A novel multimedia-multisensorial 4D platform

With reference to recent experiences in movies targeted to reproduce sensory stimulation (thermal and olfactory) in combination with audio-visual contents, this paper describes a line of research developed aimed at testing a possible integration of multisensorial systems into multimedia streams. In particular, a demonstration 4D platform and its main components are presented by highlighting both their architectural and technological main features. The transport of control signals to the actuators is a crucial point, because one must consider both current standards and possible future developments. Therefore, we identified two strategies for data transport in local systems, first using a single file and then using multiple separate files, and we have analyzed three transmission modes for ancillary data in communication networks in order to select the most appropriate for our application. To encode sensory effects data related to control signals we propose the use of MPEG-V standard.