Design and Implementation of Two Immersive Audio and Video Communication Systems Based on Virtual Reality

Abstract

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years, remote communication has become increasingly common, which has also spawned many online solutions. Compared with an in-person scenario, the feeling of immersion and participation is lacking in these solutions, and the effect is thus not ideal. In this study, we focus on two typical virtual reality (VR) application scenarios with immersive audio and video experience: VR conferencing and panoramic live broadcast. We begin by introducing the core principles of traditional video conferencing, followed by the existing research results of VR conferencing along with the similarities, differences, pros, and cons of each solution. Then, we outline our view about what elements a virtual conferencing room should have. After that, a simple implementation scheme for VR conferencing is provided. Regarding panoramic video, we introduce the steps to produce and transmit a panoramic live broadcast and analyze several current mainstream encoding optimization schemes. By comparing traditional video streams, the various development bottlenecks of panoramic live broadcast are identified and summarized. A simple implementation of a panoramic live broadcast is presented in this paper. To conclude, the main points are illustrated along with the possible future directions of the two systems. The simple implementation of two immersive systems provides a research and application reference for VR audio and video transmission, which can guide subsequent relevant research studies.