From Hollywood to highways: How zero-latency video compression powers autonomous cars - We Talk IoT #78

In this episode, we explore how an Emmy Award-winning video codec is transforming industries far beyond the silver screen.

Dr. Siegfried Fößel from Fraunhofer IIS explains how JPEG XS – a compression standard designed for broadcast production – now enables breakthrough applications in autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and remote healthcare.

With a latency of just 32 lines end-to-end and visual lossless quality, JPEG XS solves a critical challenge: how to process high-resolution video in real time without introducing delay. When autonomous cars need to analyse multiple camera feeds in real time, when factory robots require split-second reactions, or when surgeons control remote instruments, every millisecond matters.

Siegfried discusses the journey from keyboard-video-mouse extenders to ISO standardisation, the technology's adoption in sports broadcasting, and why tier-one automotive suppliers are testing it for sensor fusion. We explore how the codec integrates into FPGAs for embedded cameras, its constant bitrate advantage for IP transmission, and the future of AI-based video compression.

Tune in to discover how low-latency video compression unlocks applications that weren't possible before – and what's coming next in the race to process visual data faster.

#jpegxs #automotive #machinevinevision #healthcare #compression #fraunhofer #iot #wetalkiot

 

Summary of this week's episode:

01:30 What is JPEG XS and why it matters beyond broadcast

02:53 How JPEG XS differs from other codecs

03:39 The origin story: From KVM extender to ISO standard

05:00 The trade-off: Compression ratio vs latency

06:47 Autonomous vehicles: Processing 10 cameras without loss

08:27 Beyond self-driving: Electronic mirrors and driver monitoring

09:42 Industrial automation: Real-time quality control and robotics

11:25 Factory integration: FPGA IP cores and embedded cameras

12:53 ISO standardisation and software development kits

14:14 Healthcare applications: Edition 3's lossless approach

15:49 Remote surgery possibilities

18:50 Implementation advice: When to choose JPEG XS

20:33 Looking ahead: AI-based video codecs at 10 kbit/s

22:43 The constant bitrate advantage

 

Show notes:

Dr. Siegfried Fößel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siegfried-foessel-a158574/

JPEG XS: https://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/en/ff/amm/content-production/jpegxs.html

Emmy Award announcement: https://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/en/pr/2025/pressrelease-emmy-jpegxs.html

 

Listen to the "We Talk IoT" Soundtrack on:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/05MOV4OV2MH2in2txsAGtG?si=ad08112cb8d443f4

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-NvQ6VJYtE&list=PLLqgVFfZhDRVYmpEqbgajzDvGL4kACRDp

 

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