Research Papers
From OpenSimulator
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'''Abstract:''' ''This compatibility study examines potential interoperability between OpenSimulator, a free, server-based 3D virtual world simulator, and a set of DND/CF simulation tools. Interoperability is assessed in four areas: simulation operation, terrain models, 3D models, and human factors tools. Simulation technologies assessed for compatibility are the DIS and HLA simulation protocols, the Unity game engine, the VBS2 serious game, SmartMarine 3D and SmartPlant 3D CAD applications, the HumanCAD anthropomorphic articulation simulator, and the IPME task modelling and crew simulator. OpenSimulator does not use DIS or HLA, so it is not currently able to directly interface with any simulator that uses these industry standards. Terrain data compatibility is limited by the RAW format used by OpenSimulator. Unity is able to provide the required height-map portion of the terrain while VBS2 cannot produce a compatible terrain component directly. The set of DND/CF tools that use model-based assets can, in most cases, be converted to the COLLADA format which OpenSimulator is compatible with. HumanCAD also has the ability to export model formats that can be converted to COLLADA. IPME can communicate over TCP/IP connections and so an interface to OpenSimulator could be developed. Overall, OpenSimulator is compatible with the set of DND/CF tools examined in terms of its ability to re-use 3D model content originally developed for these tools. Some compatibility exists with respect to re-use of terrain data. But there is marginal to no compatibility with respect to operating OpenSimulator using the tools studied.'' | '''Abstract:''' ''This compatibility study examines potential interoperability between OpenSimulator, a free, server-based 3D virtual world simulator, and a set of DND/CF simulation tools. Interoperability is assessed in four areas: simulation operation, terrain models, 3D models, and human factors tools. Simulation technologies assessed for compatibility are the DIS and HLA simulation protocols, the Unity game engine, the VBS2 serious game, SmartMarine 3D and SmartPlant 3D CAD applications, the HumanCAD anthropomorphic articulation simulator, and the IPME task modelling and crew simulator. OpenSimulator does not use DIS or HLA, so it is not currently able to directly interface with any simulator that uses these industry standards. Terrain data compatibility is limited by the RAW format used by OpenSimulator. Unity is able to provide the required height-map portion of the terrain while VBS2 cannot produce a compatible terrain component directly. The set of DND/CF tools that use model-based assets can, in most cases, be converted to the COLLADA format which OpenSimulator is compatible with. HumanCAD also has the ability to export model formats that can be converted to COLLADA. IPME can communicate over TCP/IP connections and so an interface to OpenSimulator could be developed. Overall, OpenSimulator is compatible with the set of DND/CF tools examined in terms of its ability to re-use 3D model content originally developed for these tools. Some compatibility exists with respect to re-use of terrain data. But there is marginal to no compatibility with respect to operating OpenSimulator using the tools studied.'' | ||
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| + | <p style="font-size: 132%; font-weight: bold;">[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292984937_Make_Large-Scale_Virtual_Training_a_Reality Make Large-Scale Virtual Training a Reality]</p> | ||
| + | Douglas Maxwell, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Human Research and Engineering Directorate, Simulation and Training Technology Center. Huaiyu Liu, Robert Adams, and Dan Lake, Intel Labs. MODSIM World 2014 | ||
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| + | '''Abstract:''' ''The Army Learning Concept 2015 identifies the Army’s need to develop adaptive, thinking soldiers and leaders capable of meeting the challenges of operational adaptability in an era of persistent conflict. In response, the U.S. Army has identified a need for scalable and flexible next generation training applications. In this paper, we present a case study of the Military Open Simulator Enterprise Strategy (MOSES) Distributed Scene Graph (DSG) Scalability Experiments. These experiments are collaborative efforts of the U.S. Army’s Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC), Intel Labs, the MOSES Community, and public participants. Intel Labs’ DSG technology, scalable virtual environment architecture, is used to support more than 100 of the global users participating in the same virtual training session. We share our findings in designing the virtual environment, the training scenarios, and in enabling the public test session. We also present the evaluation results of the MOSES DSG grid scalability performance and the resource requirements for running the experiments.'' | ||
</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
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Research Papers about OpenSimulator
A list of research papers that mention OpenSimulator.
