System and method for synthesizing and preserving consistent relative neighborhood position in multi-perspective multi-point tele-immersive environments

An e-learning system comprising:

• a local classroom comprising a local student station, including a local student microphone, and an instructor station, including an instructor microphone, such that local students at the local student station and an instructor at the instructor station face each other directly along a first viewing line;
• a plurality of remote classrooms of a specific number, each having a student station, a remote student microphone, and an instructor display, including an instructor audio speaker, such that remote students are enabled to view the instructor display;
• a plurality of video cameras in each of the local and remote classrooms, individual ones of the video cameras positioned and oriented to capture video images of the instructor, the local students and the remote students as subjects;
• a first plurality of video displays in the local classroom arranged along a line orthogonal to the first viewing line and all facing the local student station, the first plurality of video displays comprising first sets of at least two displays, arranged vertically one above another, each first set of at least two displays dedicated to one of the remote classrooms, with an equal number of sets positioned side-by-side to each side of the first viewing line;
• a second plurality of video displays in the local classroom arranged along the line orthogonal to the first viewing line and all facing the instructor station, the second plurality of video displays comprising second sets of at least two displays, arranged vertically one above another, each second set of at least two displays dedicated to one of the remote classrooms, with an equal number of sets positioned side-by-side to each side of the first viewing line, and with first and second sets dedicated to the same remote classroom positioned back to back, first sets facing the student station and second sets facing the instructor station;
• first connection apparatus at the local classroom connecting electronic elements of the local classroom to a network;
• second connection apparatus at each of the remote classrooms connecting electronic elements of the remote classrooms to the network;
• and
• a server having a processor executing coded instructions from a non-transitory physical medium, the server connected through the network to the first and second connection apparatus, the server executing the software coordinating video and audio transmission between the classrooms;
• wherein feeds from the plurality of video cameras are mapped to individual sets of the first and second plurality of the video displays, with different video feeds of a same subject, but having a different viewpoint of that subject, mapped to each of the at least two displays in each set, providing a variable view of the same subject for a viewer.