Entertainment and Multimedia

Entertainment and multimedia is actually one of the largest hubs for the latest technologies. Multimedia applications often demand even more attention than industrial applications: here, beyond merely solving the problem, it’s crucial to remember that these systems are most frequently aimed at ordinary consumers. Consequently, their price must be appropriately balanced. There are many examples of devices that were incredibly innovative and functional but failed to sell due to improper pricing and subsequently faded into obscurity. The scope of applications for machine vision, vision systems, and cameras in entertainment and multimedia is just as broad as in the industrial or scientific sectors. We can find these technologies in standalone devices available in our homes, as well as in multimedia centers like television.

Television

Most people wouldn’t hesitate to call television one big vision system, because beyond the mere presence of cameras, many fascinating vision technologies actually sneak into TV studios. An example of such technology could be automatic presenter tracking by the camera. In traditional television staging, a human operator had to be responsible for the movement of each camera, either through manual camera control or via actuators; typically, one person was assigned to one camera. Vision system technology allows for indicating, or even automatically detecting, a presenter or other objects, and then automatically tracking them. This means that only one person is needed to operate all cameras, selecting the appropriate shot, while all devices are already positioned as needed. This approach not only reduces costs but, more importantly, provides a better quality spectacle for the viewer, leading to higher viewership.

Another example of using vision technology in television is Green screens allow for

practically any studio arrangement using computer-generated imagery. Walls and floors are covered with a uniform green material. A computer algorithm automatically applies the programmed image to areas characterized by a specific color (in this case, green), creating the illusion of physically present objects. This technology not only helps reduce costs associated with set design but also enables changing the studio decor in a matter of seconds. One only needs to prepare the appropriate image to apply to the green screen and remember that individuals appearing on camera should not wear any green elements.“green screens.”

Motion Sensors and Virtual Reality

VR headsets have been one of the most significant trends in entertainment in recent years. While their popularity may not yet be as high as manufacturers would wish, this doesn’t change the fact that they are incredibly complex devices containing elements of a vision system. VR headsets are very often equipped with various types of sensors that allow them to position their location in space. Vision sensors are placed on the casing to control whether the user is standing too close to a wall. Unexpectedly encountering such an obstacle would certainly not be a pleasant experience. If the user approaches a distance where they might hit an obstacle, the sensors send a signal to the processor, and a warning message is displayed on the screen.

Another earlier “boom” that has somewhat waned in intensity are motion sensors with built-in cameras, which were intended to be standard equipment for gaming consoles. Various types of sensors based on stereoscopy as well as ToF (Time-of-Flight) technology are available on the market. Furthermore, the most popular solution on the market is simply a suitably adapted and programmed ToF camera, which, with the skilled hands of a programmer, could also be used for other applications typical of beam time-of-flight measurement technology. Motion sensors had one task – to make the player the controller. In games adapted for this type of technology, we controlled with our own body. Although industrial-grade performance is not required for these applications, these devices had to be resistant to exceptionally varied operating environments. Motion sensors needed to work in daylight, on a cloudy day, and under artificial lighting. Another aspect is that they had to be insensitive to the scene in the player’s vicinity – it would be difficult to find two identical apartments anywhere in the world. For this reason, although these devices themselves are not as popular as manufacturers would probably wish, they are a great example of how truly advanced technology, in some aspects even surpassing professional applications, was created for seemingly trivial purposes, while remaining at a price accessible to ordinary people.

Mobile Devices

The advent of the first smartphones transformed the mobile device market. There continues to be huge sales of touch-screen devices, which become more efficient and offer more features year after year. Moreover, one might even argue that smartphones can replace a regular PC for daily routine activities like Browse news or writing emails.

The topic of mobile devices is relevant here for a reason. They also benefit from the advantages of vision systems. The most common example is applications for scanning QR codes and barcodes. The principle of a smartphone acting as a code reader is analogous to industrial “area imager” readers, which rely on analyzing images from a camera. Current solutions automatically find the desired code in an image, regardless of tilt angle or device orientation, in a fraction of a second.

While the efficiency of smartphones as 1D/2D code readers is significantly lower than that of specially designed devices, their general operating principle is the same as professional solutions.

Other solutions utilizing a smartphone camera can also be categorized as vision systems. These include various security systems. For several years now, we’ve been able to unlock devices using facial recognition, or even through an iris scanner. The latter function is particularly interesting, as it not only provides a very high level of security but can also work in the dark. For this to be possible, smartphones, in addition to the iris scanner itself, are also equipped with an infrared illuminator. This type of lighting is completely sufficient for the sensors used, yet invisible to the naked eye. Thus, a smartphone can house a complete vision system, analogous to smart cameras, consisting of a camera, illuminator, processor, and software. The ways in which mobile device components are utilized by various applications are hundreds, perhaps even thousands, and it’s impossible to describe them all here.

The entertainment and multimedia market is an extremely dynamic area that serves as a powerful driving force for new technologies. Although its specific characteristics differ from areas like industry or scientific research, a thorough understanding of its needs and operational mechanisms allows for the creation of competitive solutions. In this field, machine vision also plays its role, forming the basis for many multimedia systems and devices.