Remote Media Immersion (RMI)

                        
The charter of the Integrated Media Systems Center (IMSC) at the University of Southern California (USC) is to investigate new methods and technologies that combine multiple modalities into highly effective, immersive technologies, applications and environments. One of the results of these research efforts is the Remote Media Immersion (RMI) system. The goal of the RMI is to create and develop a complete aural and visual environment that places a participant or group of participants in a virtual space where they can experience events that occurred in different physical locations. RMI technology can effectively overcome the barriers of time and space to enable, on demand, the realistic recreation of visual and aural cues recorded in widely separated locations.


The focus of the RMI effort is to enable the most realistic recreation of an event possible while streaming the data over the Internet. Therefore, we push the technological boundaries much beyond what current video-on-demand or streaming media systems can deliver. As a consequence, high-end rendering equipment and significant transmission bandwidth are required. The RMI project integrates several technologies that are the result of research efforts at IMSC. The current operational version is based on four major components that are responsible for the acquisition, storage, transmission, and rendering of high quality media.


The Remote Media Immersion (RMI) system is the result of a unique blend of multiple cutting-edge media technologies to create the ultimate digital media delivery platform. The main goal is to provide an immersive user experience of the highest quality. RMI encompasses all end-to-end aspects from media acquisition, storage, transmission up to their final rendering. Specifically, the Yima streaming media server delivers multiple high bandwidth streams, transmission error and flow control protocols ensure data integrity, and high-definition video combined with immersive audio provide highest quality rendering. The RMI system is operational and has been successfully demonstrated in small and large venues. Relying on the continued advances in electronics integration and residential broadband improvement, RMI demonstrates the future of on-demand home entertainment.

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