DIVE on the internet

This dissertation reports research and development of a platform for Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVEs). It has particularly focused on two major challenges: supporting the rapid development of scalable applications and easing their deployment on the Internet. This work employs a research method based on prototyping and refinement and promotes the use of this method for application development. A number of the solutions herein are in line with other CVE systems. One of the strengths of this work consists in a global approach to the issues raised by CVEs and the recognition that such complex problems are best tackled using a multi-disciplinary approach that understands both user and system requirements. CVE application deployment is aided by an overlay network that is able to complement any IP multicast infrastructure in place. Apart from complementing a weakly deployed worldwide multicast, this infrastructure provides for a certain degree of introspection, remote controlling and visualisation. As such, it forms an important aid in assessing the scalability of running applications. This scalability is further facilitated by specialised object distribution algorithms and an open framework for the implementation of novel partitioning techniques. CVE application development is eased by a scripting language, which enables rapid development and favours experimentation. This scripting language interfaces many aspects of the system and enables the prototyping of distribution-related components as well as user interfaces. It is the key construct of a distributed environment to which components, written in different languages, connect and onto which they operate in a network abstracted manner. The solutions proposed are exemplified and strengthened by three collaborative applications. The Dive room system is a virtual environment modelled after the room metaphor and supporting asynchronous and synchronous cooperative work. WebPath is a companion application to a Web browser that seeks to make the current history of page visits more visible and usable. Finally, the London travel demonstrator supports travellers by providing an environment where they can explore the city, utilise group collaboration facilities, rehearse particular journeys and access tourist information data

DIVE: a generic tool for the deployment of shared virtual environments

In this paper we present the DIVE system (Distributed Interactive Virtual Environment), an architecture and a programming toolkit for the realisation and implementation of wide-area, Internet-based multi-user virtual environments. Along the years, DIVE has evolved into a generic tool that supports a wide range of applications and situations. This paper focuses on the networking and architectural aspects that allow the deployment of multi-user virtual environments on the Internet. Additionally, this paper presents the palette of programming interfaces and techniques that are offered by the system. Our experience has proven that its ability to mix interfaces made it a system of choice for the implementation of distributed applications. We conclude with a selection of applications and how they make use of the networking and programming features of the system

mBlog: a mobile information service

Easy-to-use Web sites, called "weblogs" or "blogs" are the latest massive Internet phenomenon. mBlog, developed by SICS in collaboration with Ericsson, takes blogs a step further by adding a mobility component

DIVE: Communication Architecture and Programming Model

This article presents the Distributed Interactive Virtual Environment (DIVE) system, a software architecture for the realization and implementation of wide-area Internet-based multi-user virtual environments. Over the years, DIVE has evolved into a generic tool that supports a wide range of applications and situations. The article focuses on the networking aspects that allow deployment of multi-user virtual environments on the Internet. Additionally, it presents the palette of programming interfaces and techniques offered by the system. This is highlighted by some example applications. Our experience has proven that DIVE's ability to mix interfaces has made it a system of choice for the implementation of distributed applications

A Survey of CVE Technologies and Systems

A few years ago, Virtual Reality technologies and Virtual Environments were seen by some as a panacea and the computer interface of the future. VR received a lot of attention in the media and devices such as head mounted displays or data gloves have become widely recognised. Of particular interest was the ability to realise a vision that had been described in a number of science fiction novels: providing a parallel world in which it would be possible to be present, interact and feel as if in the real world. This vision is realised by Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVEs). CVEs are three-dimensional computer-generated environments where users are represented by avatars and can navigate and interact in real-time independently of their physical location. While the technology has not lived up to early expectations, real niched applications and the success of networked games have shown its viability and promises. This report summarises a number of the technologies that are commonly used to interface with virtual environments. Additionally, it presents some of the major CVE systems to date and isolates a number of trends when it comes to network architectures, protocols and techniques and to software choices

The extended museum visit: documenting and exhibiting post-visit experiences

During the last couple of decades, a growing body of research has provided insights into the complex processes of learning that take place in museums. Interestingly, museum-related learning is not limited to the actual visit: what takes place before and afterwards has a profound effect on the learning outcome. The study presented in this paper focuses on the post-visit aspects of the learning process. Previous research shows that visitors make connections between their experiences in the museum and experiences that happen after the visit. Sometimes these connections can occur weeks or months (or even years) after the visit, depending on when the visitor happens upon a situation that allows the connection to be made. Documenting these events is obviously quite difficult. Even though it is possible to re-establish contact with visitors after a few weeks or months (e.g., through telephone or e-mail), the information obtained is not in situ. The goal of the present study is to attempt to acquire and analyze more data from these in situ situations, and to re-present the data in an exhibition. To this end, we have designed a system that allows visitors to send images and text messages to a central server through e-mail, SMS or MMS. The data from the server can then be visualized as a weblog (blog) or in some other suitable form. We collaborated with the Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. A large part of the Museum's Science Centre is devoted to five mechanical principles: the screw, the plane slope, the lever, the wheel and the wedge. We have designed an exhibit that utilizes our system to present messages (images and text) from visitors on the subject of the five principles in the science centre itself. It is also possible to access the messages through a public Web page. From the Museum's perspective, our exhibit not only provides new opportunities for documenting post-visit learning processes, but also has the potential to provide new forms of evaluation data that might be difficult to obtain through other means. Furthermore, it allows Museum visitors to extend the original scope of the mechanical principles exhibition by allowing them to provide their own content (and reflections upon the existing content), a re-occurring theme in many recent technology-based exhibits. The paper provides a description of our system, the exhibit we have built, how the exhibit is managed, and how it has worked in practice