Master of Science / Department of Computing and Information Sciences / Gurdip Singh / A streaming video application allows a sequence of "moving images" to be sent over the Internet and displayed by a viewer as they arrive. This application is meant for viewing live videos on handheld devices such as PDAs and iPAQs. It captures video data from a webcam installed on a tablet pc, which is then sent over a UDP socket to an iPAQ via an ad hoc network where live video can be viewed in real time. This is achieved by sending video data, frame by frame, and displaying on iPAQ as it arrives. This application also allows taking a snapshot of the video which can be saved for later viewing and also allows the user to dynamically change the resolution of the video as being viewed. Two versions of this application have been developed, one using a TCP connection for video transfer between a tablet pc (server) and an iPAQ (client) and the other using a UDP connection. This report studies the trade-off between distance and time as each frame arrives at the client for both the versions. This implementation also supports multiple clients to connect to the server and allows video to be viewed simultaneously on more than one client and thus studies the trade-off between distance and time for multiple clients. This project is implemented using C#.NET on Microsoft Visual Studio 2005. It uses Microsoft .NET framework 2.0 for server (tablet pc) and Microsoft .NET Compact Framework 2.0 for client (iPAQ). Video streaming is useful in several areas such as entertainment media, live conferences, surveillance and security field. For entertainment media, streaming video avoids having a web user wait for a large file to be downloaded before viewing the video. Instead, the media is sent in a continuous stream and is played as it arrives. For surveillance purposes, the streamed video gives a real time view of the field. The primary application of this implementation is to be used in the field of sensor networks.

A testing framework was developed to address system spatial and temporal performance characteristics in a two-dimensional (2D) human motion analysis system using commercially available digital video capture. The first testing protocol involved developing a method to evaluate system spatial performance characteristics with respect to accuracy, precision, and resolution. A physical model comprising a calibration frame was constructed with phantom postures selected to represent joint angles and off-plane movement typical of the activities of interest. This provided reference angles to which angles measured from digitally captured images were compared using the Bland and Altman method. Validation experiments confirmed that the principal sources of error were due to off-plane motion and pixel resolution in the video capture and analysis systems. In these analyses, it was verified that simulated experimental conditions could be corrected using the direct linear transform (DLT); however, the removal of parallax still resulted in 2 degrees of error in measured joint angles. The main source of error was resolution of the data acquisition system verified through Monte Carlo simulations. The second testing protocol involved developing a simple method to determine the temporal accuracy of motion analysis systems incorporating digital video cameras and a pendulum. A planar column pendulum with a natural frequency of 0.872 Hz was used to analyse five systems incorporating commercially available cameras and a single codec. The frame rate for each camera was measured to be within 3% of the US National Television Systems Committee (NTSC) broadcasting digital video standard of 29.97 fps.; however some cameras produced a frame duplication artefact. Least squares curve-fitting using a sinusoidal function revealed RMS differences between 3-5% for angular position and 5-15% for angular speed compared to the captured motion data. It was shown that some digital-video cameras and computer playback software contain data compression technology that may produce substantial temporal frame inaccuracies in recovered video sequences and that temporal accuracy should be evaluated in digital-based human motion analysis systems prior to their use in experimentation. / Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-08-14 10:54:58.685

We propose a methodology for calibrating the activity space and the cameras involved in video capture systems for upper extremity stroke rehabilitation. We discuss an in-home stroke rehabilitation system called Semi-Automated Rehabilitation At Home System (SARAH) and a clinic-based system called Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) developed by the Interactive Neuro-Rehabilitation Lab (INR) at Virginia Tech. We propose a calibration workflow for achieving invariant video capture across multiple therapy sessions. This ensures that the captured data is less noisy. In addition, there is prior knowledge of the captured activity space and patient location in the video frames provided to the Computer Vision algorithms analyzing the captured data. Such a standardized calibration approach improved machine learning analysis of patient movements and a higher rate of agreement across multiple therapists regarding the captured patient performance. We further propose a Multi-Camera Calibration approach to perform stereo camera calibration in SARAH and ARAT capture systems to help perform a 3D reconstruction of the activity space from 2D videos. The importance of the proposed activity space and camera calibration workflows, including new research paths opened as a result of our approach, are discussed in this thesis. / Master of Science / In this thesis, I describe the workflows I developed to perform calibration of stroke rehabilitation activity spaces, including the calibration of cameras involved in video capture systems for analyzing patient movements in stroke rehabilitation practices. The proposed workflows are designed to facilitate convenient user involvement in calibrating the video capture systems to provide invariant and consistent video captures, including the extraction of fine-grain information utilizing camera calibration results, to the therapists and computer vision-based automated systems for improved analysis of patient performance in stroke rehabilitation practices. The importance of human-in-the-loop systems, including future research paths to strengthen the symbiotic relationship between humans and Artificial Intelligence systems in stroke rehabilitation practices, is discussed. The quantitative and qualitative results generated from the workshops conducted to test and evaluate the calibration workflows align with the stakeholder's needs in stroke rehabilitation systems.

