Dual Purpose Multi-User Semi-Immersive Hapto-Acoustic Virtual Environment

Our hapto-acoustic virtual environment we call the "haptic-workbench" [1], has remained unchanged since 1994. Recent changes in available projector hardware technology now means that the system can be modified to address some inherent limitations in terms of user participation. In addition, the proposed changes are now more viable, whereas only six months ago such modifications were prohibitively expensive or not possible. Up to now the system has used active stereo for 3D graphics visualization but this implementation limits effective participation to one person. The new dual purpose environment is a more versatile system which may be used in one of two ways; a) single user mode or b) large volume display mode where many users can simultaneously participate. The semi-immersive attributes of the former haptic-workbench are retained in single user mode and when in large volume display mode the system allows multiple user involvement and interaction. The new dual purpose multi-user environment removes some of the restrictions which effectively limit interaction to one person operating in a narrow viewing space, is not limited to rooms needing special seating or lighting and addresses the increasing need for a sense of presence and interaction with many persons simultaneously. Groups of up to 30 can now experience the collaborative virtual environment (CVE) [2] rather than single user at a time and when networked allows the system to be used for educational interaction in a classroom setting with the possibility of similar numbers at each end. Methodology and some traps and pitfalls are discussed in terms of differing technologies used in generating the real time 3D stereo models and the realisation of the new system is given.