Immerse whiteboards in a networked collaborative environment

An immersive whiteboard system is presented in a networked collaborative environment where users at multiple locations can communicate with each other. The immersive system consists of five major components: the network, the virtual environment, the avatar representation, the multimedia objects, and the shared whiteboards. The virtual environment is shared among multiple networked users and allows each user to interact independently with the world. The avatar is used to represent each user in the immersive environment and conveys its user identity and facial expressions to the world. The shared whiteboards provide a medium for communication using handwritten inputs, as well as a desirable interface for navigation and mouse control. The goal of this immersive system is to provide a convenient environment for participants to interact with each other. The system is suitable for distance learning and conferencing applications because it uses the whiteboard interface and provides a user avatar representation for any virtual environment.