Adaptive distributed multimedia: a concept for characterizing co-cognitive virtual reality systems

Abstract

Proposing the concept of adaptive distributed multimedia as an essential next step in the evolution of multimedia C&C systems, it is forecast that it will become the building block for the second generation of Virtual Reality Systems. Introducing the term 'Co-cognitive Virtual Reality' as a consequential generalisation and unification of the various alternative concepts of virtual reality and cyberspace propounded and developed by Lanier, Rheingold, Robinett and Henderson, among others, functional characterisation and basic design imperatives of such system are examined. It is argued that such a design would call for substantive elaboration of not only the design principles of tele-presence described by Pehrson, et.al into adaptive tele-presence and adaptive flexible trading, but also the design concepts of spacio-temporal composition of distributed multiimedia objects developed by Little and Ghafoor into relative spacio-temporal composition and adaptive synchronisation. Some of the beneficial applications of cocognitive Virtual Reality like cybernetic situated co-learning and cooperative tele-research are described.