Volume
31, Number 3, December 2002
ISSN 1457-9723
Editor: Pirkko Oittinen, Pirkko.Oittinen@hut.fi
Assistant Editor: Tiina Hartikainen, Tiina.Hartikainen@hut.fi
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Volume
31, Number 3, December 2002
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Vision and Mission of the
Laboratory of Media Technology
Oittinen,
P. |
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1967 |
The Laboratory was established within the Department of Forest Products
Technology, with the task of educating engineers for the needs of
the paper and graphical industries. |
|
1969-81 |
Professor Olavi Perilä Focus: ·
The graphical industry’s technology ·
The only university-level laboratory in this field |
|
1978 |
First computer for image processing installed. |
|
1981- |
Professor Hannu Saarelma |
|
1980s |
Focus: ·
Digitalisation
of paper-based communication processes ·
Graphical
technology was examined from the viewpoint of imaging science and
technology |
|
1982 |
Associate Professor |
|
1987 |
Administratively, the Laboratory was transferred to the Department of
Computer Science and Engineering. |
|
1990s |
Focus: ·
Characterisation
of information technology in printing. ·
In
educational terms, the emphasis was on educating students within
different degree programmes. Digital publishing and net media
technologies were introduced in the curriculum. |
|
1995 |
Automation and systems technology degree programme was established. |
|
1995-99 |
National digital printing technology programme — the Laboratory
served as co-ordinator. |
|
1997 |
The Department of Automation and Systems Technology was established
following a division of the Department of Computer Science and
Engineering. The Laboratory was transferred to the new department |
|
2000- |
Focus: ·
New
research areas include modelling of communication processes and
the usability and readability of display terminals and
measurement-based characterisation of these. ·
Image
processing applications were extended to the area of personal
communication. |
|
2003 |
Moving into new laboratory building. |
The
development has proceeded from the graphical industry’s technology,
via the digitalisation of media towards generic, multi-technical
approaches and studies of communication processes. In the Laboratory’s
operating environment, the development is manifested in the
Laboratory’s transfer from the Department of Forest Products
Technology to the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in
connection with the restructuring of the university’s degree
programmes and departments in 1987. Following the division of the
Department of Computer Science and Engineering into two separate
departments ten years later, the Laboratory became a part of the
Department of Automation and Systems Technology. A major argument in
favour of this change was the multi-technical and systems-oriented
approach of the new AST department and of the M.Sc. degree programme
named according to it. This has been described as a fusion of bits,
atoms and neurons. In the Laboratory’s way of thinking bits represent
messages, atoms media and neurons the users, the man. Systems consist of
different types of components and system functionality studied in the
framework of multiple technologies and sciences. The whole time
education in graphic arts technology has been offered to students in the
Forest Products Programme.
The
activities of the Laboratory of Media Technology focus on vision-based
media communication, in other words, communication based on
text
images
and
video.
Figure 1 Definition of operating area.
The
operating area is examined (cf. Fig. 1), in particular, within a
framework determined by “imaging science”, “information and
messages”, and “processes, information interfaces and surfaces”.
This framework is generic by nature. Application areas of this expertise
and research are found in communications making use of different media,
such as Internet-based networks, digital TV and printed products.
Visual
information and questions related to its processing, presentation or
rendering on information surfaces constitute a central area of expertise
and research. In defining the operating area, visual information is
considered to include, as noted above, text, images and video.
Previously, textual and image-based information have been viewed as
separate areas of technical research. When changing over from examining
syntactic (bit-level) information to examining semantic-level
information (messages), methodological integration will occur. In the
Laboratory’s future activities, textual and image-based information
will converge at the level of semantic information.
Communication is understood as the exchange of messages between two parties, persons, teams or groups, either direct or with the aid of various media. In this communications process, the source of a message can be a person, a sensor, an autonomous machine or an agent or avatar representing a person. The basic components of media communication and their interrelations are visualised in Figure 2.
Figure 2 Components of communication according to the Laboratory’s approach.
Core components are man and the messages exchanged, the hardware and
software resources for processing messages from raw information, and the
communication channels and media giving access to the messages.
The
objective of the Laboratory of Media Technology is to generate basic
technical and scientific knowledge in the area of media communication
and to make use of this knowledge for developing technology and
applications in selected focus areas.
The
Laboratory has selected as its operating segments the areas of
communication that are content-driven. Examples include, as was already
implied in the foregoing, digital media consisting of network and
digital TV, and graphical communication, i.e. print on paper.
Communication environments under scrutiny are homes and organisations.
In
line with the previously defined reference framework, the areas of
interest are primarily approached from the viewpoint of communication
processes, the modelling of communication and information. Figure 3
depicts operating segments and environments as inter-related entities,
examined from the above-mentioned viewpoints.
Figure 3 Selected operating segments.
The operating idea is to promote the development of vision-based media
with the aid of science-based, multi-technical research and teaching
integrated into it. The mission is to promote the efficiency,
effectiveness and usability of communication processes and media in
developing areas of the media sector. This means focusing on processing
raw information into messages reproducing these messages on various
information surfaces and making the accessable to potential users in
order to produce communication, i.e. to convey meanings. Overall the
Laboratory identifies itself with the tradition of viewing communication
as a two-way process.
