ENGINEERING
Aida: The fat lady sings on 3G networks
In an Australia-first trial, the CSIRO ICT Centre has proved that searchable, high quality video streaming to a 3G mobile phone is an affordable reality. CSIRO's Aida mobile browser technology means that high quality video can be delivered to 3G mobile phones from Internet Web servers in a continuous stream, minimising waiting time.
In addition, CSIRO is using a special format for this delivery, which attaches metadata to the video clips, so they can be surfed and searched. Now video is as interactive as the rest of the Web and as portable as a mobile phone. The Aida trial was a collaborative effort between Australian mobile content enabler m.Net Corporation Ltd and the Centre for Networking Technologies for the Information Economy (CeNTIE). CeNTIE and m.Net are supported by the Australian Government through the Advanced Networks Program of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. CeNTIE is jointly funded by the CSIRO ICT Centre. During the trial, digital video content was successfully streamed via the internet through the m.Net 3G trial network to a 3G mobile phone using CSIRO's Aida video streaming software. The Aida application allows 3G mobile phone users to search for clips of video based on textual queries, watch their selection and then hyperlink to other clips or to further rich content such as games or music. Dr Silvia Pfeiffer, the Aida project leader, says that the applications of Aida are wide and varied. "Aida can be used to access entertainment such as movies and news clips, but it also has many practical applications such as streaming medical information, environmental measurements, network load statistics - any time-continuous data," says Dr Pfeiffer. Aida uses the CSIRO-developed Continuous Media Markup Language (CMML). CMML does for time-continuous media what HTML does for text. It allows the user to search, access, navigate and query. "Aida provides a more interactive interface than any current video streaming application. To our knowledge, Aida is the first high quality video streaming application from internet to 3G networks with enriched video content," says Dr Pfeiffer. Now that Aida has been successfully trialled over a 3G network, the next step is to develop commercial applications. CSIRO is currently negotiating to develop a 3G movie preview service ready for launch around the middle of next year. Background Information: Australia is founding its future on science and innovation. Its national science agency, CSIRO, is a powerhouse of ideas, technologies and skills for building prosperity, growth, health and sustainability. It serves governments, industries, business and communities across the nation. www.csiro.au The CSIRO ICT Centre is the focus for information and communication technology research within CSIRO. The Centre aims to build on CSIRO's strong history of achievement in ICT, applying research results to challenges across all industry sectors, and collaborating across the full breadth of CSIRO science. The ICT Centre has developed an internationally competitive research program with research themes in Wireless Technologies, Autonomous Systems, Networking Technologies, and Information Systems. The CSIRO ICT Centre and its partner organisations will work to position Australia to compete successfully in global ICT innovation. www.ict.csiro.au The Centre for Networking Technologies for the Information Economy (CeNTIE) is one of three advanced network projects funded by the Australian Government's Advanced Networks Program. The CSIRO ICT Centre is the lead organisation in CeNTIE, hosting the project and providing matching funding. CeNTIE has built a high performance network for research which is part of a national backbone. Working closely with industry, CeNTIE develops showcase business systems in four key areas of the Information Economy (Health, Media, Education and Enterprise). These are used as the catalyst for R&D in advanced networks which is developed using the CeNTIE Foundation Network. The CeNTIE project is supported by the Australian Government through the Advanced Networks Program of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. www.centie.org m.Net Corporation is an Australian-based company that is playing a central role in the evolution of mobility. As wireless technologies converge with Internet and other services, m.Net gives corporations, developers, researchers and investors unparalleled opportunities to succeed in the new mobile economy. The company has built an advanced mobile network, based on 3G and WLAN, in metropolitan and regional South Australia. The network captures a microcosm of modern life and creates a platform for development and testing. m.Net also provides a range of services to developers and content creators through its Gallery 4 business division, in parallel with stimulating customer demand through its Industry Programs. The m.Net Australia project is supported by the Australian Government through the Advanced Networks Program of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. m.Net has also received strong support from the South Australian Government and industry consortium members, which have provided the Corporation with additional funding and essential infrastructure and services. www.mnetcorporation.com
