Run-time reconfiguration in VR Juggler

Most current virtual reality system designs use an overly static method of configuration. The configuration is specified in advance and once an application has started running in the system, it is not possible to change the its initial setup. This limits the abilities of the VR system to adapt to runtime changes and recover from system failures. The VR Juggler virtual reality development environment has been designed from its inception to be dynamic at run-time. VR Juggler allows components to be configured and replaced at run-time while allowing applications to execute transparently. This paper presents the motivation for the need for run-time reconfiguration and describes VR Juggler’s implementation of such a system.