New Collaborative Tools

In this paper we shall present two different yet complementary technologies toward collaboration. The first technology is based on interactive distributed and shared environment, that enables the users to access, modify/manipulate and view virtual objects being music, two or three dimensional images or video records. This software, called Virtual gallery is built on the system: Croquet originally developed by the group led by Alan Kay and supported by HP research. We have built a tool that enables by simple clicking to access files, bring them into the 3D environment, display them and manipulate them. The second collaborative technology is based on the capability of imaging in semi-real time physical activity of two or three people. We have built a laboratory equipped with 48 cameras at UC Berkeley and 10 cameras at U of I in Urbana Champaign. The software accompanying these images reconstruct and display complete 3D data representing the physical activities of the people in the laboratory. The display is stereo display so that viewed through stereo glasses the viewer gets trough 3D impression. We are exploring the connectivity through long distance and planning to examine what it means to meet in cyberspace