ASPCS
 
Back to Volume
Paper: The AstroVR Collaboratory, An On-line Multi-User Environment for Research in Astrophysics
Monograph: 6, Twenty Years of ADASS
Page: 351
Authors:
Abstract: We describe our experiment with an on-line collaborative environment where users share the execution of programs and communicate via audio, video, and typed text. Collaborative environments represent the next step in computer-mediated conferencing, combining powerful compute engines, data persistence, shared applications, and teleconferencing tools. As proof of concept, we have implemented a shared image analysis tool, allowing geographically distinct users to analyze FITS images together. We anticipate that AstroVR1 and similar systems will become an important part of collaborative work in the next decade, with applications in remote observing, spacecraft operations, on-line meetings, and day-to-day research activities. The technology is generic and promises to find uses in business, medicine, government, and education.
Back to Volume