TeleReality - The next step for Telepresence
Séamus Hickey, Tony Manninen, Petri J. Pulli · 2000
Telepresence is a technique which allows a person to be 'present' in a remote environment by the use of a physical proxy (e.g. robot). Typically these systems are constrained in that only one person may control the proxy at any one time, the proxy is obtrusive in the environment and requires maintenance. This paper proposes to improve Telepresence technology and create a more immersive feeling by removing the robot proxy while enabling multiple users to interact and navigate through a remote real world in a similar manner as a person may navigate a virtual world. The authors term such an enhancement as Telereality. This paper describes the Telereality concept and it argues that within the VR research it occupies a niche that has not undergone serious study. Two possible methods to implement a Telereality system are introduced with the main research emphasis is now focusing on implementing a system based on Visual Cells. Visual cells are a concept that allows a large geographical area to be covered by using a matrix of Visual Cells. Each Visual cell contains at least one camera and a user can navigate through the environment by moving from one cell to the next. While this research topic is still quite new and has not been fully evaluated it does present a conceptual mechanism where by people can exist and interact in a remote location to perform such tasks as meetings, training, commerce, security, tourism etc.