Representation and Coding of Large-Scale 3D Dynamic Maps

Large-scale 3D maps of indoor and outdoor environments can be created using devices that provide localization combined with depth and color measurements of the surrounding environment. Localization could be achieved with GPS, inertial measurement units (IMU), cameras, or combinations of these and other devices, while the depth measurements could be achieved with time-of-flight, radar or laser scanning systems. The resulting 3D maps, which are composed of 3D point clouds with various attributes, could be used for a variety of applications, including finding your way around indoor spaces, navigating vehicles around a city, space planning, topographical surveying or public surveying of infrastructure and roads, augmented reality, immersive online experiences, and much more. This paper discusses application requirements related to the representation and coding of large-scale 3D dynamic maps. In particular, we address requirements related to different types of acquisition environments, scalability in terms of progressive transmission and efficiently rendering different levels of details, as well as key attributes to be included in the representation. Additionally, an overview of recently developed coding techniques is presented, including an assessment of current performance. Finally, technical challenges and needs for future standardization are discussed.