Interactive Virtual Studio & Immersive Viewer Environment

인터렉티브 가상 스튜디오와 몰입형 시청자 환경

In this paper, we introduce a novel virtual studio environment where a broadcaster in the virtual set interacts with tele-viewers as if they are sharing the same environment as participants. A tele-viewer participates physically in the virtual studio environment by a dummy-head equipped with video "eyes" and microphone "ears" physically located in the studio. The dummy head as a surrogate of the tole-viewer follows the tele-viewer's head movements and views and hears through the dummy head like a tele-operated robot. By introducing the tele-presence technology in the virtual studio setting, the broadcaster can not only interact with the virtual set elements like the regular virtual studio environment but also share the physical studio with the surrogates of the tele-viewers as participants. The tele-viewer may see the real broadcaster in the virtual set environment and other participants as avatars in place of their respective dummy heads. With an immersive display like HMD, the tele-viewer may look around the studio and interact with other avatars. The new interactive virtual studio with the immersive viewer environment may be applied to immersive tele-conferencing, tele-teaching, and interactive TV program productions.program productions.