Bringing wireless video into networked multimedia systems

This paper describes the main issues regarding the development of a portable system capable of making wireless connections to a TCP/IP network for real-time video delivery. Compression is used along with packet radio technology, providing a fully mobile and compact device. It is expected that using such a device, one camera-person will be able to make a report with his/her camera attached to a small battery-powered box which will transmit NTSC-quality digitalized and compressed images to a central gateway connected to the Internet. Some uses for the system are discussed, one of them being an application aimed to control combustion chambers in a petrol refinery. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.