VISUALISE: Enhancing the spectator experience

Abstract

VISUALISE aims to enhance the spectator experience at temporally and spatially dispersed public events by providing real-time access to unfolding events via wireless IP enabled mobile phones and personal digital assistants. The VISUALISE project enhanced coverage of the World Rally Championships in South Wales (UK) in December 2007. Using consumer handheld devices, wireless technology was deployed to enable spectators to access live video feeds (including in-car footage), live timing data and live GPS information. Live multi-channel video was streamed to mobile terminals using a broadcast WiFi protocol. While this allowed many terminals to receive the service, enhanced IP encapsulation and robust video playback (including loss concealment) was required at the server and client respectively. The VISUALSIE project also developed a novel location based approach for intelligent, automatic and personalised video-feed selection.