Ad hoc CVEs

In general, JINI will make it easy to let arbitrary devices intergrate within a CVE. With DIVE A device extended with JINI would hook into a DIVE process and through that get access of the DIVE database. These devices could range from simple mouses to complex reactive environments.

Merging of ubiq comp, reactive env and CVES

Interaction - Presentation

During our work with CSCW-tools in general and specially with CVE's like DIVE we have realized the importance of having a connection between physical and virtual environments. There are activities both within the physical and the virtual environment that are essential for the collaboration between people. Nothing really exists completely virtually without beeing present in the physical world. Otherwise we would never be able to percieve it. The DIVE database could be seen as a meta represenation of the virtual environment and its physical porximities, i.e. those physical places where someone or something has entered the virtual space.

The connection between the physical and the virtual will be done through a number of physical devices which addresses different physical attributes. Some are used for visaulisation, some for ineraction, some for data retrievel etc.

Visualisation and presenation

A number of different devices could be used to visualize the DIVE database. Today most of the visualization uses 3D graphics on ordinary desktop computers but future presentation techniques can range from sound-only or text-only. With JINI-technology the DIVE processes don't really need to know how to render the database to present it for the user. That functionality lies within the actual visualisation device rather then in the DIVE-process and is transfered to the DIVE-process when the device wnats to visualise the CVE.

Avatar control devices, e.g. 3D mouses, jousticks and trackers

During the last decay we have seen a hugh number of different interaction devices for computers and specially for virtual environments. One problem with these devices is how to communicate with them but even more important how should movements or interactions be interpretaded and mapped into to virtual environment. With JINI the devices itself contains the behaviors for the avatar or at least it could include a set of standard behaviors and besides these it has an internet address where more extended behaviors could be downloaded.

Personal artifacts - information containers

With PDA people are carring arround personal information and today the normal way och exchanging information with others are through direct connections. With CVEs the actual virtual environment would act as a information container or docking station, where documents and other information can be shared or left for others to pick up.

With JINI it would be very easy for PDAs to connect to the CVE and leave and retrieve information.