ConnectUs: A New Toolkit for Teaching about the Internet of Things

The emerging Internet of Things (IoT), through which vast amounts of everyday objects are becoming embedded with computing and networking capabilities, is rapidly changing the way society uses and experiences technology. Despite this, children do not systematically learn about IoT in schools. This demonstration will showcase ConnectUs, a new IoT toolkit, which can be used to introduce children to a variety of IoT concepts, and provide users with the opportunity to design their own IoT system

AI in Production: Video Analysis and Machine Learning for Expanded Live Events Coverage

In common with many industries, TV and video production is likely to be transformed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), with software and algorithms assisting production tasks that, conventionally, could only be carried out by people. Expanded coverage of a diverse range of live events is particularly constrained by the relative scarcity of skilled people, and is a strong use case for AI-based automation. This paper describes recent BBC research into potential production benefits of AI algorithms, using visual analysis and other techniques. Rigging small, static UHD cameras, we have enabled a one-person crew to crop UHD footage in multiple ways and cut between the resulting shots, effectively creating multi-camera HD coverage of events that cannot accommodate a camera crew. By working with programme makers to develop simple deterministic rules and, increasingly, training systems using advanced video analysis, we are developing a system of algorithms to automatically frame, sequence and select shots, and construct acceptable multicamera coverage of previously untelevised types of event