Multimedia content creation using global network cameras: The making of CAM2

Mobile systems (smartphones and tablets) have become a major channel for consuming and creating multimedia content. Almost half of video-on-demand is watched on mobile systems. Many people use their mobile systems to capture video, and edit, upload, and share content. Using mobile systems to capture video, however, is restricted to users' locations. We believe that the global network cameras could change how multimedia is consumed and created. For example, a traveler may use network cameras to obtain live views of the destination. These cameras can also be rich sources for creating multimedia content - even though the content creator has never visited the locations. This paper presents a system that can retrieve visual data (images or videos) from more than 70,000 network cameras. A user may select cameras and set times for recording the data. It would be possible to make personalized contents around the world without visiting these locations. The paper explains how such a system may provide new opportunities for mobile users and in multimedia creation. The paper also describes some problems that must be solved before the system can be practically deployed.