PSNC advanced multimedia and visualization infrastructures,services and applications
Extended Abstract
Krzysztof Kurowski

Poznan Supercomputing and
Networking Center
Poznan, Poland
krzysztof.kurowski@man.poznan.pl

Maciej Strozyk

Poznan Supercomputing and
Networking Center
Poznan, Poland
mackostr@man.poznan.pl

Maciej Glowiak

Poznan Supercomputing and
Networking Center
Poznan, Poland
mac@man.poznan.pl

Milosz Ciznicki

Poznan Supercomputing and
Networking Center
Poznan, Poland
miloszc@man.poznan.pl

Bogdan Ludwiczak

Poznan Supercomputing and
Networking Center
Poznan, Poland
bogdanl@man.poznan.plArtur Binczewski

Poznan Supercomputing andNetworking Center
Poznan, Poland
artur@man.poznan.pl

Mauricio Alvarez Mesa
Spin Digital
Germanymauricio@spin-digital.com

ABSTRACT
Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Services (PSNC) offers
advanced visualisation and multimedia infrastructures as a set ofdedicated laboratories to conduct innovative research and development projects involving both academia and industry. In this shortoverview we present the existing facilities located at the PSNC
campus in Poznan, Poland as well as short descriptions of example applications and networked services which have been recently
developed.

CCS CONCEPTS• Human-centered computing → Visualization; • Computing methodologies → Graphics systems and interfaces;

KEYWORDS
Collaboration in multi-user virtual environments, multimedia streaming, compression, and transmission of 3D content, 3D content acquisition
ACM Reference Format:
Krzysztof Kurowski, Maciej Glowiak, Bogdan Ludwiczak, Maciej Strozyk,Milosz Ciznicki, Artur Binczewski, and Mauricio Alvarez Mesa. 2018. PSNC

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1INTRODUCTIONPSNC has created a set of visualisation and media laboratories providing the access to several installations and devices that could be
used in the process of collaboration between PSNC and researchers
focused on the 3D media technologies. The existing installation iscomposed of three types of visualisation installations as presented
in Fig. 1.
• CAVE1: An immersive cubic 4-sided stereoscopic CAVE withdimensions 3.6m x 2.5m with resolution 2K x 2K per wallis equipped with advanced tracking system and associatedwith visualisation GPU cluster for real time image rendering;• CAVE2: Immersive cylindrical tiled display is composed of45x 4K TVs. The current resolution of the installation is20K x 2K, however the total number of physical pixels that
potentially be used is 373 MPix;• UHD Wall: Immersive 8K high resolution display with video
capture, processing, postproduction, streaming and display
capabilities. The 6-meter-wide stitchless full-8K 60p wall isserved by 12 blended BARCO projectors and image processors and can project also 8K 3D in 60p.
In addition to the installations, PSNC facilities include also 4 setsof 8K live cameras and stereoscopic rigs, computational clusters
for 3D CG rendering, immersive audio installation composed of 25
microphones and 25 loudspeakers, motion capture system, laser 3D
scanners, TV studio for video post-production as well as associatedsoftware for video editing, rendering and audio-visual processing.
In general the PSNC laboratories can provide Ultra high resolution

Conference’17, July 2017, Washington, DC, USAK. Kurowski et al.
Future Internet application that could alter the way people communicate and interact, removing the barrier of physical locationand distance, and create new pathways in the industries of entertainment, gaming, advertisement, broadcasting, health, learningetc.

3

Figure 1: High-resolution CAVE2CAVE, immersive and visualization facilities integrated and accessible through opticalnetworks at PSNC.

(16K, 8K, 8K 3D) visualization, real time encoding, decoding and livestreaming, Real time VR and 3D graphics rendering for immersive
spaces (cubic and cylindrical caves), multi-user interaction andvisualization functionality.

2

LIVE 3D STREAMING @PSNC

Developing high-performance network protocols to exchange highdefinition 3D visual data with as little delay as possible while synchronizing multiple data streams has been a huge research challenge
for many PSNC researchers. Especially in interactive applications
or applications related to 3D model visualization, when even theslightest delay affects the quality or comfort of work. Regarding
the 3D content, three protocols are currently competing and under
extensive research:• Central server may compute every expected scenes and 2D
or 3D stereoscopic view are dispatched through networks.
The bandwidth is increased with the number of pixels andlatency must be very low to support a fluid and real-timeinteraction;• Full 3D model is shared and only edition events are exchanged through the network. Once the model is shared
it expects low bandwidth and only latency should remain as
low as possible;• Full 3D model may be shared through compression and encoding techniques. Software and hardware based low latencycompression technologies are under intensive investigation
at PSNC.
A relevant part of the 3D world is also real time streaming of the3D video content that can support realistic interpersonal communications, allowing remote users to share an activity. In most cases it
is realized by capturing and generating in real-time the replica 3D
representations of multiple geographically distributed users andplacing them inside a common virtual space. Tele-immersion is a

AUGMENTED REALITY AND
VIDEOCONFERENCE COLLABORATIVEWORKSPACE

The another interesting research activity has been conducted atPSNC in the TEFIS project. The project aimed to combine HD videoconferencing, 3D virtual models and motion tracking in an effort
to obtain a new quality in the field of remote teaching. Throughmerging those technologies an impression of augmented reality
has been successfully achieved in a fully distributed across Europe
networked environment. The outcome of the integration process
has been validated during a geographically distributed âĂĲbiologyin EnglishâĂİ lesson of the future. Groups of students sitting in
Swedish classrooms as well as individuals located at their homes
will benefit from innovative, natural user interfaces in order to interact collaboratively with 3D models rendered in France imposed
onto a video stream created at PSNC [1].

4ADVANCED CONTENT CREATION IN
IMMERSIFY

Advanced research on high resolution and immersive media, including encoding, streaming and displaying is impossible without
advanced visualisation technologies comprising of VR caves, 8K
high quality display walls, but also cutting-edge content creation
devices such as 8K cameras, 3D rigs, VR cameras and laser scanners.
Advanced research on high resolution and immersive media, including encoding, streaming and displaying is impossible without
advanced visualisation technologies comprising of VR caves, 8K
high quality display walls, but also cutting-edge content creation
devices such as 8K cameras, 3D rigs, VR cameras and laser scanners.
The Immersify project currently conducted at PSNC addresses bothareas [2]. On one hand, partners provide advanced technologies
and tools such as 8K display wall, cubic or cylindrical CAVE (PSNC),
Deep Space 8K (Ars Electronica) or dome theatre (NVAB Visualisation Center C). On the other hand, Immersify focuses on producing
showcase immersive content that demonstrates the creative possibilities of the new formats, and use it as a testing vehicle for thedeveloped technologies. In order to produce high quality content
for VR devices that is not CGI, real-life footage has to be obtained.
PSNC provides the required infrastructure and expertise to create
immersive media using latest video technologies (e.g. 8K, 3D, High
Frame Rates, 360 video, laser 3D scanners), interactive content, andimmersive content for giant screen. Within the Immersify project
8K and beyond high quality content will be produced with focus
on extending current content genres.

REFERENCES[1] 2011. AR and videoconferencing service for remote education in the TEFIS project:.
http://platontv.pl/adv?page=1&keyword=TEFIS&id=1831[2] 2018. The Immersify project:. https://immersify.eu/