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AFRICA INFOSPHERE
Virtual Reality Situation Room
Point of Contact
Jaque Davison (703) 644-7312
[email protected]
Purpose
• To establish requirements for a Proof of
Concept (VR) Environmental Security
Situation Room for Non-Government
Organizations with an interest in Africa
• To enable social networking
• To provide a place to trade information
and facilitate coordination
Dynamic Data
• The VR Africa InfoSphere is not an
analytical tool - It is a capstone
• Provides a synergism by putting
people and data in the same place
• Search once then publish for all
• Any web based application will
function in the VR Situation Room
Six Degrees of Separation
• “Six degrees of separation is the
theory that anyone on the planet
can be connected to any other
person on the planet through a
chain of acquaintances that has no
more than five intermediaries.”
• VR enables people oriented data
mining
Necessary Display and
Navigation Objects
Dynamic Pictures
Signs activating
web addresses
Signs to
transport/teleport
to other
information rooms
VR Situation Room Layout
• Cylindrical Construction
• Signs & Pictures
arranged in hoops
• Subjects color coded
(4096 colors available)
• Command platform in
the center – simple
navigation
Command Platform
Issue Room
Picture
Ring
Sign Ring
Web Links
Functional Areas
 Disease outbreaks
 Aid Organizations
 Natural Forests
 Peace Park
 Preserves
Animal migratory
patterns
Natural Resources
Somali Pirates
Conflict
Disease
 Population
centers
 Religion
Culture
Language
Sudan
Open Conflict
Peace organizations
Piracy
Economy
Population
Maps
Ground
Zero
Eco Treasure
Darfur
Agriculture
Various maps
 Crop production
 Arable land
 Insect migrations
Hunger relief
Water
Weather
 Weather for the continent
Current levels of rainfall
Flood info
Drought info
 Coastal degradation
 Water/Lake
degradation
 Nubian Underground
Water Aquifer
Fisheries
Information Density
Major Piracy Risks
Refugee Web Sites
Landmine Density
African Nations in Conflict
 Overwhelming current information and facts
delivered in seconds or just one click
 User submitted changes – instant updates
Six Degrees of Separation
• Six degrees of separation
applies to data as well
• Every capstone page is a
search another does not
have to do
• Good data mining is
essential
Web Page
Web Page
Web Page
Web Page
Web Page
Web Page
Web Page
Web Page
Web Page
Web Page
Web Page
Web Page
Development Tool
• FileMaker Pro
Database
– Back up
documentation
– URL testing out of
world
– Preformatted
scripting
• Picture signs
• Text Signs
• Teleports
Modes of Communication
Between Avatars
• Chat
– Open discussion seen
by all avatars present
• Privileged
CHAT
– Private between only
2 avatars
• Telegram
WHISPER
EMAIL
– Like email but within
the VR World
• Email
• Invite
• Join
Activeworlds Vs Second Life
• Close to Cutting Edge
• Will run on a modem
• Will run on older
machines
• Will run standalone
even if the server is
down has a local cache
• Built in 2D web browser
strong integration with
MS internet explorer
• Supports Multimedia
• Floating windows
• Easy to build and
change content
• Object scripting is easy
• Affordable & scalable
• Can be Army owned
• Graphic Cutting edge
• Requires broadband as all
content is streamed
• Will not run with server
down - no local storage
• Requires high end
computers and graphic
cards
• No built in 2D web browser
• Poor interface to the 2D
web
• Supports Multimedia
• Hard to build in or easily
change content
• Object scripting is hard
• Expensive
• Lease only
ActiveWorlds User Interface
Features
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Contact List (who is
on-line)
Telegrams (instant
messaging)
Worlds (Access
controlled segments
and where the users
are)
Teleports (saved 3D
destinations similar to
favorites in 2D )
Public and private chat
boxes/Telegrams
Active URLs in chats
internal or external
web display
Multiple points of view
Floating windows
3D Collaboration
2D Web Page
Uses Microsoft Explorer technology - the standard web browser
Anything that works on the web works with this product
Start-Up Icon
Point of Contact
Jaque Davison (703) 644-7312
[email protected]
New Avatars
• Version 4.2 of the AW browser
is in operation
• New customizable avatars
• Equal to or better than Second
Life Avatars
Africa InfoSphere Pavilions
Ground Zero
Maps
Conflict
Conflict Issue Room on Dafur
Africa InfoSphere Pavilions
Agriculture
Weather
Water
Eco Treasures
Africa InfoSphere Pavilions
Disease
VOIP Facility (Separate World)
Population
Population Economy Issue Room
Floating Windows and
Simple Object Syntax
 Uses a web site
picture on a 3D
object
 Activates a web
site when clicked
Weather Center
Northern Virginia with hot updates from the web &
showing multiple radar images at the same time with
live dynamic updates
Operations Center for a Virtual
Reality Community Police Force
When is Virtual Reality Applicable?
Criteria
Comment
• Centers on a decision
makers
• The Non-Government
Organizations
• A consequence of
inadequate Performance
• Lack of coordination &
communication
• Lost opportunity money
• Existing Reporters
• Workers & changing
web content
• Existing Data
– Database
– Documents
– Web sites
• Data
– Issues Database
– Knowledge Centers