Abstract not found

Multimedia allows new forms and techniques of teaching. Modern educational material no longer only consists of text and some figures but also includes audio, video, animations and simulations. Because Java becomes increasingly important in the World Wide Web we decided to base development of the educational simulations and animations for our distance learning projects on it. Although Java applets can be easily inserted into asynchronous material like hypertext pages, it provides no mechanisms to use it in synchronous scenarios. We therefore developed our Java Remote Control Tool which we present in this paper. It allows us to control and synchronize distributed Java Applications and applets.

In this paper we present a method for sharing collaboration-unaware VRML content, e.g. 3D models which were not specifically developed for use in a distributed environment. This functionality is an essential requirement for the inclusion of arbitrary VRML content, as generated by standard CAD or animation software, into teleconferencing sessions. We have developed a 3D TeleCooperation (TeCo3D) prototype to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach. The basic services provided by the prototype are the distribution of cooperation unaware VRML content, the sharing of user interactions, and the joint viewing of the content. In order to achieve maximum portability, the prototype was developed completely in Java. This paper presents general aspects of sharing VRML content as well as the concepts, the architecture and the services of the TeCo3D prototype. Our approach relies on existing VRML browsers as the VRML presentation and execution engines while reliable multicast is used as the means of communication to provide for scalability.

Abstract not found