SK Telecom, a South Korean telecommunication services operator, recently began operations of the Jump Studio, a mixed reality (MR) based capture studio.
Brought to life using Microsoft technology, the Jump Studio uses the technology giant’s volumetric video capturing technology for generating holographic videos. It creates such content by capturing vigorous movements of individuals. According to SK Telecom, these holographic videos are combined with the ‘T Real Platform’ from SK Telecom to generate MR content that is playable across almost all devices.
The SK Telecom T Real Platform is based on rendering technologies and spatial recognition. 360-degree three-dimensional holograms are created within Jump Studio by utilising 106 cameras. Each of the cameras shoots at frame rates of up to 60 FPS (frames per second). Jump Studio is also set to introduce immersive media content into current media environments. SK Telecom said that the Studio is capable of cramming raw footage of up to 600 gigabytes derived from a one minute shoot into a 300-megabyte file. Generated files can be streamed in the MPEG-4 file format across mobile devices.
Volumetric technology from Microsoft has been utilised to achieve full process automation for 6ue the process through all steps including mesh construction, motion generation, and generating realistic holographic human representations. The durations of 3D content creation have been successfully reduced with the advent of this technology. To put things into perspective, creating a short three-minute 3D-based content took about three or four months and a great deal to expenses. Jump Studio is set to change this reality entirely due to its advanced features. According to SK Telecom, the setup enables the entire process to be completed within a duration of about one to two weeks, at far lower costs.
Microsoft has been associated with immersive technology projects in the past. It has contributed to the virtual reality (VR) film called ‘Awake’ through its collaboration with Start Beyond, creating holograms of the characters in the movie. Mixed reality technology from Microsoft has also been utilised for concerts and music videos of renowned artists around the world.
SK Telecom plans on using Jump Studio for expanding upon the content offered by its immersive media service platforms, Jump VR and Jump AR. Jump VR is a virtual reality-based social environment across mobile devices and head-mounted displays (HMD). Jump AR offers augmented reality services such as the AR Zoo. SK Telecom has plans of collaborating with production companies, entertainment agencies, advertising agencies, and studios specialising in content across genres such as fashion, education, health, TV, film, and gaming for Jump Studio content creation.
Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) and Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information estimate that the worldwide market for mixed reality is set to reach 2.101 trillion South Korean won by the year 2022.
SK Telecom, in collaboration with Cultural Heritage Administration Deoksugung Palace Management Office, launched a service called ‘AR Deoksugung’. It utilises AR technology instances for promoting the Deoksugung Palace and enables virtual touring. SK Telecom had also launched a 5G VR service named ‘Virtual Social World’ at the tail end of last year.