2019
Andreia Solange Bos, Michelle Pizzato, Valter Antonio Ferreira, Madeleine Schein, Milton Antônio Zaro, Liane Tarouco. International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS) [Vol-6, Issue-8, Aug- 2019].
Abstract: This paper aims to aid in the development of interactivity in virtual worlds, especially within the context of a virtual museum that serves the purpose of introducing its visitors to computing and basic electricity. We opted for the use of software agents with instructional and interactive purposes, which were personified as intelligent avatars serving as guides to a museum. This paper presents both a virtual 3D museum about the history of computing, developed using the OpenSimulator virtual worlds platform, where its 3D modeling and development tools were used with the help of scripts, as well as the focus of the project, which is the development of software agents. For the sake of achieving the objectives of this work, a research was conducted with a case study in order to verify whether the use of an intelligent agent in a virtual world can facilitate or support in the process of teaching and learning providing knowledge about the historical part of computing. The construction of this environment, integrated with an intelligent agent named AGIMC (the Portuguese acronym for Intelligent Agent of the Museum of Computing) used the public web server pandorabots. To verify the feasibility of using the environment, a case study was carried out, which demonstrated that the use of these environments does contribute as a mean to support teaching, but there are also some technological limitations that may hinder its practical use in the educational context. An assessment was carried out with IFRS (Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul). The results obtained during the evaluation with the students met our expectations, obtaining good results and indications that the agent did support the student’s conception of knowledge in the discipline introduction to computing, despite some difficulties found in its implementation.
2018
A Review of Managment Tools for OpenSimulator
BRUNO VICENTE, FERNANDO PAIS DE SOUSA, LEONEL MORGADO, PEDRO FURTADO, JOÃO PASCOAL FARIA5.
Abstract: To host OpenSimulator virtual world servers at educational institutions, system administrators find at their disposal a diversity of webbased management systems with different sets of features. To support the selection among current management tools and provide a baseline from which to identify subsequent development needs, we installed and evaluated 4 of these systems (WiFi pages, OSMW, MWI and jOpenSim), analyzing and comparing their features. WiFi pages only provides account-management features. MWI has mostly the same features, but also provides systems administrators with the option of creating their own management website. OSMW has account-management and maintenance features, such as log management and editing of configuration files. jOpenSim provides features for account and event management and feature for generating some actions within virtual world, such as broadcasting a message to all regions. From matching the identified features with the literature-reported requirements for virtual world deployment at educational organizations, we conclude that there is no management tool that fulfils all the functional requirements reported in the literature and, therefore, that the adoption of current tools by system administrators will always require to manually perform some of the administrative tasks. We therefore call for development of novel, more encompassing administrative tools for OpenSimulator virtual worlds.
MOURDI Youssef, SADGAL Mohamed, BERRADA FATHI Wafaa, EL KABTANE Hamada of Faculty Semlalia University, Cadi Ayyad, Marrakesh, Morocco. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, Vol. 9, No. 8, 2018.
Abstract: The exponential growth of technology has contributed to the positive revolution of distance learning. Elearning is becoming increasingly used in the transfer of knowledge where instructors can model and script their courses in several formats such as files, videos and quizzes. In order to complete their courses, practical activities are very important. Several instructors have joined Multi-User Virtual World (MUVW) communities such as SecondeLife, as they offer a degree of interrelated realism and interaction between users. The modeling and scenarization of practical activities in the MUVWs remains a very difficult task considering the technologies used by these MUVWs and the necessary prerequisites. In this paper, we propose a framework for the OpenSimulator MUVWs that can simplify the scenarization of practical activities using the OpenSpace3D software and without requiring designers to have expertise in programming or coding.
