Project “Estudios”

Project “Estudios” http://www.fccn.pt/estudios FCCN FCCN – Fundação para a Computação Científica Nacional (http://www.fccn.pt) Working Group – Multimédia ( wg-multimedia@fccn.pt ) Esmeralda Câmara João Pereira Nuno Gonçalves Ricardo Dias Rui Ribeiro Project Description: Videoconference is becoming a key role in educational institutions in order to make possible, national and international activities more efficient. E-learning and long distance teaching technologies are important in this kind of institutions. Therefore FCCN - Foundation for National Scientific Computing, developed project "Estúdios". The aim of this project is to promote these technologies like videoconference and streaming of audio and video content, as well as experimentation, by installing several rooms called "Estúdios" in several Portuguese universities. This presentation will provide an overview of this project and the technologies involved in those rooms in several. Started in the middle of May 2004, the Project “Estúdios” is a undergoing project. It is (Nov 2004) at the end of the implementation. Although there aren’t many documents, deliverables or conclusions from this work right now, this project will start giving results in the first trimester of 2005. All the know-how accumulated in designing, building, installing and using this new sets of videoconferencing equipment will be, for sure, very interesting to everyone. The Project “Estúdios” is based on the objective of multi-function, multi-uses giving to the room and the equipment the sense of metamorphosis. All the room and equipment were designed and integrated to change, in less than 30 minutes, from one set of configurations and presets to the other. These presets can be the room functionality, the room furniture and the uses of the several pheripherical available. This project aims to give a full feature videoconference experience (h323 dual videoconferencing, two robotized cameras, document camera, smart board, audio and video integration and collaboration) with the minimum effort to the end users. Each room will integrate the following equipment: Videoconference Codec H.323 – Aethra 8400AVC capable of up to 3Mbps IP, dual video, encryption and up to 2Mbps ISDN (for backup purposes only) - PC – System that will provide a test videoconferencing plataform, as well, as full production platform for: ISABEL, VRVS, AccessGrid, ConferenceXP and others. It will also provide Windows environment for H.323 meetings where there isn’t a laptop available on the room. Two simultaneous video sources are available on each PC. Multiple Audio Sources – 2 wireless microphones, 2 wired microphones, 2 digital microphones all integrated through a audio mixing table 5.1 Surround Sound – the chosen system was the Bose Acoustic Mass 10 system. DVD Recorder – it gives the ability to the room to record and play DVD media. Echo cancellation device – the GT1524 is able to actively scan and remove the echo from a videoconference using the PC or H.323 codec in a very hard environment as the 5.1 surround system will pose. It also can receive a phone call in order to integrate it with the room or within the videoconference session Audio, Video and VGA Matrixes – in order to make the system more user friendly it was found the need to have this kind of equipment into the studio. This will provide a touch button room reconfiguration function. Essential for low knowledgeable users on the room. Pan Tilt and Zoom Cameras – a pair of these cameras will be available in each studio. They will provide full coverage of the room. Document/Object Camera – this will give the ability to the user in a straight forward way to put information on the screens. This information will be seemly available locally or remotely via the videoconferencing system. Projectors and Screens – a pair of XGA projectors will be placed on the room. Together they will provide a front display area of 4 meter wide by 1.5 meter height. On some configurations, one of them may be pointed to the end of the room in order to give the teacher a full view of the local and remote audience. The other may be used with the smart board. - - - - Everything will be controlled with low cost control system. The main manufacturers have proposed solutions over 50000€ for each studio. The system implemented is under 2500€. It is composed by an IR “very smart” remote controller, an IR/RS232 transcoder and a serial port control system. A rack with all the equipment is shown here: Each room was developed with the university staff in order to give the best comfort to the users in every aspect of videoconferencing. The walls, floors, the screens, the furniture, lightening, noise, air conditioning were studied and designed. Before After (still in construction) Some room layouts may be viewed here: Auditorium Teaching Room 1,70m 2,00m 2,00m 0,90m 0,90m 0,90m POSTERIOR POSTERIOR 9,50m 0,90m Sentido da Sala 0,90m 0,90m 1,00m Zona Orador Zona Orador Zona Orador 5 sq m da Entra 1,60m Zona Orador 5 sq m FRONTAL da Entra FRONTAL 2,00m 2,95m 5,90m 2,00m 5 sq m 5 sq m 2,00m 2,95m 2,00m 2,95m 5,90m 2,00m 2,95m Other issues were also previously defined like: Room Access Points (interface service outlets to the rack) Services / Protocol to the end users Procedures that involves the universities Accessibilities to handicapped persons Other issues part of the Project “Estudios”: Portuguese Videoconference Network GDS deployment Scheduling System Central service: Gatekeeper, MCU, Gateways VoIP integration Participation on the TF-VVC Streaming Activities (OperaOberta, Research Channel) Content Producing (e-learning content) User Feedback Analysis As a conclusion, this is an ongoing project that will have many issues useful for discussion on the NREN context relating to videoconferencing implementation and deployment. 2,50m Sentido da Sala 5 sq m 5 sq m 5 sq m 5 sq m 7,50m 7,50m 9,50m Zona Orador Zona Orador 1,60m Zona Orador Zona Orador 1,70m