Visinet: Collaborative 3D Visualization and VR over ATM Networks

over networks has become an important research topic over the past few years, including in the Visinet project. The Visinet participants conducted trials of new CSCW methods based on virtual representation and virtual reality techniques over trans-European ATM networks. Designers, architects, city planners, and engineers worked collaboratively with virtual 3D models from locations in the Netherlands, Belgium, UK, Ireland, Portugal, and Switzerland (see the sidebar “List of Visinet Partners”). The project started in August 1994, but, owing to delays in the availability of the trans-European ATM pilot network, user trials did not begin until January 1995. Trials are still ongoing at the time of this writing, now using the James network. Visinet is part of the TEN-IBC (Trans-European Networks, Integrated Broadband Communications) program, one of the RACE subprograms (the European Commission’s Fourth Framework R&D program). In TEN-IBC, commoninterest groups of users and application developers from different industry sectors explore the potential for using ATM networks to let people located throughout Europe work together on the same design project. Visinet connects partners in the European countries mentioned above via the European ATM network. Using these connections, project members have investigated different scenarios and disseminated the results widely. Objectives The main objectives of the Visinet trial were to