As is well known, the Laboratory’s operating area is subject to strong changes. For example, the following trends were identified in the course of the strategy process as significant for the Laboratory’s strategy process. They are listed below in an arbitrary order.
1.
In the
future, the message will become increasingly important in relation to
media (“the message is the media”), because the demand for access to
information independent of time and place has developed into the
prevailing paradigm.
2.
Internet
applications
3.
The
World Wide Web is contracting into a pipe, which is being used as a
communications channel (the function and message are created at the
receiving end of it), in other words, it restricts and narrows down the
global network idea.
4.
This
development allows faster data transfer and speeds up the communications
cycle.
5.
Different
types of terminal equipment will become increasingly compatible in the
future.
6.
Mass
communication will become more personalised and targeted.
7.
The
volume of print on paper will decline.
8.
The
digitalisation of printing methods continues.
9.
To
maintain its competitiveness, paper-based communication must be
technically and functionally integrated with digital media.
10.
Price
competition in the printing industry will tighten as printing presses
become more efficient and produce abundant overcapacity.
11.
Digital
TV is on its way. The time schedule is not clear, though. It will create
a significant number of new communication practices.
12.
The
continued growth of processor power will allow automatic image
processing, for example in the image transmitting device.
13.
Electronic
data communication will result in media homes.
14.
Digital
cinema will start spreading and the games industry will show significant
growth in the early 2000s.
15.
Digital
cameras (still and video) will result in a strong increase in the number
of images used. For example, security applications will show significant
growth.
16.
The
number of still pictures will grow exponentially as camera-equipped
mobile terminals become more widespread.
17.
Image
quality requirements will grow.
18.
Image
processing needs will grow at the receiving (i.e. viewing) end.
19.
A wide
range of equipment will be provided with information and communication
technology (ICT) and related displays (in line with the development of
display technologies).
20.
Images
will be increasingly used as icons.
21.
Printing
will become more common as an electronics manufacturing method.
22.
Organic
electronics materials will allow manufacture on flexible substrates.
The time span of these trends is illustrated
in Table 2 in the form of a roadmap. In the area of printing
technologies, printing of “smart structures” is a major challenge.
They typically require higher resolutions than needed for human viewable
prints. Applications include disposable electronics and new
functionalities in prints. Imaging with applications in displays will be
a very active area in coming years. Paper-like displays is one concrete
target, wearable displays and large are displays are other examples.
Advances in content technologies will mainly originate in the web
environment and spread to other media. Integration of the media and
their use will continue. As for media in homes their interoperability
and also communication with domestic appliances presents new
challenges.
The guidelines for the Laboratory’s future development reflect the estimated importance of the factors identified as trends and depicted as the road map of Table 2. The following were identified as key factors for this development:
1.
Machine-driven
interpretation and utilisation of message content in the communications
process will be a major object of development.
2.
The
Laboratory’s in-house expertise must be so clearly and generically
focused that it cannot be taken by surprise by fast and unexpected
developments or new hardware technologies. Strong basic and methods
expertise allow rapid application of research findings into practice.
The Laboratory must be capable of responding promptly to changes.
3.
The
same technologies are increasingly being utilised in organisational and
mass communications.
4.
Communications
systems in production plants represent an area with ample development
potential. This includes generating meaning from an image and appending
an action programme to a message.
5.
Future
academic media communications engineers must master all aspects of the
media field.
6.
Creating
the pre-conditions for continued development of the Laboratory’s
operating environment is essential: co-operation networks are part of
this development.
7.
A good
grasp of current communication interface and content production software
and media is in a key role for the Laboratory to be able to realise its
future potential.
8.
The
research culture and tradition need to be developed in a direction
allowing the synergies and multidisciplinary character of the research
to be effectively utilised.
9.
The
necessary prerequisites need to be created for the research teams in
spearhead areas, in order to allow the teams a time span of five years
for carrying out their research. The research teams should incorporate
resources ranging from M.Sc. thesis students to doctoral students.
10.
Researchers
should be encouraged to productise their research findings and to refine
them into new business ideas within the framework of spin-off ventures.
11.
The
potential offered by networked research must be exploited.
12.
International
networking in the areas of basic and post-graduate teaching.
13.
Securing
a sufficient number of post-graduate students and degrees.
14.
Ratio
between external and budget financing should be about 40/60 %.
The platform for the Laboratory’s future operations and its research orientation have been formulated on the basis of the foregoing and the Laboratory’s historic development. These are outlined in Figure 4. Imaging science constitutes the scientific basis. The technological environment is defined by communication systems. These are understood as systems composed of machines, media, message and man. These interoperate to achieve communication. Digital printing is a specific focus area.
Figure 4 Research orientation.
Pivotal for the future activities of the Laboratory is the interaction between the different research orientations. Efforts will be made to promote interaction by developing the methodological basis for the research. As a starting point, the kind of interaction model depicted in Figure 2 is in a key position. It can also be noted that creating interaction with the branches of science denoted as associate technologies in Figure 4 will be essential for reaching the Laboratory’s objectives.
Table 2 Laboratory of Media Technology — Roadmap.
