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This paper introduces a spatial model of interaction which aims to support groups of people in using their natural communication skills in distributed virtual environments. First, we outline our motivation for undertaking this work in terms of the social significance of space in supporting co-operative work. Next, we summarise the model's main concepts, namely aura, awareness, focus, nimbus, adapters and boundaries. Following this, we describe routes to implementing the model. The first is an approach suited to realising the model as an application of existing VR platforms. The second is a general implementation of the model, based on its own specially tailored distributed architecture. Finally, we present our initial observations from use in the laboratory setting and outline issues for future work. 2 1

This paper explores the issue of user embodiment within collaborative virtual environments. By user embodiment we mean the provision of users with appropriate body images so as to represent them to others and also to themselves. By collaborative virtual environments we mean multi-user virtual reality systems which explicitly support cooperative work (although we argue that the results of our exploration may also be applied to other kinds of collaborative system). The main part of the paper identifies a list of embodiment design issues grouped by the general themes of personal representation, conveying activity, embodiment in heterogeneous systems, embodiment of agents, and ethical issues. These issues are illustrated with examples from our own DIVE and MASSIVE collaborative virtual environments. The paper also uses this set of issues as an analytical framework for comparing a number of other communication technologies.

In a distributed shared synthetic environment with provisions for high quality 3D visualization and interaction, it is possible to implement a powerful variant of a roomslspace metaphor based on the concept of presence or proximity between participants in 3D space. This kind of model can be used as an interface between the user and the computer, for overview and control of applications, tile systems, networks and ofher computer resources, as well as for communication and collaboration with other users in the networked environment. We model proximity with a geometric volume of the immediate surroundings, [he aura, of the participant's representation in the synthetic environment. This proximity, or aura, is used to establish presence at meetings, to establish communication charnels and to provide interaction.