Collaborative Virtual Environments and Immersion in Distributed Engineering Contexts

Abstract

Distributed Manufacturing is mostly associated with computing features and sophisticated software logics rather than with working environments concurrently used in distant locations. Nowadays, the global success of Web2.0 and, more specifically, social networking web applications are quite obvious. In fact, information and communication technology (ICT) users are creating web content, applications and online role-playing games with their own activities and related data in using web applications such as eBay®, Facebook, Second Life virtual environment, and World of Warcraft. In manufacturing, interests are quite different and therefore other solutions should contribute to overcome collaborative distance factors that are impeding an effective and efficient distributed collaboration. Using important existing options in this field, this chapter presents an overview on key developments and web applications in the area of distributed computing systems to support effective and efficient collaborative work carried out by different groups of people in different organisational units or companies with a strong focus on engineering communication.