WFITV - Video Streaming over a Multi-hop Ad-hoc Wireless Network using Image Fusion Techniques

Wireless sensor networks in combination with image sensors open up a multitude of previously unthinkable sensing applications. A fundamental application would be automated, remote and distributed video-based surveillance. CCTV systems that are currently available on the market require a well planned infrastructure. This entails large installation costs. Moreover, planning and installation require a lot of time and, in many cases expert consultancy, both of which significantly add up to the cost. Such systems become unfeasible to implement, especially when the subject is required to be monitored temporarily, for short periods of time (for example an Art exhibition, mass gathering etc). The WFITV system may be a solution that will be sought by event organizers that are interested to quickly install a low-cost and ad-hoc Video Sensor Network (VSN) which runs on battery power.

Camera sensors collect visual data which are rich in information. This raises new challenges such as the transmission of real-time visual data that have high computational and bandwidth requirements in low-power visual sensor networks (VSNs). Without the use of image compression algorithms it would be impossible to communicate all this information on a low-power, wireless network. This proposal provides a solution that exploits the advantages of both Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and Image Fusion techniques, in order to decrease the information bandwidth so that video can be reliably transmitted over a Radio Frequency (RF) channel without demanding large battery power. Multi-sensor Image Fusion is the process of combining relevant information from two or more images into a single image. The resulting image will be more informative than any of the input images. Therefore instead of each camera transmitting its own images to the Base Station, they collaboratively fuse their images together, and each cluster transmits a single image. This innovative solution will not only make possible the ad-hoc wireless transmission of video but will also allow VSNs to run on batteries for long periods of time with little human intervention. Surveillance is not the only business sector to benefit from this innovation. VSNs have a great commercial and societal potential especially in ambient assisted living and personal care applications

video sensor network
Image Fusion
Surveillance

Lead partner - MIIS - MALTA INDUSTRIAL INNOVATION FOR SMEs