URL: https://www.qomex2019.de/
Date: June 5-7, 2019
Place: Berlin Germany
General Chairs: Sebastian Möller (TU Berlin and DFKI, Germany), Sebastian Egger-Lampl (AIT, Austria)
Technical Program Chairs: Lynne Baillie (HWU Edinburgh, UK), Tobias Hoßfeld (University of Würzburg, Germany), Katrien De Moor (NTNU, Norway), Raimund Schatz (AIT, Vienna)
Authors/Reporters: Tobias Hoßfeld (University of Würzburg, Germany), Sebastian Möller (TU Berlin and DFKI, Germany), Katrien De Moor (NTNU, Norway), Raimund Schatz (AIT, Austria)
The QoMEX 2019 was held from 5 to 7 June 2019 in Berlin, with Sebastian Möller (TU Berlin and DFKI) and Sebastian Egger-Lampl (AIT Vienna) as general chairs. The annual conference celebrated its 10th birthday in Berlin since the first edition in 2009 in San Diego. The latter focused on classic multimedia voice, video and video services. Among the fundamental questions back then were how to measure and how to quantify quality from the user’s point of view in order to improve such services? Answers to these questions were also presented and discussed at QoMEX 2019, where technical developments and innovations in terms of video and voice quality were considered. The scope has however broadened significantly over the last decade: interactive applications, games and immersive technologies, which require new methods for the subjective assessment of perceived quality of service and QoE, were addressed. With a focus on 5G and its implications for QoE, the influence of communication networks and network conditions for the transmission of data and the provisioning of services were also examined. In this sense, QoMEX 2019 looked at both classic multimedia applications such as voice, audio and video as well as interactive and immersive services: gaming QoE, virtual realities such as VR exergames, and augmented realities such as smart shopping, 360° video, Point Clouds, Web QoE, text QoE, perception of medical ultrasound videos for radiologists, QoE of visually impaired users with appropriately adapted videos, QoE in smart home environments, etc.
In addition to this application-oriented perspective, methodological approaches and fundamental models of QoE were also discussed during QoMEX 2019. While suitable methods for carrying out user studies and assessing quality remain core topics of QoMEX, advanced statistical methods and machine learning (ML) techniques emerged as another focus topic at this year’s QoMEX. The applicability, performance and accuracy of e.g. neural networks or deep learning approaches have been studied for a wide variety of QoE models and in several domains: video quality in games, content of image quality and compression methods, quality metrics for high-dynamic-range (HDR) images, instantaneous QoE for adaptive video streaming over the Internet and in wireless networks, speech quality metrics, and ML-based voice quality improvement. Research questions addressed at QoMEX 2019 include the impact of crowdsourcing study design on the outcomes, or the reliability of crowdsourcing, for example, in assessing voice quality. In addition to such data-driven approaches, fundamental theoretical work on QoE and its quantification in systems as well as fundamental relationships and model approaches were presented.
The TPC Chairs were Lynne Baillie (HWU Edinburgh), Tobias Hoßfeld (Univ. Würzburg), Katrien De Moor (NTNU Trondheim), Raimund Schatz (AIT Vienna). In total, the program included 11 sessions on the above topics. From those 11 sessions, 6 sessions on dedicated topics were organized by various Special Session organizers in an open call. A total of 82 full paper contributions were submitted, out of which 35 contributions were accepted (acceptance rate: 43%). Out of the 77 short papers submitted, 33 were accepted and presented in two dedicated poster sessions. The QoMEX 2019 Best Paper Award went to Dominik Keller, Tamara Seybold, Janto Skowronek and Alexander Raake for “Assessing Texture Dimensions and Video Quality in Motion Pictures using Sensory Evaluation Techniques”. The Best Student Paper Award went to Alexandre De Masi and Katarzyna Wac for “Predicting Quality of Experience of Popular Mobile Applications in a Living Lab Study”.
The keynote speakers addressed several timely topics. Irina Cotanis gave an inspiring talk on QoE in 5G. She addressed both the emerging challenges and services in 5G and the question of how to measure quality and QoE in these networks. Katrien De Moor highlighted the similarities and differences between QoE and User Experience (UX), considering the evolution of the two terms QoE and UX in the past and current status. An integrated view of QoE and UX was discussed and how the two concepts develop in the future. In particular, she posed the question how the two communities could empower each other and what would be needed to bring both communities together in the future. The final day of QoMEX 2019 began with the keynote of artist Martina Menegon, who presented some of her art projects based on VR technology.
Additional activities and events within QoMEX 2019 comprised the following. (1) In the Speed PhD mentoring organized by Sebastian Möller and Saman Zadtootaghaj, the participating doctoral students could apply for a short mentoring session (10 minutes per mentor) with various researchers from industry and academia in order to ask technical or general questions. (2) In a session organized by Sebastian Egger-Lampl, the best works of the last 5 years of the simultaneous TVX Conference and QoMEX were presented to show the similarities and differences between the QoE and the UX communities. This was followed by a panel discussion. (3) There was a 3-minute madness session organized by Raimund Schatz and Tobias Hoßfeld, which featured short presentations of “crazy” new ideas in a stimulating atmosphere. The intention of this second session is to playfully encourage the QoMEX community to generate new unconventional ideas and approaches and to provide a forum for mutual creative inspiration.
The next edition, QoMEX 2020, will be held May 26th to 28th 2020 in Athlone, Ireland. More information: http://qomex2020.ie/