Abstract
In this paper, we describe a framework for synchronous collaborative visualization and remote control in the agricultural domain. The framework builds on “Second Life” (SL), a popular networked online 3D virtual world, where users are represented as avatars (graphical self-representations). Co-presence in SL takes the form of instant (real-time) two-way interaction among two or more avatars. The aim of our work is to facilitate co-presence for sharing knowledge and exchanging wisdom about environmental practices. In order to establish a realistic simulated context for communication in SL, virtual counterparts of real devices are created in the virtual world. Specifically, we aim to represent field servers that sense and monitor fields such as rice paddies and vineyards. The Twin-World Mediator (TWM) is developed in order to replicate the behavior of real devices in virtual counterparts, and to facilitate seamless communication between real and virtual world. The TWM is an easy-to-use, extensible, and flexible communication framework. A small study demonstrated how the TWM can support collaboration and experience sharing in the agricultural domain.
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Notes
This was assessed by asking subjects to rate their expertise in agriculture in a seven-point Likert scale (1 representing “no knowledge at all” and 7 representing “professional knowledge”). The mean value for this was 3.6 (σ = 1.2).
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Acknowledgments
This research was partly supported by a “Grand Challenge” Grant from NII, Tokyo. We would like to thank Kazuki Kobayashi and Yasunori Saito from Shinshu University and the NARC research group for their kind support.
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S. Attasiriluk, A. Nakasone, W. Hantanong contributed equally to the content of the paper.
S. Attasiriluk and W. Hantanong were awarded a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Internship grant from the National Institute of Informatics, Tokyo.
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Attasiriluk, S., Nakasone, A., Hantanong, W. et al. Co-presence, collaboration, and control in environmental studies. Virtual Reality 13, 195–204 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-009-0130-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-009-0130-5