RFCode: Robust Foveated Encoding

The Robust Foveated Encoding (RFCode) Phase II effort will improve battlefield capabilities and situational awareness by generating a portable software library implementing an advanced video compression system for unreliable tactical networks. RFCode uses foveated (variable-resolution) video coding to reduce data volume while maintaining operational effectiveness, enabling a superior compression ratio. It then applies distributed coding schemes to provide robustness and graceful degradation under packet loss. RFCode algorithms are optimized using novel video quality metrics that better measure subjective human video quality perception (and therefore operational effectiveness) than traditional error metrics. The resulting software library will include a well-documented set of interfaces to support integration and configuration across a range of platforms. Performance is quantified with empirical analyses and is compared against baseline motion-JPEG (M-JPEG) and MPEG-4 Part 2 codecs. By building on the successful Phase I research and prototype and by leveraging our team’s directly relevant past work in foveated image exploitation, 21st Century Technologies will address the Army’s operational need to reliably transmit video over low bandwidth, low reliability tactical wireless networks. This will increase the battlefield utility of tactical systems that transmit and exploit real-time battlefield video.