Holo Reality: Real-time low-bandwidth 3D range video communications on consumer mobile devices with application to augmented reality
Tyler Bell, Song Zhang · Electronic Imaging · 2019
An increasing number of mobile devices are equipped to acquire 3D range data along with color texture (e.g., iPhone X). As these devices are adopted, more people will have direct access to 3D imaging devices, bringing advanced applications, such as mobile 3D video calls and remote 3D telemedicine, within reach. This paper introduces Holo Reality, a novel platform that enables real-time, wireless 3D video communications to and from today▙s mobile (e.g., iPhone, iPad) devices. The major contributions are (1) a modular platform for performing 3D video acquisition, encoding, compression, transmission, decompression, and visualization entirely on consumer mobile devices and (2) a demonstration system that successfully delivered 3D video content from one mobile device to another, in real-time, over standard wireless networks. Our demonstration system uses augmented reality to visualize received 3D video content within the user▙s natural environment, highlighting the platform▙s potential to enable advanced applications for telepresence and telecollaboration. This technology also has the potential to realize new applications within areas such as mechatronics and telemedicine.