The Network Architecture and Protocols for Distributed Virtual Environment

In this paper, the properties of distributed virtual environment (DVE) and the requirements on computer networks is briefly reviewed. A multicast protocol, called sender initiated grouping multicast protocol for DVE (SIGMP), is proposed. This new multicast protocol is based on a novel concept, multicast group (MG), which divides all participants in a DVE system into groups, among which there is a multicast group trustee (MGT) node to manage the group. The protocol provides unreliable/reliable, totally ordered and multiple to multiple multicast transmission service for DVE systems without sacrificing the communication efficiency heavily. At the same time, reliable unicast and one to multiple multicast transmission services are also supported. The performance analysis of the new protocols is also presented. Based on SIGMP, a simple demonstration of DVE system is designed and implemented. This demo system is running on several SGI workstations connected by a FDDI and Ethernet network.

Architecture of HLA Based Distributed Virtual Geographic Environment

Integrating the theory of distributed virtual geographic environment (DVGE) and high level architecture(HLA), the architecture of DVGE based on HLA is designed. The data flow and the object models of the architecture are also discussed. The architecture basically meets the need of DVGE in real-time communication, distribution, collaboration, reusing and interoperation, expansion, and standard.

A Mobile Agent-Based Prototype of HeterogeneousDistributed Virtual Environment Systems

Mobile agents provide a new method for the distributed computation. This paper presents the advantages of using mobile agents in a distributed virtual environment (DVE) system, and describes the architecture of heterogeneous computer's distributed virtual environment system (HCWES) designed to populate some mobile agents as well as stationary agents. Finally, the paper introduces how heterogeneous computer network communication is to be realized.

Internet based design of distributed virtual environment for multi-robot teleoperation

Studies the design of distributed virtual environments （DVEs） for tele-multi-robotics. The proposed design, incorporating two models （ distributlon-supported model and VE-supported model）, attempts to represent common functionality, communication issues, and requirements found in multi-operator DVEs. The distribution-supported model concentrates on the introduction of computer-supported collaborative work （CSCW） to realize the coordination of multi-operators, while the VE-supported model concentrates on the utilization of an object-oriented approach to strengthen the expandability and robustness of the system. Finally, the configuration anti running environments of the system are given.

Distributed virtual environment-based safety control for Internet tele-robots

The inherent complexity and uncertainty of multi-operator multi-robot （MOMR） tele-operation system make its safeguard an essential problem. Hazardous factors in the system are analyzed using fault tree analysis（FTA） technology, and three-layer interactive safety architecture with information flow is designed in modules to control the factors according to the holistic control mode. After that, distributed virtual environment （DVE） including the characteristics of virtual guide （VG） technology is discussed to help the operators achieve some tasks through the visibility of control commands, time-delay, movement collision and operators＇ intentions. Finally an experiment is implemented to test the efficiency of safety control architecture by using two robots to place some building blocks in the same workspace.

The concept, structure and characteristics of the distributed virtual coal-mine geographical environment

Distributed virtual coal-mine geography environment（CM-DVGE） researches the virtual reality simulation of coal-mine environment in cyberspace and the performance of coal production process. The goal is to deal with the practical safety problems of observation, analysis, design and training during the underground coal production process. This paper first probed into the evolution of CM-DVGE from a historical point of view, then respectively analyzed the characteristics of its physical progressive levels according to the cognitivd law and its logical structure of data on the basis of data flow, and concluded by putting forward the prospect of the application of CM-DVGE, thus enriched and developed the method of synthetic study of coal mine.

Integration of Manufacturing Services into Virtual Environments over the Internet

Virtual reality (VR) is a rapidly developing technology that has a wide spectrum of industrial and commercial applications. Networked (distributed or shared) virtual environments (VE) are of growing interest to modern manufacturing industry; a dominating use of networked virtual manufacturing environments (VMEs) is on-line visualisation and collaborative control of 3D information. This has to be supported by real-time data transfer. To meet a broad range of common requirements for Internet-based VE communications, particularly for virtual manufacturing and collaborative design and control, this paper presents a networked virtual environment system that is designed to support networked virtual design and manufacturing. The system is implemented with manufacturing message specification (MMS) standards so as to integrate a range of manufacturing services into networked VEs over the Internet.

A Distributed LRTCO Algorithm in Large-Scale DVE Multimedia Systems

In the large-scale Distributed Virtual Environment(DVE)multimedia systems,one of key challenges is to distributedly preserve causal order delivery of messages in real time.Most of the existing causal order control approaches with real-time constraints use vector time as causal control information which is closely coupled with system scales.As the scale expands,each message is attached a large amount of control information that introduces too much network transmission overhead to maintain the real-time causal order delivery.In this article,a novel Lightweight Real-Time Causal Order(LRTCO)algorithm is proposed for large-scale DVE multimedia systems.LRTCO predicts and compares the network transmission times of messages so as to select the proper causal control information of which the amount is dynamically adapted to the network latency variations and unconcerned with system scales.The control information in LRTCO is effective to preserve causal order delivery of messages and lightweight to maintain the real-time property of DVE systems.Experimental results demonstrate that LRTCO costs low transmission overhead and communication bandwidth,reduces causal order violations efficiently,and improves the scalability of DVE systems.

A hybrid DVE architecture based on temp server

A hybrid distributed virtual environment （DVE） architecture is presented by importing a peer-to-peer （P2P） idea into the traditional client/server （C/S） architecture to improve the DVE system＇s scalability. The mathematical model of the overload of the center server was built and a series of simulation experiments were performed to validate the conclusions. When the client number increases to a certain value, the hybrid architecture can reduce server overload with some special clients （temp servers） selected with a certain heuristic strategy. With this architecture, the DVE system can support more system clients with the same server hardware than the C/S architecture can. The server overload ＂pulse＂ phenomena causing by the exiting of the temp server can be resolved by adopting a more optimized temp server selecting strategy and by reducing the child client capability of the temp server. By combining the advantages of the C/S architecture and the P2P architecture, the hybrid DVE architecture can effectively improve the scalability of the DVE system. This is validated by theoretical analysis and simulation experiments.

DVE architecture based on message category

By importing the idea of P2P,and transmitting messages among clients directly into the client-server architecture,a new hybrid architecture was presented with the help of AOI technology and message category.Theoretical analysis of this architecture was presented in detail.A series of simulation experiments was carried out to verify its effectiveness.Results indicate that the new architecture produces less server message workload than traditional architectures,which can improve the scalability of DVE systems.