Canon & IBM Announce Business Partnership Utilizing Volumetric Video Technology

[Canon Rumors Guy]

MELVILLE, NY, July 8, 2021, – Canon Inc. (Headquarters: Ota-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Fujio Mitarai) and IBM Japan Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Akio Yamaguchi) announced today that the two companies have formed a business partnership to use volumetric video technology to promote the visual and performing arts.
Volumetric video technology involves the use of digitalized 3D spatial data, which is rendered by computers to create a virtual space in which video can be generated from any angle. This technology has attracted significant interest in the sporting world and is becoming increasingly widespread in the entertainment industry. In addition, Canon implemented this technology during an international rugby tournament in 2019 as well as other sporting events. In July 2020, the company established its Volumetric Video Studio – Kawasaki, to expand its range of activities in the entertainment industry.
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[Hector1970]

It must be techology in its infancy. The usage during the international rugby tournament was a bit cartoonish. The demo video is also a little artificial looking. I'm sure it will get better and better.

 

[entoman]

The Star Trek holodeck is just around the corner. Amazing technology, but not a direction I like to see this world go in.

 

[EOS 4 Life]

It must be techology in its infancy. The usage during the international rugby tournament was a bit cartoonish. The demo video is also a little artificial looking. I'm sure it will get better and better.

I thought it was meant for VR.
I must be missing something because what was in the demo used a green screen.
They must be doing something else for sports.

 

[entoman]

I thought it was meant for VR.
I must be missing something because what was in the demo used a green screen.
They must be doing something else for sports.

Only guessing, but let's imagine there are 20 cameras spaced regularly around the circumference of a sports stadium. Normally with such a situation the viewer would only have the choice of 20 different fixed angles of view. I think what is being hinted at here is that AI technology could enable all the in-between angles to be calculated and generated at a virtual image. And presumably could also automatically follow a player around and even provide the "player's view" of events. Taking it one step further, the viewer could "play the part" of the sportsman, as a game or activity, hence my reference above to the Star Trek holodeck.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

After reading thru the Wikipedia article that describes the current state, it is a technology that is starting to be possible but its true potential is currently out of reach. The amount of data, computing power, and bandwidth required to view a high end volumetric video at home does not exist but some fairly basic uses are currently in use such as 360 cameras for sports games.

The future potential is only limited by the imagination, it will truly change the world, It will be used for things we don't even expect. Once a background is captured, it can be modified and reused over and over in ways that viewers may not recognize. I'm getting up there in age so I may not be around when its common, super high bandwidth is not coming to me soon. I'm lucky to get 30 Mbps and hoping that Starlink brings faster speeds to my rural location.

MPEG, the Motion Picture Experts Group is working toward a standard but if one does come out, it will be pretty basic. Gaming is one of the technologies that needs a standard now.

 

[Antono Refa]

Only guessing, but let's imagine there are 20 cameras spaced regularly around the circumference of a sports stadium. Normally with such a situation the viewer would only have the choice of 20 different fixed angles of view. I think what is being hinted at here is that AI technology could enable all the in-between angles to be calculated and generated at a virtual image. And presumably could also automatically follow a player around and even provide the "player's view" of events.

AFAIK, that was already done, without AI, by an Israeli company called Replay Technologies, which was bought by Intel.

 

[Antono Refa]

After reading thru the Wikipedia article that describes the current state, it is a technology that is starting to be possible but its true potential is currently out of reach. The amount of data, computing power, and bandwidth required to view a high end volumetric video at home does not exist but some fairly basic uses are currently in use such as 360 cameras for sports games.

The future potential is only limited by the imagination, it will truly change the world, It will be used for things we don't even expect. Once a background is captured, it can be modified and reused over and over in ways that viewers may not recognize.

I was shown a demo in which the ads displayed on the low wall around a soccer field were replaced in re-run. The system identified the wall, as well as the occlusions, and replaced the ads. I wouldn't be surprised if, eventually, it could be done in real time, and the broadcasting rights would include the right to replace them with localized ads.