Welcome to the Panopticon:


A Dream Building:

a Diagram of a Mechanism of Learning.

A multi-user collaborative VRMl learning environment. These web pages map the development of the Panopticon, an OnLine collaborative learning environment that integrates a variety of internet technologies, including RTC, video conferencing, and photo-realistic VR (QTVR and 'RealVR'), within a multi-user VRML environment or MUSE (Multi-User Simulation Environment).

The Panopticon is designed to support members of the CAiiA-STAR OnLine integrated research programme, and participants enrolled on Masters level short courses drawn from the 'New Media' industries (including; digital TV, Interactive Media developers, electronic publishing, Information Architects, etc).

The project will ultimately deliver a number of OnLine VRML spaces/places and software tools that will allow participants to collaboratively create their own 'haptic' learning sub-environments within the overall architecture of the project.

This site represents the top layer of the project, and explains the context, the design process, and demonstrats some of the environments and techniques explored. For assistance with navigation of this site select INFO. For further information and registration for the project select OnLine.

Enjoy your visit to the Panopticon.