JPEG Pleno will merge various modalities of plenoptic content under a single framework and in a seamless manner. Efficient and powerful point cloud representation is a key feature of this vision. In this context a point cloud refers to a set of data items representing positions of points in space, expressed in a given coordinate system, usually three-dimensional. This geometrical data can be accompanied with per-point attributes of varying nature (e.g. color or temperature). Combined with other types of data (like light field data), point clouds open a wide range of new opportunities for immersive browsing and virtual reality applications.

In the context of the JPEG Pleno standardization project, which aims at developing a next generation visual information coding standard that moves beyond coding of 2D planar content by taking advantage of plenoptic representations, JPEG issued a Second Call for Evidence (CfE) on JPEG Pleno Point Cloud Coding. This call differs from the First Call for Evidence on JPEG Pleno Point Cloud Coding by including an updated timeline for the activity in response to the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.

This call addresses in particular coding technologies for static point cloud content that enable scalable decoding of the bitstream and random access to subsets of the point cloud and contains information on the submission process, requirements for submission, material available to submitters, and the timeline of the call.

Associated with this call are the JPEG Pleno Point Cloud – Use Cases and Requirements document and the JPEG Pleno Point Cloud Coding Common Test Conditions document.

To keep informed and get involved in the discussion, interested parties are invited to register to the ad hoc group’s mailing list.