Airbus Group's E-Fan all-electric airplane flight across the English Channel on July 10 wasn't just an aeronautical experiment - it was also a test of video compression technology in aerospace applications.
During the flight, V-Nova's PERSEUS compression technology enabled up- and downstream HD (720p 25 frames/sec) video telemetry over 3G mobile networks, with a claimed 80% bandwidth reduction compared to traditional technology under similar conditions.
The test included transmitting terrestrial HD video to the cockpit and allowing personnel aboard the chase aircraft and on the ground to view the E-Fan's flight progress, as offline content and camera feeds from the crossing were down-linked, encoded and distributed in real time via 3G networks to Android- and iOS-connected devices.
V-Nova's contribution to the E-Fan's channel crossing resulted from its new partnership with Airbus Group to explore aerospace applications for PERSEUS.
The test was intended to demonstrate potential aerospace industry uses for the PERSEUS technology, including transmission of video content between the ground and aircraft, the handling of flight-critical data for trend monitoring and aircraft optimization, and wireless distribution of in-flight entertainment (IFE) throughout commercial jetliner cabins.
The ABC News story about the flight is available here.