OpenQwaq

OpenQwaq

Developer(s)	Alan Kay, David Smith, Andreas Raab, David Reed, Community source
Initial release	2011
Development status	Release
Written in	Squeak-Smalltalk
Operating system	Mac OS, Windows, Linux
Available in	English
Type	Virtual workspaces, video conferencing, collaboration
License	GNU GPL v2
Website	code.google.com/p/openqwaq/

OpenQwaq is open source computer software for immersive collaboration, which enables organizations to implement online 3D virtual world workspaces for their specific needs. OpenQwaq is based on the Teleplace technology, a conferencing platform that has been in the market since 2007, with the name Qwaq Forums until 2009.

History

Both OpenQwaq and Teleplace are based on the Squeak open source implementation of Smalltalk and the Croquet Project. The main developers of this family of technologies include Alan Kay, David Smith, Andreas Raab and David Reed, whose 1978 doctoral thesis on naming and synchronizations in a decentralized computer system introduced many of the main concepts.^[1][2]

Teleplace

Teleplace virtual workspaces are used by companies, universities, organizations and U.S. government agencies, such as the Air Force, Army, Navy and Department of Veterans Affairs ^[3] for training and collaboration, have applications to telepresence based e-learning,^[4] and have been used for popular interactive online technology talks.^[5][6]

Initial release

OpenQwaq was announced on the Teleplace blog and other IT news sites in May 2011.^{[7][8][9][10]}

The initial release of OpenQwaq was functionally equivalent to Teleplace with the exception of the video subsystem used for webcam videoconferencing, video playback and session recording, because the proprietary video codecs used in Teleplace could not be included as open source. Developers have then integrated in OpenQwaq the open source video and audio codecs used in the VLC media player. Following a standard open source technology business model, companies offering value added OpenQwaq hosting and consulting services have been formed.^[11]

Features

• VOIP
• Fully Interactive Applications
  • Document

Spreadsheet

Presentations

PDF

Whiteboard

Firefox Web Browser

• Avatar

Simple

Allows for custom face image and badge

Allows Web Cam to be displayed as face

Animated Avatar

OGRE 24 bone

Supports Biovision Hierarchy (BVH) animations

Balloon Head

With string!

• Webcams
• Digital video recording
• Webcasting
• Sound files
• Python Scripting of 2d applications and 3d objects
• Meeting controls
• Drag and drop 3D objects

Google Earth (kmz)

Collada (obj)

VRML (wrl)

3ds Max (ase)

Uses

The teleXLR8 project, an online talk program previously based on Teleplace,^[12] will restart in August 2011 on OpenQwaq ^[13].

See also

• Open Cobalt – another open source collaboration application based on the Croquet Project

References

1. ^ Marcus Fix (Nov 8, 2010). "Naming and synchronizations in a decentralized computer system by David P. Reed". http://deeprecursion.com/naming-and-synchronization-in-a-decentralized. 
2. ^ Croquet 1.0 SDK Manual
3. ^ "USDA Awards Contract for Teleplace as a vGov Virtual World Platform". http://www.hpcwire.com/ar/hpccloud/2010-05-12/usda_awards_contract_for_teleplace_as_a_vgov_virtual_world_platform/. 
4. ^ "Telepresence Education for a Smarter World". http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/prisco20100528/. 
5. ^ "Separating Hope From Hype In Quantum Computing". http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/10/09/07/1344210/Separating-Hope-From-Hype-In-Quantum-Computing. 
6. ^ "Carboncopies–Realistic Routes to Substrate-Independent Minds". http://www.kurzweilai.net/carboncopies-realistic-routes-to-substrate-independent-minds. 
7. ^ "Moving Immersive Collaboration Forward". http://teleplace.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/moving-immersive-collaboration-forward/. 
8. ^ "Teleplace open sources OpenQwaq". http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2011/05/teleplace-open-sources-openqwaq/. 
9. ^ "Why Teleplace went open source". http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2011/05/why-teleplace-went-open-source/. 
10. ^ "OpenQwaq Open Source Project Provides Virtual Workspaces for Collaboration". http://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/05/05/openqwaq-open-source-project-provides-virtual-workspaces-for-collaboration.aspx. 
11. ^ "3d Immersive Collaboration Consulting". http://3dicc.com. 
12. ^ "TeleXLR8 wants to be the "TED" for virtual worlds". http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2010/10/telexlr8-wants-to-be-the-ted-for-virtual-worlds/. 
13. ^ "teleXLR8 returns, featuring quantum physicist Gildert on ‘Hack the Multiverse!’". http://www.kurzweilai.net/telexlr8-returns-featuring-quantum-physicist-gildert-on-hack-the-multiverse. 

External links

• OpenQwaq main website on Google Code
• OpenQwaq mailing list
• Teleplace website
• 3d Immersive Collaboration Consulting – an OpenQwaq consultant
• teleXLR8 – a telepresence community for cultural acceleration that uses OpenQwaq
• Reed, David P. (Oct 1, 1978), Naming and Synchronization in a Decentralized Computer System, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, http://publications.csail.mit.edu/lcs/specpub.php?id=773