Recreating the parallax effect associated with Fishtank VR in a Real-Time telepresence system using head-tracking and a robotic camera

This project aims to simulate the effect of Fishtank virtual reality in a telepresence system by using head-tracking and real-time control of a robotic camera. Despite the use of the term telepresence, the focus is here not on two-way communication between persons in separate spaces, but in creating a strong sense of physical presence by making the observed scene seem to be an extension of the room. The observer can thus interact with a 3D stage as though the screen were a window into the remote space. The research carried out here is unprecedented in that, to the authors' knowledge, nobody has employed one of the fundamental aspects of the Fishtank concept, namely the alignment of viewer-screen distance to camera-stage distance, in conjunction with a head-coupled camera system. The implementation is described followed by a brief discussion of its limitations and suggestions for future developments.