Proximity Video
A Proximity- and Orientation - aware Video Playback Application
We think that the integration of proximity and orientation into user interfaces can improve experience and lead to easier use of systems. We demonstrate this by showing a new interface for a home entertainment system. As today’s interaction with video playback systems mostly rely on a remote control and only allow explicit interaction, this often leads to a complex, non intuitive and cumbersome handling. This application controls video playback on a large screen and reacts accordingly to a number of implicit actions. It shows different views on video data depending on the users presence and proximity. It allows to select and browse by touching or point from the distance with a mobile phone.Sitting down and looking at the screen automatically enables video playback and other people that enter the room will be provided with additional information about the playing video. The system can rec- ognize user actions, like making a call or looking away and pause the playback. We use the Proximity Toolkit which gets the position of subjects in a three dimensional space from infrared cameras.
Created by Till Ballendat, Supervised by Nicolay Marquardt and Saul Greenberg
Contents
Download and Installation
- Proximity Video Playback, Version 1.0: This is the initial version and is supposed to run with a Vicon setup. Without the Vicon it runs in debug mode only.
- ILab Video Assets, 421 MB, 13 Videos: You will need these videos in order to run the application
Proximity Video Playback - Installation Instructions (Windows):
- Extract the current Proximity Video Playback application anywhere on your computer
- Ectract the provided video_asset_iLab archive to C:/ (if you want to extract it to another location, make sure that you change the path inside the provided xml-file. You can also create your own xml file and videos. See ... for instructions)
- Turn on the Vicon Cameras and start the Vicon Nexus Software.
- Load all the Subjects(GoogleHat.vsk, JagerHat.vsk, NokiaPhone.vsk) from the "vsk" - folder into the Nexus Software.
- Run ProximityVideoPlayback/proximity_video_playback.exe (Make sure to start the application inside the wall display because it turns to full screen mode right after start)
- In the upcoming dialog select the xml-File from the video-assets Folder
Proximity Video with Gateways - Installation Instructions (Windows):
- make sure, that the contents of "complete_proximity_video_assets.zip" are extracted to C:/
- download the "proximity_src.zip" and open the Proximity_Project Project file in Visual Studio 08
- set StartupUri="ProximityGatewayVideoApp.xaml" in App.xaml at the Homespace and run first
- set StartupUri="MobileDeviceApp.xaml" in App.xaml on the mobile Devices and after ProximityGatewayVideoApp is running (if neccessary set ServerIP and SubjectName in MobileDeviceApp.xaml.cs)
- required Subjects in the Nexus. You can find them int the "Subjects" Folder in "proximity_src.zip"
- GoogleHat
- JagerHat
- NokiaPhone
- Tablet and Marker_E if you use these mobile devices or whatever Subjects you use on your mobile device
Bug List
- If you find any bugs, feel free to add them here.
Links
- A short demonstration video is available, but password protected for now . A new public video will be available soon. for access to this preview video send me an email (tballend [at] ucalgary [dot] ca)
Tutorials and Examples
How to add or create a new set of video-data The easiest thing is to just look at the XML-files inside one of the provided video-asset archives. There is a Document Type Definition at the beginning of the file which describes the structure. The image files for the preview should have a 4 to 3 ratio and seem to work fine at 320 x 240 pixels. Make sure that all the paths are correct and then choose your file in the starting dialog of the Proximity Video Playback application.
How to run the application without a Vicon System
- Extract the current Proximity Video Playback application anywhere on your computer
- Ectract the provided video_asset_iLab archive to C:/ (if you want to extract it to another location, make sure that you change the path inside the provided xml-file. You can also create your own xml file and videos. See ... for instructions)
- Run ProximityVideoPlayback/proximity_video_playback.exe
- Cancel the Vicon Connection Dialog
- You will be asked if you want to run in debug mode -> select YES
- In the upcoming dialog select the xml-File from the video-assets Folder
The applicatin will now run in debug Mode. This means, that it runs in window mode. There is a Debug Dialog in the left bottom corner which gives you the opportunity to test the basic functionality: press "init Application" to simulate a person entering the room. Try the other options... If you want to use fullscreen mode, make sure that you select "toggle fullscreen" before "init Application".