This thesis deals with the implementation of security guard software for OS Linux using an appropriate web camera. The main part of this application is process running in background using V4L application interface to communicate with web cam. Because this program uses dynamically loaded plug-ins for motion detection, it is very simple to change detection algorithm just by modifying configuration file. Application data can be saved as images or video files. Client application was created for online monitoring by user. It communicates with security guard software over network by TCP/IP protocol. Implemented application layer protocol allows simple client authentication and data encryption.

This research achieves two main goals: First it proposes a set of extensions to the existing Opencast Matterhorn lecture video capture system, which should enhance its effectiveness and enable the collection of fine-grained datasets for further research. These extensions allow users to quickly and easily create, find, tag, annotate, and share `clipshows' of their video recorded classes both publicly and privately. Second, the tracking data generated when users create or view the clipshows using these extensions are used to analyze the efficacy of the system.

Context: Researchers in serious games area and professionals in stroke rehabilitation, working collaboratively in explorative interdisciplinary research studies in order to develop usable and effective applications. In this context, physiotherapists and occupational therapy are important elements of stroke rehabilitation. Applications from such exploratory development reflect motivational and easy to use features, which could be further designed and developed by serious games developers. Objectives: The research study aims to investigate the role and usefulness of Video Capture Virtual Reality Technology (VCVRT) in motor impairment rehabilitation, to identify and explore the importance of this technology in healthcare, specifically in motor impairment rehabilitation. Likewise, to analyze the acceptance of VCVRT among the physiotherapists in terms of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and perceived intension to use. Methods: In this exploratory study literature review, workshop and survey including questionnaire and interview are used, taking Blekinge County Hospital (Karlshamn) as case study along with “TARGET” game as testing platform for introducing and evaluating VCVRT among physiotherapists. For exploring technology acceptance level among physiotherapists, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used in the research work. Results: Video capture virtual reality technology can be used as a complement to conventional physiotherapy. This technology is cheap, easy to use and is useful as a home based rehabilitation tool, but together with physiotherapist supervision or coaching. Moreover, VCVRT is motivational for weak patients and useful in motor rehabilitation in terms of quantity, i.e. intensity of exercise can be increased. Physiotherapist centered approach is necessary for game design process; effective game design suggestions and the idea of single gaming framework consists of different games acquiring multiple rehabilitation goals, are achieved from physiotherapists during the research. Technology acceptance value is high among physiotherapists. Conclusion: The research study provides a more detailed understanding of the factors involved in the implication of video capture virtual reality technology in motor impairment rehabilitation. The authors concluded from the research study that video capture virtual reality technology is applicable for motor impairment rehabilitation while considering following factors, i.e. Physiotherapist centered approach, a gaming framework where a portfolio of games can be assembled for individual patients, and video capture virtual reality technology is applicable for home based rehabilitation under the supervision of physiotherapist. Furthermore, physiotherapists’ concerns and importance in the intervention of serious games and healthcare area are highlighted by this research work.

This thesis deals with library for recording video in the background of 3D application. A library is designed to work under the Microsoft Windows and Linux operation systems.  It records image and also sound. Image recording is supported in OpenGL, Direct3D9, Direct3D10 and Direct3D11. To reduce video data size, library supports image compression using MJPG codec. Audio is recorded by WaveForm audio, Windows Core Audio or ALSA. Recorded sound is for whole operation system. A library is able to record up to two audio streams to accommodate possible microphone input. It can mix audio data together if needed. Output data are then written into AVI file. It is possible to write own text information as overlay that is rendered as part of application screen output.