Virtutopia: A Pedagogical and Research Framework for Virtual Reality and Gaming

1. Virtutopia: A Pedagogical and Research Framework for Virtual Reality and Gaming Robert W. Lindeman gogo@wpi.edu

2. Virtutopia Motivational Scenario You stand in a long corridor, with many doors on either side. As you walk down the hallway, glancing at a door displays a small "teaser" about what lies beyond. One shows a medieval scene of a castle siege. Another shows the view out of the window of a space station where a new ship is being constructed. A third shows an atrium, bathed in sunlight, with pieces of animated sculpture on display. The next shows two impossibly large molecules floating near each other, spinning in a dance to find an appropriate docking site. The next shows a wildlife preserve, with flocks of birds, herds of animals, and schools of fish. Taking a deep breath, you choose a door, turn the handle, and enter a new realm. R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

3. Okay, but what is it?!?! • A game engine based on a message passing architecture • A massive multiplayer online space • A distributed virtual environment • An exhibition space for digital artists • An immersive, collaborative visualization tool for natural scientists • A training tool for the military and medical fields • The framework on which any and all of these applications can be built R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

4. Pedagogy • It is a learning tool that allows CS and IMGD students to design and build all aspects of complex, large-scale environments that revolve around themes (a.k.a. realms) • Framework will be built by IMGD tech and art students, CS undergrad and grad students • Content will be created by IMGD art students • Faculty will guide and contribute • No need to prescribe these roles! R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

5. Course Assignments • Modular design allows tech parts to be substituted • AI, rendering, user interaction • Content creation within the framework • Game design sandbox • Showcase for finished products R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

6. Spacious Room for *QPs • Tech • Clients for different devices, such as cell phones, DS-Lite, PDAs, Web • Scalability issues, such as number of players, number of objects • Networking, AI, real-time databases • Art • Character, environment, object design • Scripting and level design • Design • Game design for realms • Other • Sociology, economics, biology, chemistry, ECE, ... • Interdisciplinary projects (like we envisioned all along!) R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

7. Research Space • Many interesting CS research issues • Content creation/importation tools for artists • Advanced rendering techniques • Mobile gaming (graphics, networks, UI) • Network architectures, security, anti-cheating • Application areas, like bio and chemistry R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

8. Virtutopia Status: MQP • Five CS students (A2006 - C2007) • Hybrid network architecture • Client/server + peer to peer • Static object repository (OR) • Wikipedia for objects • Run-time repository (RTR) • Add "state" to static properties • PC/Mac client • Scripting using LUA R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

9. Virtutopia Status: MQP (cont.) • Based on "standards" • Client using C4 engine (WPI has site license) • www.c4engine.com • Object representation using x3d and COLLADA • www.web3d.org/x3d/ • www.khronos.org/collada/ • Scripting using LUA • www.lua.org • Underlying architecture based on message passing • www.qnx.com (development seat gift) • "Simple" demo • Multiplayer paddle-ball game R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

10. Virtutopia Status:Graduate Student Work • Getting object state updates from the object repository into C4 • Getting player input from VR devices into C4 • NSF CAREER proposal to build a next-generation VR/gaming platform around the Virtutopia concept R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

11. Virtutopia Details:Network Architecture • Typical MMO servers are limited to about 2,000 simultaneous players • Good to combat cheating • Simple to implement • Peer-to-peer groups limited to about 32 players • Combine these two techniques, dynamically managing peer group membership • E.g., by world location R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

12. Virtutopia Details:Network Architecture (cont.) • General Structure R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

13. Virtutopia Details:Object Representation • Typically, visual, audio, etc. properties are stored and represented individually for each output modality • Graphical vs. audio renderer • Behavior controller (AI) • Not very scalable • Tight coupling = monolithic R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

14. Virtutopia Details:Object Representation (cont.) • New idea: • Group object properties with object itself in an object repository • Have "managers" take care of changing and/or rendering properties • Example: • Flock of birds flying overhead R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

15. Processing Entities Main Program (Dispatcher) Output Manager (Visual) Filter Manager Object Repository Ouput Manager (Sound) Filter Manager Input Manager (Tracker) Filter Manager Virtutopia Details:Object Representation (cont.) • General structure R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science

16. Where to From Here? • Joint tech/art MQP teams? • Tool development for artists to create content for Virtutopia? • Next-generation of structure? • Networking research? • Animation research? • Grant proposals? • Education? • "Virtual WPI" open house/campus visit realm R.W. Lindeman - WPI Dept. of Computer Science