Integrating support for collaboration-unaware VRML models into cooperative applications

We present the design and architecture of the distributed virtual reality service (dvr) which allows collaboration-unaware VRML animations and simulations to be integrated into cooperative applications. The dvr service realizes the distribution of VRML content to a group of participants via multicast. User interactions with the VRML model are synchronized in a manner transparent to the VRML content. To demonstrate the feasibility of our novel approach, we have successfully integrated the distributed virtual reality service into the digital lecture board which is a shared whiteboard tailored to the specific needs of collaborative work, for instance, in the area of computer-based distance education