Bridging the Gap between Networked Appliances and Virtual Worlds

On-line gaming coupled with virtual world development and social networking are at the forefront of next generation entertainment. In parallel, there is an unprecedented push to equip every device with networking capabilities. However, there is little evidence to suggest that these distinct technological trends will converge rather than just co-exist. There are obvious benefits to support interoperation between real objects and virtual worlds in at least two ways: improving the possibilities for device interactions and improving the functionality that is available within virtual worlds. Moreover, it also allows the physical constraints associated with real objects to be removed, enabling them to enjoy the freedom offered by virtual worlds. To promote this vision, we propose an integration architecture that blurs the gap between real and virtual objects. This supports both conventional and unconventional usage of devices visually connected to digital avatars, thus freeing users to decide how they wish to operate devices. Although much work has been done in both networked appliances and interactive entertainment, there is a need to converge these disciplines to harness the power afforded by new and emerging digital worlds. This will make it easier to interact with devices through the obvious benefits physical disembodiment brings. We present a new approach demonstrated using a working prototype to implement a virtual world capable of operating a remote appliance, either via the device or via its digital avatar.