Virtual collaborative design environments: a review, issues, some research, and the future

Summarized in the paper are the results of an empirical study conducted by the authors that identified the advantages and disadvantages of the CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) in a VCDE. Testing with operational US Army users partially validated the advantages of using this second-generation immersive VE for a conceptual design review of a new weapon system. While a statistical significant improvement could not be proven, users almost overwhelmingly preferred the VCDE (the CAVE) for their reviews-when compared to a more traditional method. Further redesign and testing of the CAVE presentation environment is planned for improved user capabilities and features comprehension. This enhancement will be made using published research and "best" industry practices for multimedia presentation and learning environments