Research Abstract

My research is primarily concerned with interactive multimedia authoring and processing systems. The goal is to provide novel multimedia instruments that cover a wide range of usage scenarios.

The principal research topics can roughly be divided into two parts: "High-level" authoring and design and "low-level" media processing and system organisation. The following paragraphs highlight some current topics in each area:

1. Computer-assisted Authoring and Design

• Human-centred models for multi-user and multi-modal interaction in large media-augmented environments.
• Interaction models for exploration of large design spaces, and for manipulation of designs.
• Computer-assisted workflow and creativity support.
• Interactive media database management (retrieval, annotation, browsing).

2. Real-time Media Processing and System Organisation

• Unification of concepts among multiple media types.
• New language models for real-time media processing.
• Efficient media processing for parallel and networked architectures.
• Exploitation of emerging hardware architectures (e.g., stream processors).
• Automated timing and synchronisation.
• Optimisation of flow graphs (e.g., audio flow graphs).

I am particularly interested in interactive real-time systems as they are typically required for digital art performances and installations. First, such systems are challenging as they require new interaction models in order to adapt to an artist's workflow (and not vice versa). Second, aspects of media management, retrieval and annotation are becoming increasingly important as the typical media artists' libraries are constantly growing.

Current result of my research efforts are realised in the multimedia platform Soundium, which incorporates my ideas of how a modern multimedia authoring tool should look like. Soundium is a joint project of me and the other Corebounce members, and has successfully been used for numerous digital art performances and installations, most prominently for the "Digital Marionette" installation, which is currently exhibited at the Ars Electronica Center. In addition, Soundium's scope is not limited to digital art, and it has been applied Due to its general approach, Soundium's scope has been applied as a rapid prototyping tool for emerging media entertainment applications, such as automated content creation for IPTV, and as an interactive tool for scientific data at the California NanoSystem Institute's AlloSphere research facility.

Further Reading

S. Müller Arisona, S. Schubiger-Banz, and M. Specht. 2006. A Real-Time Multimedia Composition Layer. Proceedings of AMCMM, Workshop on Audio and Music Computing for Multimedia. ACM Multimedia 2006, Santa Barbara, October 23-27. → PDF

P. Müller, S. Müller Arisona, S. Schubiger-Banz, and M. Specht. 2006. Interactive Media and Design Editing for Live Visuals Applications. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Graphics Theory and Applications, Setúbal, Portugal, February 25-28. → PDF