2017
OpenSimulator and Unity as a Shared Development Environment
Fumikazu ISEKI, Austin TATE, Daichi MIZUMAKI, and Kohei SUZUKI.
Abstract: We developed a conversion system to load OpenSimulator Archive（.oar）files into Unity. This system allows the user to load world data jointly created in OpenSimulator into Unity on a region-by-region basis, and to ultimately output the data from Unity in a variety of formats. These features allow us to treat the pairing of OpenSimulator and Unity as a shared development environment, which simplifies the low-cost creation of 3D spatial visualization data
2016
Aspect-Oriented Architectural Style for Distributed Interactive Simulations
Arthur Rodrigo Sawazachi Valadares, University of California, Irvine, CA
Abstract: The goal of this dissertation is to expand the expressiveness of distributed simulation frameworks while reducing the technical complexity to develop integrated distributed simulations independently. This dissertation presents a novel architecture for distributed interactive simulations (DIS) called Collaborative Aspect-oriented DIS (CADIS). The architecture is divided in two frameworks called PCC and spacetime. PCC (Predicate Collection Classes) is an object-oriented programming model for representing collections of objects. These collections of objects are called relational data types – types that are reclassified based on runtime values. Relational types allows the expressiveness of queries that are common to relational databases to be defined as abstract data types. Spacetime adds automatic synchronization and recalculation of PCC data types in discrete time distributed simulations. Through a simple push, update, and pull process, simulations operate with newly reclassified objects, and any modifications are automatically pushed to the server.
Evaluation of OpenSimulator Extensibility by Designing Collaborative and Adaptive 3D Learning Object
Livia ŞTEFAN, Florica MOLDOVEANU, Alin MOLDOVEANU, Scientific Bulletin, Series C - Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vol. 78, Iss. 1, 2016
Abstract: This paper reports research results from design and implementation of several collaborative and adaptive learning objects within a 3D experimental educational simulator on OpenSimulator platform. Our methodology was to identify and apply different extensibility mechanisms of OpenSimulator that can support a flexible design and an extensible model required by an open and adaptive educational simulator. The learning objects were experimented with a small user base using different collaborative scenarios and will be further integrated into the "3DUPB" virtual campus in a Massive MultiUser Online context. The paper also discusses findings and presents conclusions and perspectives of the research.
Impact of Event Filtering on OpenSimulator Server Performance
Eugenia Gabrielova and Cristina V. Lopes, Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA
Abstract: Virtual worlds can be used to create immersive 3D teleconfer-encing and collaboration spaces. One challenge to the scalability of virtual collaboration is the unpredictable behavior of virtual world client viewers. This paper describes the result of a performance study of server optimizations in OpenSimulator, a multi-platform, 3D virtual world server. We explore the effect of server-side optimizations on mitigating client viewer instability. Our results show that filtering out insignificant events decreases server load by at least 24%, restoring it to baseline load levels.
OpenSimulator and Unity as a Shared Development Environment
Fumikazu Iseki of Tokyo Univ. of Info. Sci., Dept. of Informatics, Japan; Austin Tate of AIAI, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, UK; Daichi Mizumaki of Tokyo Univ. of Info. Sci., Dept. of Informatics, Japan; Kohei Suzuki of The Daiichi Information Systems Co., Ltd., Japan.
Abstract: We developed a conversion system to load OpenSimulator Archive (.oar) files into Unity. This system allows the user to load world data jointly created in OpenSimulator into Unity on a region-by-region basis, and to ultimately output the data from Unity in a variety of formats. These features allow us to treat the pairing of OpenSimulator and Unity as a shared development environment, which simplifies the low-cost creation of 3D spatial visualization data.
