Hungary – VirCA
Overall Scope
Key Information
Full name: Virtual Collaboration Arena
Runs from: Oct. 2008 – April 2011 (31 months)
Website(s): http://www.virca.hu
Summary
VirCA is an Internet-based network and toolkit that provides collaboration and knowledge sharing for laboratories and other R&D facilities. Combining advanced technologies (3D content management, ICE, CORBA, RT-Middleware), we propose a future platform for internet of things, where these “things” are capable of providing their own 3D representation, share the coupled real functionalities and remote capabilities, allows distant co-operators (human or intelligent devices) to use them in creative assemblies for building complex system in a plug and play manner. From the aspect of 3D internet and media, VirCA contributes in the sense that connects the reality and the 3D virtuality together in a kind of augmented collaboration. The manipulation of the 3D content of the today internet using keyboard and mouse is clumsy therefore VirCA provides surface for cognitive infocommunication devices that makes “3D Internet” applications effective and comfortable.
Objectives
- To provide a pilot solution for a future collaborative platform where information, functionality, remote capabilities and 3D representation of things are freely manipulable and integrable.
- To integrate and implement the concept of cognitive infocommunications to enhance the manipulation and communication with 3D content.
- To provide fast knowledge transfer between academic laboratories and R&D facilities.
Highlights
iSpace laboratory Network
We established the iSpace Laboratory Network which uses VirCA as cooperation platform. VirCA is readily installed or under installation at the following member organizations: BME (www.bme.hu), Széchenyi István University (http://uni.sze.hu), ELTE (www.elte.hu), University of Debrecen (www.unideb.hu), TUKE (www.tuke.sk), Tokyo University (http://dfs.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp), Chuo University (http://www2.chuo-u.ac.jp), NUC (http://www.hin.no), NTNU (www.ntnu.edu) and PPM (http://www.ppm.no/). VirCA is an ongoing development but already serves as a background of intensive cross-national or even cross-continental scientific cooperation.
Fast knowledge transfer
VirCA provides virtual environment where the laboratories can share their physical and Intelligence devices and other partners can use them collaboratively in a semi-virtual manner. iSpace memeber organizations are doing multilateral research activity utilizing VirCA.
R&D cost reduction and efficiency enhancement
The remote integrability of the mutually complementary knowledge- and device-base of different laboratories minimizes the necessity of duplication and thus the inherent time expenditure. Regarding the benefits of multilateral, 3D virtual collaboration the actual demand of business travelling and transportation can be reduced dramatically: pre-purchase discussion, testing and evaluation process could be done in VirCA.
Interdisciplinary cooperation
The modular structure of VirCA supports the knowledge transfer between academic disciplines e.g. a robotics researcher can use the results of a cognitive scientist easily due the interconnectable building blocks provided by individual researchers or companies.
Pilot implementation
In MTA SZTAKI, we set up a powerful immersive 3D demonstration site equipped with high-end Imersive 3D CAVE technology. In this laboratory the features of VirCA idea can be presented but the software can work on a normal PC as well.
R&D Scope
- Open for Cognitive Infocommunication Devices
- VirCA use CORBA and ICE (Internet Communication Engine).
- Our software covers the current cutting edge 3D visualization technologies what the future internet visualization will be based on expectedly.
Expected Impact
VirCA potentially…
- …give community access to an aggregated/cumulated knowledge-base.
- …underlay the basis of the “plug and play knowledge”
- …breed general changes in cooperative R&D, everyday engineering or even entertainment habits
- …shows perspective to the IT companies
- …generates significant development in international scientific collaboration
Involved Constituency
In this section we collect and describe the organizations and academic partnerships where VirCA system plays important role.
iSpace Laboratory Network (www.ispace-labnet.org):
The iSpace Laboratory Network is a worldwide scientific non-profit network of professors, researchers and laboratories engaging in active research in the intelligent space-related areas.
ITM – Emerging Information Technology In Manufacturing (www.itm-lab.org):
The Joint Laboratory for Emerging Information Technology in Manufacturing (ITM) was established in Budapest in 2004. ITM is a Norwegian-Hungarian laboratory and was established on the rectoral and directorial level of universities, research institutes and a high tech industrial company. ITM represents a strong link between basic research and industrial applications and is capable of coordinating top-level international education and research-based innovation in informatics, automation, intelligent systems in addition to advanced sensor- and robot technology. Based on this unique potential, ITM formed its holistic goal “to be the Norwegian and Hungarian reference research centre within Highly Intelligent and Flexible Robotics for unstructured environments”. ITM’s strategy is to merge the top-level knowledge and experience of each of the partners into a complete research arena containing scientists, professors, researchers, graduated students and laboratory facilities, in order to conduct state-of-the-art research.
3DICC (3D Internet Communication and Control) Consortium:
3DICC is the consortium of BME – Department of Telecommunications and Media Informatics and MTA SZTAKI Cognitive Informatics Research Laboratory. This consortium operates a 120 square meter laboratory equipped with an immersive 3D CAVE system and a full body motion capture device. The laboratory established from about 1 million Euro.
