Collaborative virtual experience based on reconfigurable simulation

Abstract

Virtual Reality simulation enables immersive 3D experience of a Virtual Environment. A simulation-based Virtual Environment can be used to map real world phenomena onto virtual experience. With a reconfigurable simulation, users can reconfigure the parameters of the involved objects, so that they can see different effects from the different configurations. This concept is suitable for a classroom learning of physics law. This research studies the Virtual Reality simulation of Newton's physics law on rigid body type of objects. With network support, collaborative interaction is enabled so that people from different places can interact with the same set of objects in immersive Collaborative Virtual Environment. The taxonomy of the interaction in different levels of collaboration is described as: distinct objects and same object, in which there are same object - sequentially, same object - concurrently - same attribute, and same object - concurrently - distinct attributes. The case studies are the interaction of users in two cases: destroying and creating a set of arranged rigid bodies. In Virtual Domino, users can observe physics law while applying force to the domino blocks in order to destroy the arrangements. In Virtual Dollhouse, users can observe physics law while constructing a dollhouse using existing building blocks, under gravity effects.