Collaborative 3D DocuSpace: A platform for next-generation document services in 3D virtual worlds

In this paper, we propose a novel system, the collaborative 3D DocuSpace, that bridges a traditional document management system (such as Xerox DocuShare or Microsoft SharePoint) with a collaborative 3D virtual world (such as Second Life or Project Wonderland) to provide more immersive and engaging user experiences in document-centric collaborations. The collaborative 3D DocuSpace is a shared 3D virtual space that integrates document contents with collaborative interactions by a community of avatars (an avatar is the virtual representation of a user). It extends a document management system with an easy-to-use interface to a shared 3D virtual world so that a user not only can interact with document(s) alone, but also can collaborate with other avatars at the same time. It automatically brings in a collection of contents from a repository, and instantiates a shared 3D DocuSpace that can be customized based on contents´ semantic contexts and user specified preferences. Therefore, this proposed system enhances the content-driven collaborations with much richer and more engaging user experiences that no existing document management systems or 3D virtual environments can provide alone.