VideoLink

July 13th, 2016

The VideoLink project allows users to interact with data from the Zebedee spatially. The CSIRO Zebedee system scans an environment, producing a highly accurate 3D point cloud. This point cloud can be processed to produce 2D floor plans as well. If the Zebedee device is equipped with a camera, video footage can also be obtained.

Allowing users to locate themselves on a floor plan as they view the 3D data helps them localise points of interest. Since they can view video footage of the location at the same time, they can get obtain detailed coloured photographs of what they’re looking at. These photos can in turn be annotated. The annotations will be marked on the floor plan.

Pictures of Videolink in action

Display of Videolink in action

VideoLink “links” the 3 different modes of data using avatars. It allows users to navigate Zebedee information by:

  • Dropping an avatar on a floor plan
  • Moving the avatar in 3D space
  • Scrubbing the video widget

Users can move avatars by picking them up and dropping them on the desired part of the trajectory, or by moving them back and forth using the arrow keys. Users can annotate the floorplan by dropping icons in key spots, and associating notes with those locations. Users can create Zebedee projects by uploading the data from their Zebedee for processing, and supplying some parameters related to the environment mapped. Different users can then collaborate on a project.
Both the rendering and navigation in the 3D window can be customised by the end user using a settings widget in the web application.

Technology Used
The VideoLink server is a Node.js application with Passport integration for authenticating users. We use a MongoDB database in our backend. The frontend is also written in Javascript and HTML5. We use WebGL to render the point cloud.

Potential Customers
VideoLink would be useful for anybody wanting to efficiently navigate and annotate 3D data. Whether it’s data from a crime scene, a building inspection, or a historical site, the ability to interact with data in a rich, multimodal way enhances the experience and the usefulness of the data.