Towards a New Platform Paradigm for Synergetic Virtual Environments

Abstract

Most of today's Virtual Reality system architectures follow visualization-centric data paradigms, using hierarchical data structures typically containing static content. As one of the future's - and even today's - key communication and collaboration tools, Virtual Reality is quickly developing into an integrator of heterogeneous technologies and content. For instance, highly sophisticated software simulation technology exists today to enable industrial users [KNC10] to apply the benefits of virtual prototyping throughout the challenging steps of the product development process: Immersive Virtual Engineering has an enormous potential to deliver the engaging work environment for today's and future technical users delivering a fast, accessible and pertinent virtual model that drives day to day engineering decisions - individually and/or collaboratively, from concept design to process engineering and serviceability. Within this paper, we would like to point out some of the new challenges and their consequences, suggesting new paradigms in system architecture design that will enable next generation software platforms to handle the industry's demands towards synergetic Virtual Environments.