Interac table Topographical Map with Remote Cross Reality Collaboration Support

An Interac table Topographical Map (ITM) is a generalization of the modern GPS-based applications, such as the Google Maps. In the case of an ITM system, the pinpointing, tracking, and augmenting of relevant information are presented on approximated 3D geographical terrains instead of 2D maps. Similar to GPS-based maps, an ITM system can support pre-planned journeys or explorations by augmenting appropriate journey information such as path and time to destination, traveling speed and direction. In contrast to traveling through urban traffics, an ITM system is better served as the guide or reference for journeying through undeveloped terrains. Such journeys are often required for missions into these regions, often critical and sometimes dangerous such as fighting forest fires, or search and rescues. The planning of such operations often involves the collaboration of various disciplinary experts and frontline personnel who may be distributed geographically. Additionally, especially for frontline personnel who must execute the potentially dangerous missions, the ability to be immersed in the actual 3D environment can be essential. This paper examines existing ITM systems, derives a design guideline, and discusses a prototype implementation that supports the collaboration of remote users across reality boundaries, i.e., users configured with distinct reality configurations, e.g., PC users and VR users. Though only an initial step, the delivered system demonstrated interesting potentials and insights.