Metaverse Working Group

Agenda & Meeting Minutes

Date:  February 2, 2016

Time: 3:00 PM EST / 12:00 PST

Location:  Bluejeans online conference platform

Agenda

  1.  Introductions & VR hardware poll
  2. Co-chair needed
  3. Review working group charge
  4. Possible immersive meeting platforms
  5. Internet2 Global Summit in May
  6. Open Discussion

Meeting Minutes

In Attendance: 

Chris Collins
Ben Fineman 
Amela Sadagic 
Dan Eklund
William Hurd 
Mike Hite
  1.  Introductions & VR hardware poll

 

Chris Collins
Ben Fineman - Internet2
Amela Sadagic - Naval Post Graduate School. They have PHD degree in modeling and simulations. NPS was first national institutions with program for modeling and simulation. Into VR since 1987. They have several Oculus Rifts, GearVR. They see it as way of approaching the masses. 
Dan Eklund - UMich. In networking in general, no VR gear, just interested.
William Hurd - UNH, Connect New Hampshire. Not much VR experience but interested. Interested in historical applications.
Mike Hite - Penn State, VR is topic of interest since the 80s, he is in software development, looking how to leverage VR in their group, network management, other areas
  1. Co-chair needed
  2. Review working group charge
  3. Possible immersive meeting platforms
  4. Internet2 Global Summit in May
  5. Open Discussion
We are looking for a co-chair! If you’d like to or know someone, please let Chris or Ben know.
We have a wiki - feel free to edit and add things.
The charter for the group is interoperable interlinked virtual environments.
Amela: Insert human factors into the goal - add to be effective from a human interaction perspective. 
Chris: I think that’s a great idea - my team is interested in science and research at a distance. This was the initial charge, we can continue to refine. Feel free to edit, I agree human centered focus is a good one.
William: Why do people want to use VR? 
Mike: Our network team does 2D visualization, I am exploring moving it to a virtual environment to visualize the data
Ben: Would like to see VR used for collaboration.
Amela: I have contacts in ISO working on this. Will get to share with the group. For example X3D still supports VRML. How can we use this group for shorter term goals.
Chris: What I want to do - a 3D internet, where we do everything you would do on the web but in VR. Long term. In the shorter term, I share Ben’s concerns, companies have a vested interest in getting users locked into their own environments, I’m hoping this group will be able to explore what exists now and open source/open standards based platforms, how to make it happen both from an organizational and technical perspective. I’m as interested in the technical side as how we get others using it.
Amela: So on the shorter term, go back to some of the roles Internet2 plays in promoting different works. One of the things we’re learning is we still use books and text, VR is not perfect for everything. Different skills can be trained just fine in traditional 2D systems.  
Chris: Short term steps - can we get everyone in VR? Can we meet in a VR platform? What do you think?
Amela: Anything like that would help. Definition of VR is full immersion, but we can use a more relaxed definition - desktop VR, 360 video. These can be perfectly fine in my mind. We use Unity 3D, very easy to get into. Standalone system or via browser.

Dan: I'm interested in visualization, but I like the idea of getting together and doing something short term, I'd be willing to get something on my end, we have Leap Motion, I'm all for trying things out. Grand vision is out there in the future, small steps would be good.

Amela: We can also reach out to our respective communities, LinkedIn, etc. 

Chris: Great idea, if you haven't tried the technologies, maybe reach out to your colleagues and see if you can try it. I wanted to talk about some possible platforms. Amela mentioned Unity. Works well for VR and for web. We haven't done much with integrated voice, you?

Amela: We bypassed it, custom application

Chris: We have a couple other platforms we are investigating. AltspaceVR, has drivers for a variety of platform. Also looking at VRChat, High Fidelity (open source), OpenSimulator (Second Life type).

Amela: We use Blender, there is also BlenderVR. Supports CAVE and HMDs. There is university effort around VR Juggler (question) Corrina Cruz-Neira

Chris: Can we look at these 7 platforms and report back next week?

Amela: I can look at BlenderVR. Divide and conquer. 

Chris: We will try AltSpaceVR. I would suggest we take OpenSim off the table. 

Ben: Add JanusVR - I will take that one

Dan: Will take VRChat

Amela: Used to be open worlds alliance, not clear if still active.

Chris: I haven't talked to Nicole in several years but I think it is defunct. So we will explore as many of these as we can and report back next month, would really like to get together and meet in VR. Next I did want to mention that Internet2 Global Summit in May - we have a proposal accepted. Anyone else coming?

Dan: I will be there. 

Chris: We will have space there to have onsite Metaverse Working Group.

William: What is session?

Chris: Real Applications of Virtual Reality in Higher Education

Ben: We are looking for presentation content - please send any to us

Chris: There are a lot of interesting applications. Cardboard examples

Amela: Cardboard is interesting but limiting since you have to hold it up to your eyes. 

Chris: We have a GearVR - it's comparatively good quality

Amela: Two difficulties with anything phone based. Battery life, 45 minutes and you're done. Processing limitation - not smooth is scene is large. In learning/training, which does not happen quickly, so can't use phone devices

Chris: In addition my phone overheats quickly. But I think it's compelling to give people an idea of the potential, much more cheaply than Rift/etc. I did want to mention OSVR, open source VR, another option for experimentation. We just got 10 of them in, haven't had a chance to try them yet

Ben will set up forum site

Amela: I will post information about conferences. IEEE VR conference is in South Carolina in March. 

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