A Collaboration Framework
One application, Remote Stereo Viewer (RSV), provides on-demand access to large, multi-dimensional image sets of anatomical subjects. Learners navigate through the image set in an unpredictable way and view only a small fraction of the total image set as a part of an interactive activity. Consequently, the application transports individual images in very high bandwidth short bursts (generally a fraction of the roundtrip time)
The RSV application supports the formation of a group of learners through the following process. (1) The RSV server announces its ability to provide access to an anatomy image set. The registration server receives this announcement. (2) A learner, through the web interface, queries for active RSV channels. (3) The learner selects the link for one of the advertised image sets. The RSV client is automatically launched and connected to the RSV server for the image set. The learner can now interact with the anatomy image set. (4) The learner indicates a desire to collaborate with other learners and the client begins announcing a collaboration channel. (5) A second learner finds the collaboration channel through the web interface and selects the link. This automatically launches the RSV client on the second learner's computer which now connects to the image set server as well as to to the multicast address used for communication with the first client. Actions of the first learner are now seen by the second learner. Continuing this one step further, (6) either client can query the registration server and discover the existence of other services, such as, a label set server for the image set being viewed.