Immersive Teleconferencing System Based on Video-Avatar for Distance Learning

Teleconference is an important means of communication in distance learning courses. Unlike other technologies used in education, the technology that enables virtual conferencing has changed little since it began to be used. Even the transition from analog to digital technology and the adoption of IP technology changed little in the communication characteristics of this media, basically the same of 2D. The project presented here is part of a new field of research, called immersive telecommunication, which aims at increasing the sense of immersion and presence of the participants. For this purpose, a videoconferencing system was developed, which allows presenters to immerse themselves in a 3D virtual environment, through their video-avatar, and be watched remotely in the form of 3D video. This system integrates several subprojects, involving the capture and rendering of a video-avatar, background removal, gesture recognition, interaction design, among others. The aim of this paper is to present the system architecture and an overview of its modules, the key challenges and adopted solutions.