2015
On Designing and Testing Distributed Virtual Environments
Arthur Valadares, Eugenia Gabrielova, Cristina Videira Lopes of Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
Abstract: Distributed Real-Time (DRT) systems are among the most complex software systems to design, test, maintain and evolve. The existence of components distributed over a network often conflicts with real-time requirements, leading to design strategies that depend on domain- and even application-specific knowledge. Distributed Virtual Environment (DVE) systems are DRT systems that connect multiple users instantly with each other and with a shared virtual space over a network. DVE systems deviate from traditional DRT systems in the importance of the quality of the end user experience. We present an analysis of important, but challenging, issues in the design, testing and evaluation of DVE systems through the lens of experiments with a concrete DVE, OpenSimulator. We frame our observations within six dimensions of well-known design concerns: correctness, fault tolerance/prevention, scalability, time sensitivity, consistency, and overhead of distribution. Furthermore, we place our experimental work in a broader historical context, showing that these challenges are intrinsic to DVEs and suggesting lines of future research.
Scalability for virtual worlds
Raluca Diaconu, Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris VI
Abstract: Virtual worlds attract millions of users and these popular applications --supported by gigantic data centers with myriads of processors-- are routinely accessed. However, surprisingly, virtual worlds are still unable to host simultaneously more than a few hundred users in the same contiguous space.The main contribution of the thesis is Kiwano, a distributed system enabling an unlimited number of avatars to simultaneously evolve and interact in a contiguous virtual space. In Kiwano we employ the Delaunay triangulation to provide each avatar with a constant number of neighbors independently of their density or distribution. The avatar-to-avatar interactions and related computations are then bounded, allowing the system to scale. The load is constantly balanced among Kiwano's nodes which adapt and take in charge sets of avatars according to their geographic proximity.
2014
OpenSimulator Interoperability with DRDC Simulation Tools
Mark Swartz, Evan Harris of CAE Inc. Integrated Enterprise Solutions
Abstract: This compatibility study examines potential interoperability between OpenSimulator, a free, server-based 3D virtual world simulator, and a set of DND/CF simulation tools. Interoperability is assessed in four areas: simulation operation, terrain models, 3D models, and human factors tools. Simulation technologies assessed for compatibility are the DIS and HLA simulation protocols, the Unity game engine, the VBS2 serious game, SmartMarine 3D and SmartPlant 3D CAD applications, the HumanCAD anthropomorphic articulation simulator, and the IPME task modelling and crew simulator. OpenSimulator does not use DIS or HLA, so it is not currently able to directly interface with any simulator that uses these industry standards. Terrain data compatibility is limited by the RAW format used by OpenSimulator. Unity is able to provide the required height-map portion of the terrain while VBS2 cannot produce a compatible terrain component directly. The set of DND/CF tools that use model-based assets can, in most cases, be converted to the COLLADA format which OpenSimulator is compatible with. HumanCAD also has the ability to export model formats that can be converted to COLLADA. IPME can communicate over TCP/IP connections and so an interface to OpenSimulator could be developed. Overall, OpenSimulator is compatible with the set of DND/CF tools examined in terms of its ability to re-use 3D model content originally developed for these tools. Some compatibility exists with respect to re-use of terrain data. But there is marginal to no compatibility with respect to operating OpenSimulator using the tools studied.
Make Large-Scale Virtual Training a Reality
Douglas Maxwell, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Human Research and Engineering Directorate, Simulation and Training Technology Center. Huaiyu Liu, Robert Adams, and Dan Lake, Intel Labs. MODSIM World 2014
Abstract: The Army Learning Concept 2015 identifies the Army’s need to develop adaptive, thinking soldiers and leaders capable of meeting the challenges of operational adaptability in an era of persistent conflict. In response, the U.S. Army has identified a need for scalable and flexible next generation training applications. In this paper, we present a case study of the Military Open Simulator Enterprise Strategy (MOSES) Distributed Scene Graph (DSG) Scalability Experiments. These experiments are collaborative efforts of the U.S. Army’s Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC), Intel Labs, the MOSES Community, and public participants. Intel Labs’ DSG technology, scalable virtual environment architecture, is used to support more than 100 of the global users participating in the same virtual training session. We share our findings in designing the virtual environment, the training scenarios, and in enabling the public test session. We also present the evaluation results of the MOSES DSG grid scalability performance and the resource requirements for running the experiments.
2013
Adaptive Content Management for Collaborative 3D Virtual Spaces
Jarkko M. Vatjus-Anttila, Seamus Hickey, Timo Koskela of Intel and Nokia Joint Innovation Center, Center for Internet Excellence, University of Oulu, Finland. Proceedings of the 13th Conference of Fruct Association.
Abstract: Collaborative 3D virtual spaces and their services are often too heavy for a mobile device to handle. The burden of such services is divided between extensive amounts of data, which need to be downloaded prior to using the service, and the complexity of the resulting graphical rendering process. In this paper, a proxy based architecture for collaborative virtual spaces is used to manipulate graphical data demand-time to favor both network bandwidth usage and graphical rendering process. In addition, a proof of concept test is shown, regarding how the simplification process gains savings for different client device profiles, including laptops, tablets and mobile devices.
Virtual Archaeology in Second Life and OpenSimulator
Luís Miguel Sequeira and Leonel Morgado of UTAD – University of Trás-os-Montes Alto Douro
Abstract: Traditional approaches to virtual archaeology include dealing with research methods to capture information from heritage sites, creating models out of that information and how to present them to the public; these are intense technical procedures which might be too costly for some types of history or heritage-based projects. Virtual worlds allowed new types of models of/for heritage sites to be produced and disseminated at a fraction of the cost. Second Life®, and its open source counterpart, OpenSimulator, are virtual world platforms with user-generated content. 3D models are created in real time and instantly rendered for all visitors. This allows amateurs and researchers create their own virtual archaeology projects easily and with few costs, and to have the resulting models immediately available to a vast community of users. This article presents an overview of four different approaches to virtual archaeology projects that are present in these platforms and that have been publicly discussed and analyzed; in particular, the last type shows a novel approach to virtual archaeology which is not found in other platforms, and explains how researchers have managed to extend the concept to new areas and develop methodologies to incorporate the validation of historical accuracy to encompass these areas.
2012
The Design of a Contemporary Infrastructure for Scalable and Consistent Virtual Worlds
Umar Farooq, School of Computing Sciences, University of East Anglia
NOTE: Large download, 245 page PDF
Abstract: We investigate the capabilities of OpenSimulator and develop a load model that determines when to initiate a split or a merge operation. We presented an abstract framework for scalability which is implemented by building on the basic capabilities of OpenSimulator. This work is demonstrated through experiments on both Windows and Linux platforms. It obtains the same level of scalability as static configurations but with a reduced number of resources. It further proves over current dynamic approaches by transferring regions in an aggregate in turn. For evaluation purposes, we used a number of timing and system statistics. We developed significantly more efficient algorithms for removing a region from a simulator compared with the basic methods of OpenSimulator. Overall, we effectively developed a system that dynamically expands and contracts the set of servers used to support a virtual world based on load estimated by tracking the number of active players.
2011
Reality-Virtuality Fusional Campus Environment: An Online 3D Platform Based on OpenSimulator
CHE Weitao, LIN Hui, HU Mingyuan; Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China. Geo-spatial Information Science 14 (2), 144-149
Abstract: This paper presents a reality-virtual fusional campus environment. It is an online 3D platform with some aspects of real information merged together. The whole platform is based on OpenSimulator with detailed geo-models to represent the university campus. Some preliminary experiments were done to integrate the realistic information with the virtual campus for making the geo-environment not only with detailed indoor and outdoor models, but also with the real representations of the physical world. The overall motivation is to provide a framework with strong support for reality-virtuality fusional modeling in a collaborative 3D online platform for research purposes.
Geo-fence design in an online virtual geographic environment with virtual sensors
CHE Weitao1, LIN Hui; Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China. Proceedings of the 32nd Asian Conference on Remote Sensing, 716-721
Abstract: This paper describes an implementation of geo-fence in an online Virtual Geographic Environment platform, which is based on OpenSimulator with detailed geo-models to represent the real scene. Virtual sensors are used to get its position and estimate its relationships with geo-fence. Geo-fence is visualized to give the users an intuitional feeling. Some preliminary experiments were done to test the virtual sensors in the virtual environment. The overall motivation is to provide an exploration for simulating and testing sensors in a 1:1 reconstructing virtual world of the reality for research purposes
Planning of a usability test for 3D controllers in Second Life / OpenSimulator virtual worlds
Cátia Dias, Odete Fernandes, António Cunha, Leonel Morgado
Abstract: 3D interface devices are being announced as rendering virtual world navigation easier. We have prepared a usability testing framework for two such devices, SpaceNavigator and SpacePilot PRO, manufactured by 3Dconnexion. The paper summarizes the underlying concepts of usability testing and links them to the requirements of a virtual world 3D interface context. We detail the metrics to be employed and the reasoning behind their selection, and the planning which yielded the actual framework to be used for conducting the 3D interface usability tests in the Second Life virtual world.
2010
Justin Clark Casey, Kellogg College, University of Oxford
Abstract: This dissertation describes an analysis of possible architectures for an Internet scale virtual environment network. These are treated as evolutions of an existing virtual environment architecture embodied in an open source project called Open Simulator. Distributed Computing concepts and Z schemas are used to examine both the existing Open Simulator architecture and the alternative configurations.
Scaling Virtual Worlds: Simulation Requirements and Challenges
Huaiyu Liu, Mic Bowman, Robert Adams, John Hurliman, Dan Lake of Intel Labs, Intel Corporation. Proceedings of the 2010 Winter Simulation Conference.
Abstract: Virtual worlds use simulation to create a fully-immersive 3D space in which users interact and collaborate in real time. It is still a great challenge to scale virtual worlds to provide rich user experiences, high level of realism, and innovative usages. There are three unique simulation requirements in scaling virtual worlds: (1) large-scale, real time and perpetual simulations with distributed interaction, (2) simultaneous visualization for many endpoints with unique perspectives, and (3) multiple simulation engines with different operation characteristics. In this paper, we review the challenges in meeting these requirements, present the scalability barriers we observed in current virtual worlds, and discuss potential virtual world architecture and solutions to address the challenges and overcome the barriers.
2009
An Introduction to OpenSimulator and Virtual Environment Agent-Based M&S Applications
Paul A. Fishwick, Computer & Information Sci. and Eng. Dept., Bldg. CSE, Room 301, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. Proceedings of the 2009 Winter Simulation Conference.
Abstract: An “agent” in a computer simulation is an object with a dynamic model driving its actions. There are different classifications for agents, for example: autonomous, intelligent, and software. A cell within a cellular automaton might be considered an agent with the complete environment being a multi-agent system. An object containing an artificial intelligence could also be considered an agent. Our purpose is to introduce the “personal” aspect of agents through first-person perspective—by becoming one of the agents in the simulation. When a level of presence on the part of the human’s relationship to the agent is incorporated in this fashion, we must incorporate methods found typically within multi-user virtual environments. This tutorial is centered on one particular open-source, multi-user, virtual environment system called OpenSimulator (or OpenSim). We introduce OpenSim to allow the reader an opportunity for understanding how this software is used within the context of agentbased computer simulations
ScienceSim: A Virtual Environment for Collaborative Visualization and Experimentation
Intel Labs, Intel Corporation, Supercomputing 2009 Conference
Abstract: Describes a collaboration between the ACM, IEEE Computer Society, and Intel Labs to launch ScienceSim, an OpenSimulator-based collaborative environment for general simulation experiments. As part of the project Intel has launched a research initiative called Cable Beach, to build an architecture for decentralized virtual environments with multiple virtual worlds, such as ScienceSim. The goal is promote interoperability - to enable the sharing of authorization, content delivery, and services across virtual worlds, based on common web protocols.
