A Scalable Framework for Distributed Virtual Reality using Heterogeneous Processors

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

12-1-2006

Abstract

We propose a scalable framework for virtual reality systems in a distributed environment. As the application scope of and member participation in a virtual environment increase, information sharing among geographically distributed users becomes critical and challenging. In the proposed framework, we partition the virtual environment into a group of cells and upload them to a number of heterogeneous Internet nodes. When a user sends a request to explore the distant virtual environment, visible cells will be identified and processed in parallel to produce a minimal amount of imagery results for remote transmission. To ensure scalability, we extend our scalable occlusion culling scheme using Plenoptic Opacity Function to speed up the identification process of visible cells in a virtual environment. We perform effective occlusion culling in two passes based on a non-binary opacity definition. Our experimental results justify both the efficiency and scalability of our framework in exploring large-scale virtual environments. Keywords: distributed virtual reality, occlusion culling, logistical networking, plenoptic opacity functions.

DOI

10.1007/11941354_32

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS