Alexandre Mercat
Tampere University (Finland)
Volumetric Video Technologies for Real-Time Immersive Communication
Language: English
Date: TBD
Abstract
Immersive communication is emerging as a key application of extended reality technologies, aiming to enable natural remote interactions that go beyond traditional video conferencing. Volumetric video enables the capture and transmission of dynamic three-dimensional representations of people and scenes, allowing users to observe and interact with content from arbitrary viewpoints. Delivering such experiences in real time requires advances in both volumetric data acquisition and efficient data compression.
This talk will cover both the theoretical foundations and practical implementation aspects of volumetric media systems for immersive communication. It will compare capture technologies ranging from professional studio-based systems to consumer-oriented real-time solutions, and discuss their capabilities and constraints in terms of quality and performance. In addition, it will introduce volumetric compression methods, with emphasis on V-PCC and practical real-time encoder design, giving attendees insight into the trade-offs between theoretical coding efficiency and real-time operation.
Biography
Alexandre Mercat is a tenure-track Assistant Professor at Tampere University (TAU), Finland. He received his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from INSA Rennes, France, in 2018, and was a Postdoctoral Researcher at TAU from 2018 to 2024. Within the Ultra Video Group (UVG), his research spans video coding, processing, streaming, energy- and complexity-aware design, and emerging volumetric formats, with a strong emphasis on open-source encoders and datasets. He has co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, developed widely used open-source codecs and datasets, and received multiple Best Paper Awards, including at ACM MMSys and IEEE VCIP. He is a member of the IEEE Visual Signal Processing and Communications Technical Committee and co-founded the Insights from Negative Results track in the Journal of Signal Processing Systems.