Remote Access to 3D Models for Research, Engineering, and Art

Stereoscopic (3D) models and visualizations can add value to current videoconferencing systems by offering a higher level of immersion when accessing remote 3D models. The low-latency remote access to 3D models in high resolution over high-speed networks could enable more effective collaboration between physically distributed teams in research, engineering, and humanities. Many research fields, from engineering and science to the arts and humanities, could benefit from remote access to 3D models. This article surveys the state of the art in this field as well as the various system architectures available. The authors also describe several experiments conducted over long distances (more than 10,000 km) using prototype systems developed at the Czech Technical University. Their results show that when the low processing delay on the sender and receiver side is added to the inevitable network propagation delay the resulting response time is still acceptable and can provide an interactive feeling.