Mountaintop mobile video communication

NEWS Imagine being able to share video photos with anyone, wherever. No matter the connection, you still have a positive impression of the person you are speaking with. This is made possible via a method invented by Ulrik Söderström of the Digital Media Lab at Umea University.

No matter where they are, regular individuals can utilize this technology to provide live stories as can reporters in far-off areas. Because of the method's strength, HDTV-quality video can be used to transfer data across a cellular phone network.

The technology used today is either a small camera attached to a helmet or a backpack with a video camera mounted on a bar in front of the person using it.

According to Ulrik Söderström, in the near future, technology may become so compact that using it will be similar to using a hands-free, but for video communication. His work focuses on video and how to compress the images while preserving excellent image quality so they may be transferred over any type of connection.

The body language and facial expressions of the person we are speaking to are just two examples of the non-verbal components of communication.

According to Ulrik Söderström, a significant portion of what we are mediating is lost when we cannot see each other.

His approach makes advantage of crucial video elements, like the mouth and the eyes. Ulrik can reconstruct a movie from changes in these regions and by utilizing a model of the subject's face, thus the compressed video uses extremely minimal storage space while maintaining great image quality.

This indicates that the sender may use any form of network to create high-quality images without being dependent on fast connections.

Video may be delivered at a bitrate of just 5 kbps, compared to the nearly 10 kbps required for audio over a normal cellular phone network.

On September 26, Ulrik Söderström will present a defense of his thesis entitled Very Low Bitrate Video Communication: A Principal Component Analysis Approach. At 10:00, the dissertation will be presented at Naturvetarhuset, Room N200, at Umea University.

Professor Luis Torres is a faculty opponent who works in the signal theory and communications department at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain.

In the nearby community of Sidensjo, near Örnsköldsvik, Ulrik Söderström was born and nurtured. His master's and license were previously obtained from Umea University.