Adding Touch to Immersive Media: An Overview of the MPEG Haptics Coding Standard

Area of Science:

• Multimedia Coding and Compression
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Signal Processing

Background:

• The Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) initiated a project in May 2021 to standardize haptic data coding.
• Existing methods lacked a unified framework for delivering haptic signals across diverse applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the outcomes of the initial phase of the MPEG haptics coding standard development.
• To establish a generic framework for representing and coding haptic data.

Main Methods:

• Definition of a baseline reference design for haptic data representation.
• Development of a software implementation for the coding of haptic signals.
• Analysis of codec architecture and compression efficiency.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive framework for haptic signal delivery has been defined.
• The standard supports current and future haptic applications in mobile, gaming, and virtual reality.
• Initial performance assessments indicate effective compression efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The first phase of the MPEG haptics coding standard provides a robust foundation for haptic technology.
• The finalized ISO international standard is anticipated in 2024, paving the way for widespread adoption.
• This standard will significantly advance the development and integration of haptic feedback.