Virtual meeting in cyberstage

Today’s technology and advances in networking and telecommunications stimulate a change in the way business is carried out, making it a globally distributed process, in which communication and collaboration of geographically dispersed groups is of vital importance. Virtual Reality systems are adapting accordingly, by providing not only a better man-machine interface, but also by facilitating human to human interaction and collaboration over distance. The approach presented in this paper, creates an environment where remote participants not only meet as if face to face, but also share the same virtual space and perform common tasks. Live stereo-video and audio, from a projectionbased VR system are transmitted and integrated into the virtual space of another participant at a distant VR system, allowing geographically separated groups to meet in a common virtual space, while maintaining eyecontact, gaze awareness and body language. The scientific approach involves stereo-camera calibration and rectification, and use of the camera parameters for integrating the stereovideo into a virtual environment, while maintaining the stereo-effect and correct perspective for each participant. A prototype environment in CyberStage, is also presented in detail in this paper. Virtual Reality is widely accepted as a promising approach to a better man-machine interface, overcoming the present limitations of desktop systems and adapting more closely to the user needs. Projection-based VR systems are using metaphors, such as the blackboard or the desk for creating shared working environments that provide a more natural man-machine communication. Today’s technology and advances in telecommunications lead to sophisticated multimedia systems which combined with virtual reality can provide a high degree of co-presence and co-working for geographically dispersed groups. Therefore, new challenges are introduced in terms of multimedia integration in distributed virtual reality environments and interaction. It is not only a question of solving the technical problems of gathering and transmitting multimedia datastreams with sufficient quality and speed, but also a question of addressing the specific needs of human communication. For example, facial expression, body language and eye contact are an integral part of this communication

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