ACTORS European Project
ACTORS addresses the challenging problem of efficient design of embedded systems for complex and demanding high-performance applications. The project approach is to raise the abstraction level of the specifications and computing models, to include resource-constrained design exploration stages and real-time resource adaptation by developing the appropriate models and tools supporting the design from the specification down to the embedded implementation. Three main innovative technologies will be employed: high level dataflow specification and programming models for design space exploration, virtualization and feedback-based resource scheduling. The targeted execution platforms are Linux-based multiprocessor/multicore systems and FPGAs. Three design cases will be developed to validate and demonstrate the new approach: multimedia processing on cellular phone terminals, embedded control, and high-performance video systems.
The ACTORS consortium is led by Ericsson. It contains two SMEs (AKAtech and Evidence) and four university partners (SSSA, TUKL, ULUND, and EPFL). Associated partner to the project is Xilinx.
People: Christophe Lucarz, Marco Mattavelli
Reconfigurable Video Coding Project (RVC)
RVC is a a framework which would enable the effcient reusability of the terminal resources for supporting different codecs would constitute a great advantage for decoder platforms. The realisation of a Reconfigurable Video Coding framework would produce the following benefits:
– create a flexible video and audio coding framework for new codec and coding tools development.
– help adoption and standardization of new coding tools without the need a of specifying a completely new (monolithic) standard
– provide a new interoperable model of defining codecs at (standard) cod ing tool level to satisfy specific application requirements in place of current monolithic specifications
– provide specifications in the forms of models that are more appropriate for the implementation process.
People: Christophe Lucarz, Marco Mattavelli, Ding Dandan, Li Jianjun
4KREPROSYS
4KREPROSYS project aims at investigating and developing a new integrated cost-effective approach for the production of 4K TV content covering the needs from indoor studio production up to difficult outdoor large and mobile events such as Olympics or cycling and car races.
Major challenges and key technologies under study will be:
- embedded HEVC ultra low delay encoding at 4K UHD TV resolution
- ultra low delay wired and wireless large bandwidth IP streaming of high quality 4K video content
- ultra low delay synchronization and seamless switching of IP large bandwidth video audio streaming
- transcoding and content protection of HEVC 4K video streams at production side
Two major milestones of the project are:
- to demonstrate the functionality and quality of the new approach by deploying an experimental set-up that will be able to provide the full production capabilities for all mobile sports at 4K resolution for the next Olympic games of Rio de Janeiro in 2016
- an experimental infrastructure providing all functionality enabling “high quality” and “low bandwidth” remote studio production capabilities for both indoor and outdoor settings.
PoSeNoGap
The main aim of the project is to develop for the Swiss Platform for Advanced Scientific Computing a new computation node composed of heterogeneous hardware, a new compression format for genomic data and a software infrastructure that enables emerging applications such as Genome Analysis (e.g. RNASeq) to be able to process extremely large volumes of genome data in an efficient and timely way for scientific and diagnostic purposes (clinical application).
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VoiCode
The Group is collaborating with SwissAudec for the implementation and optimization of an innovative 3D audio encoding/decoding system with high bandwidth efficiency compliant with the ECMA-407 standard Commercial applications include:
- Mobile spatial audio
- Enhanced video conferencing
- Consumer applications with a large number of audio channels (up to 24)
ECMA has recently standardized “ECMA-407” as the first 3D audio standard named “Scalable Sparse Spatial Sound System (S5) – Base S5 Coding”. The ECMA-407 standard layouts a general framework for 3D audio spatial coding, which is based on the key components of signal-analysis assisted spatial downmix, inverse-coding (VoidCode®) assisted spatial upmix from the downmix, base audio codec, and very little side information.
H2B2VS
HEVC Hybrid Broadcast Broadband Video Services
The project aims at investigating the hybrid distribution of TV programs and services over Broadcast and Broadband networks. The technology used for the contents compression is the future video compression standard: High Efficient Video Codec (HEVC). The hybrid network and the HEVC standard will allow defining new added value services.
The following results are expected by the H2B2VS partners:
- Implementation of HEVC Codecs and support for HEVC Scalability,
- Adaptation of relevant standards to hybrid distribution: MPEG-DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP), MMT (MPEG Media Transport) and DVB signaling,
- Development of a synchronization algorithm to synchronize Broadband & Broadcast networks,
- Support for encryption and watermarking over hybrid networks,
- Adaptation of CDN to allow hybrid distribution.
VAMPA
The project VAMPA intends to support the changes of SW methodology necessary to efficiently program parallel architectures such as the STM P2012 family by providing to the customers a complete high level actors dataflow programming environment composed by development tools and libraries. The choice of actors dataflow is not only introduced by the motivations and attractive features discussed here, but also because it naturally matches the NoC communication primitives that naturally yield efficient actors dataflow communication implementations, the key for efficient parallel processing.
The application market addressed is the embedded video analysis and processing. A success on the marketplace of the P2012 processing platform not only depends on the theoretical processing power, on the extremely low power consumption or on the low cost (intrinsic features), but with equal or even larger importance to the ecosystem of tool and library support that translate into the possibility of users to exploit such intrinsic platform features into their applications. To achieve such objectives VAMPA will develop real sized application examples in the video analysis and processing fields.
ALICANTE
MediA Ecosystem Deployment through Ubiquitous Content-Aware Network Environments
The ALICANTE project proposes a novel concept towards the deployment of a new networked ‘Media Ecosystem’ based on a flexible cooperation between providers, operators and end-users.
The ALICANTE concept aims to provide Content-awareness to the Network Environment, Network- and User Context -awareness to the Service Environment, and adapted services/content to the End User for his best service experience possible. A flexible cooperation between actors is expected, enabling eventually any user – first – to efficiently access the offered multimedia services in various contexts, and – second– to deliver their own content dynamically, seamlessly and transparently to other users.
The SCI-STI-MM group contribution focuses on the development of efficient adaptive streaming video applications with automated evaluation of the end users’ Quality of Experience. The group developed and integrated MPEG compliant video codec in the system architecture.
ETNA
Enhanced wireless Technologies for News and Security Applications
The ETNA project aims at defining, developing and validating an optimised system for wireless video links for applications in the Electronic News Gathering and Security sectors.
The SCI-STI-MM contributed to the overal system design and integration. In particular we focused on the development and integration of the MPEG-AVC multimedia codec on the target embedded platforms.