KDDI R&D Laboratories demonstrated a proof-of-concept implementation of a system that will allow consumers to determine and change their vantage point and control their 3D viewing experience during a live broadcast.
Free Viewpoint 3D Video requires a minimum of four 2D camera positions, and four 2D video feeds, to work. It takes approximately 3-4 hours to set up and calibrate the 2D cameras. Once calibration is complete, the KDDI software in a consumer’s home device uses the four (or more) feeds to create a live consumer-controlled 3D video feed that can synthesize the 3D viewing experience from any position between the cameras. Their system also synthesizes the soundscape to match the audio that the person would hear from their chosen camera position. It is using 2D information to create a 3D audiovisual experience.
Although the attached photo looks like a screen shot of a video game, it is actually a 3D generated image of a live soccer match. Their synthesized images do look more CGI than real at the moment, but they expect to refine the process in the near future.
They plan to run a test of this system over the KDDI broadcast system in about six months.