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A review of distributed architectures for networked virtual reality

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Abstract

The aims of this paper are twofold. First, it identifies the general requirements of future large-scale distributed virtual reality (VR) systems based on an analysis of current VR systems, of more general distributed systems platforms and a consideration of the key issues of scale and heterogeneity. These requirements subsequently inform the development of a general VR reference architecture; and a framework which identifies the key software components which will comprise future distributed VR systems. Second, it uses this reference architecture as a vehicle for conducting a broad review of current distributed VR products and research prototypes. The review covers twelve well known VR systems and intended as a general resource for researchers entering the field. These systems are: AVIARY, BrickNet, DIVE, dVS, MASSIVE, the MR Toolkit, NPSNET, Superscape, VEOS, VUE, WAVES and World Toolkit. The review also identifies relevant standards in the areas of computer graphics and distributed systems. The paper finishes by drawing out a number of more general conclusions from the review including the urgent need to conduct research into the subjects of security and resource discovery for distributed VR systems.

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Snowdon, D., Greenhalgh, C., Benford, S. et al. A review of distributed architectures for networked virtual reality. Virtual Reality 2, 155–175 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02534449

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