"Must-see 3D" and More at 2012 International Research Park

At the 2012 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nev., NAB Labs will present The International Research Park (IRP), featuring dozens of new and emerging technologies from media technology researchers across the globe. The IRP will be located on the NAB Show exhibit floor, in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), and open to all attendees during regular show hours from Monday, April 16 through Thursday April 19, 2012.

Always a popular NAB Show location, this year's IRP promises an unprecedented collection of emerging technologies and important research, from academic, governmental and private labs and developers worldwide. It is presented by recently established NAB Labs, as part of its effort to increase worldwide awareness of broadcast industry innovation.

Among the highlights of technologies featured at this year's IRP will be a 200-inch, autostereoscopic (i.e., "glasses-free") 3D projection system -- the world's largest, and shown for the first time in the U.S. in its current form. Presented by the Japanese research lab, National Institute for Information and Communication Technology (NICT), the display will offer a viewing zone large enough for approximately 30 people to optimally view 3D images without eyewear.

Other demonstrations will include several instances of hybrid radio and television broadcasting systems, some featuring converged broadcast-plus-wireless-telecom proposals. Among these are SMART Mobile Hybrid DMB Technology from Korean researcher ETRI, and Cloud Transmission System from Canada's Communications Research Centre (CRC), alongside CRC's latest developments in hybrid radio broadcasting, as well.

Also scheduled for the 2012 IRP are demonstrations of collaborative gesture control (from Ryerson University), 4k video streaming (from Zaxel Corp.), virtual material simulation (from Rochester Institute of Technology [RIT]), high-dynamic range and multi-spectral video (from goHDR and RIT), free-viewpoint 2D and 3D video (from Digicave/Timeslice Films and Project FINE), the latest in file-based workflows (from Advanced Media Workflow Association, the European Broadcast Union, and the Framework for Interoperable Media Services project), media accessibility for hearing- and vision-impaired users (NPR Labs and Ryerson University), various data-visualization techniques (from NICT), and more - including numerous other 3D and Mobile DTV initiatives.

Yet another NICT demo will present a "multi-sensory interaction system," which presents ultra-realistic representation to four senses, via 3D video, contact sound, haptics (i.e., touch responsiveness), and aroma. The latter is provided to an individual user via NICT's unique "micro-aroma shooter."

The complete list of the exhibitors scheduled to present at the 2012 International Research Park, and the countries in which they are based, is shown in the table below. Their respective booths in the IRP are also provided, with links to each exhibitor's listings in the online NAB Show program.

Don't miss NAB Labs' one-stop shop for viewing the potential future of broadcasting - the 2012 NAB Show's International Research Park, in the North Hall of the LVCC, April 16-19, 2012.

Exhibitor	Country	Booth
Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA)	US	N617
Communications Research Center (CRC)	Canada	N514
Digicave, Ltd. / Timeslice Films, Ltd.	UK	N520
Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI)	Korea	N614
Framework for Interoperable Media Services (FIMS)*	US/Switzerland	N517
goHDR Ltd.	UK	N223
Internet Media Device Alliance (IMDA)	US/Germany	N523
National Institute for Information & Communication Technology (NICT)	Japan	N232
NPR Labs	US	N225
Project FINE	Spain	N426
Rochester Institute of Technology	US	N224
Ryerson University	Canada	N524
Zaxel Corp.	Japan	N423

*FIMS is a joint venture of AMWA and the European Broadcsting Union (EBU).