Desktop conferencing systems provide a viable tool for collaboration and interaction, not only by reducing travel expenses, time and effort required for geographically dispersed collaborators, but also by providing efficient and transparent mechanisms for sharing programs and data over a distributed computer networks. But previous desktop conferencing systems provided users with communication channels in separate manner. In that systems users can not share a common spatial frame of reference with each other.
Today's virtual technology aims to provide human with another kind of medium which seems real but can be computer generated. This kind of reality can be used for inexpensive and safe training as well as natural and interactive communication. e. g. multiple users can exist in the same virtual space via communication networks. To provide users with shared space, we have designed and implemented a virtual teleconference system based on 3D virtual environment.
In our system participating users can view and navigate a shared conference room as well as talk to each other. Users can walk around and manipulate objects of which results are shared immediately with other participants. Our system provide users with communication medium such as text, real time audio and 2D images on white boards. Our system is implemented on Windows95/NT, TCP/IP and World Tool Kit environments.
