A Scalable Immersive Virtual Environment
for 3D Exploration via High Performance Network
Susan Tennant
New Media Program, IU School of Informatics, IUPUI
Executive Summary
Having the experience from the previous project - the Chichen Itza, a virtual tour, funded by HPNAP in 1999, we now proposing another framework – Scalable Immersive Virtual Environment (SIVE), available to support more complicated navigation routines and multiple platforms for 3D exploration via Internet 2. Our project goal is to develop a virtual reality world where users can learn and discover ancient Mayan architecture, artifacts, and culture by navigating in designed 3D virtual environment. Our proposed SIVE system will be developed with the consideration of more robust systematic architecture coupling with sets
of visual data - images, video, and 3D measurement, acquired from the Uxmal ruin site in the State of Yucatan, Mexico. With the support of high performance network, viewers will be situated in the 3D virtual world and self-learn from realistic experience along their exploration. The SIVE system is also scalable, being interfaced to various platforms of the highest-end Immersadesk / Cave as well as the lowest-end desktop environment.
SIVE is also a multi-disciplinary research and development project, requiring a teaming effort in a variety of disciplines at New Media Program, School of Informatics, whose objective will be achieved by integrating several advanced technologies contributed by the following areas:
- photography and digital processing for data acquisition,
- journalism and archeology for script writing and navigation flow design,
- computer science for 3D visualization of large volume-image datasets and real-time multimedia networking for virtual reality, and
- informatics for digital information management.
The Abilene network will be used for real-time delivery of high-bandwidth 3D rendering image through central server and streams to geographically scattered users for exploration.
SIVE provides an innovative architecture to demonstrate IU’s capability in transmitting 3D
information among IU in-campus or off-campus via Internet 2. With centralized information
management server, many users are able to navigate using their own workstation. The user will be able to explore and communicate with 3D visualization data, which has been limited to the high-end facilities such as the immersadesk and Cave.
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