The three partner institutes Fraunhofer FOKUS, Fraunhofer HHI and Fraunhofer IIS launched a new project: Virtual LiVe – Virtualization of Live Events via Audiovisual Immersion.
Virtual LiVe is hosted by the 3IT and funded within the framework of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s KMU-akut program, “Research for SMEs.” The goal of the project is to digitally augment or even replace classic event formats by using new immersive media formats (e.g., 3D audio, 360° video, light-fields, volumetric video) whenever physical presence is not an option. On May 26, 2021, the three project partners will hold a virtual kick-off event together with renowned players from the cultural and event industry in order to present the status quo of digital event formats and to specify concrete requirements for technologies.
Live events are an integral part of our culture. It is human nature to want to perceive the world through our own senses – everything from concerts to business transactions. Most recently due of course to the COVID-19 pandemic, but sometimes also for ecological or practical reasons (say, long travel distances or simply the lack of a babysitter), people are forced to stay away from live events. This is where new technologies come into play, enabling an experience that comes much closer to actually being part of a live audience than current platforms do.
The rapid development of digital media formats and media content, in combination with increasingly powerful playback devices such as smartphones or tablets, provides a wide range of possibilities. Some of these opportunities offer potential for the digital augmentation of classic performance formats, such as concerts, theatrical plays, congresses or trade fairs, while others encourage the development of new, independent formats as well as the addressing of new target groups.
The complexity of new technologies and the high implementation costs often associated with it for online platforms make it difficult for relevant players to offer their services at the technological state of the art. In this context, Virtual LiVe aims at developing a platform that provides applicable and scalable high-end solutions for the event-streaming needs of different players from different industries. Using the platform’s toolbox, SMEs can then put together a customized set of features that best fit the needs and requirements for their particular event. This technology-based solution is intended to far surpass existing options in terms of quality, accessibility (payment barriers, hardware integration, need for high-speed internet, etc.) as well as legal aspects (data sovereignty and EU data protection regulations).
Do you want to participate and shape the future of digital event formats together with the project partners? Then visit our website and register for the virtual kick-off or contact us.
About 3IT
3IT – Innovation Center for Immersive Imaging Technologies has been established and is operated by the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute for Communication Technology.
It is a partner network, research facility, test lab, and showroom. The focus lies on technologies such as 3D, UHD, HFR and HDR as well as image and video applications for the medical and industrial sectors. The 3IT offers its partners the unique opportunity to jointly develop the field of immersive imaging technologies in a precompetitive environment. With its 600 square meters, it is not only a virtual network but also a platform and venue.
The 3IT sets impulses for new synergies in product development, marketing and sales.
Find out more at www.3it-berlin.de
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