Prototyping IoT-based virtual environments: an approach toward the sustainable remote management of distributed mulsemedia setups

• Published in: Applied sciences 2021-10, Vol.11 (19), p.1-20
• Main Authors: Adão, Telmo Miguel Oliveira, Pinho, Tatiana, Pádua, Luís, Magalhães, Luís Gonzaga Mendes, Sousa, Joaquim J., Peres, Emanuel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Artificial intelligence; Big Data; Cameras; Computer programs; Configuration management; Cultural heritage; Cultural resources; Design; Distributed processing; Internet of Things; Interoperability; IoT; IoT prototyping; Layouts; Mulsemedia; Multimedia; Multisensory; Prototyping; Remote control; Remote monitoring; Science & Technology; Sensors; Simulation; Smart cities; Smartphones; Software; Surveillance; Sustainability; Sustainability management; System planning; Tourism; User experience; Virtual environments
• ISSN: 2076-3417; 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app11198854

Business models built upon multimedia/multisensory setups delivering user experiences within disparate contexts—entertainment, tourism, cultural heritage, etc.—usually comprise the installation and in-situ management of both equipment and digital contents. Considering each setup as unique in its purpose, location, layout, equipment and digital contents, monitoring and control operations may add up to a hefty cost over time. Software and hardware agnosticity may be of value to lessen complexity and provide more sustainable management processes and tools. Distributed computing under the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm may enable management processes capable of providing both remote control and monitoring of multimedia/multisensory experiences made available in different venues. A prototyping software to perform IoT multimedia/multisensory simulations is presented in this paper. It is fully based on virtual environments that enable the remote design, layout, and configuration of each experience in a transparent way, without regard of software and hardware. Furthermore, pipelines to deliver contents may be defined, managed, and updated in a context-aware environment. This software was tested in the laboratory and was proven as a sustainable approach to manage multimedia/multisensory projects. It is currently being field-tested by an international multimedia company for further validation. This work was financed by project “CHIC—Cooperative Holistic View on Internet and Content” (N◦ 24498), financed the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through COMPETE2020 —the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (OPCI).