blue-c

TLDR

We introduce blue‑c, an immersive projection and 3D video acquisition environment designed for virtual design and collaboration. blue‑c achieves total immersion by combining simultaneous live video capture with active‑stereo 3D projection on glass panels that switch between opaque and transparent states, synchronizing two LCD projectors per screen, shuttered glasses, illumination devices, and acquisition hardware to compute real‑time 3D user representations. The system integrates real‑time video inlays into a networked virtual environment and scales to connect with portals using less sophisticated hardware.

Abstract

We present blue-c , a new immersive projection and 3D video acquisition environment for virtual design and collaboration. It combines simultaneous acquisition of multiple live video streams with advanced 3D projection technology in a CAVE™-like environment, creating the impression of total immersion. The blue-c portal currently consists of three rectangular projection screens that are built from glass panels containing liquid crystal layers. These screens can be switched from a whitish opaque state (for projection) to a transparent state (for acquisition), which allows the video cameras to "look through" the walls. Our projection technology is based on active stereo using two LCD projectors per screen. The projectors are synchronously shuttered along with the screens, the stereo glasses, active illumination devices, and the acquisition hardware. From multiple video streams, we compute a 3D video representation of the user in real time. The resulting video inlays are integrated into a networked virtual environment. Our design is highly scalable, enabling blue-c to connect to portals with less sophisticated hardware.