Several researchers have successfully developed realistic models of real world objects/ phenomena and then have simulated them in the virtual world. In this thesis, we propose the opposite: instantiating virtual world events in the real world. The interactive 3D virtual environment provides a useful, realistic 3D world that resembles objects/phenomena of a real world, but it has limited capability to communicate with the physical environment. We argue that new and intuitive 3D user interfaces, such as 3D virtual environment interfaces, may provide an alternative form of media for communicating with the real environment. We propose a 3D virtual world-based add-on architecture that achieves a synchronized virtual-real communication. In this framework, we explored the possibilities of integrating haptic and real world object interactions with Linden Lab's multiuser online 3D virtual world, Second Life. We enhanced the open source Second Life viewer client in order to facilitate communications between the real and virtual world. Moreover, we analyzed the suitability of such an approach in terms of user perception, intuition and other common parameters. Our experiments suggest that the proposed approach not only demonstrates a more intuitive mode of communication system, but also is appealing and useful to the user. Some of the potential applications of the proposed approach include remote child-care, communication between distant lovers, stress recovery, and home automation.

Virtual worlds provide a way to simulate face-to-face meetings via three dimensional environments where users can meet and communicate through avatars, or their graphical and customized online alter egos. Unfortunately, minimal research exists into the application of virtual worlds on virtual teams for real project management success. This is a concern because virtual worlds can restore the visual cues that foster trust but their avatars' identities may diverge from their owners', thus potentially undermining that trust. Since virtual team members may never physically meet, it is unclear how this will affect virtual team member trust and project success when avatars are used for project communication. This qualitative study assessed whether the authentic projection of an owner's identity via their avatar is an antecedent of team trust. It presented a theoretical model that depicts the impact of virtual team trust on the ability of project managers to leverage the enhanced delivery opportunities virtual worlds provide and the impacts of team member comfort with the virtual world medium and their attitudes toward others' avatar designs on virtual team trust.

The diploma thesis deals with the virtual world Second Life and in particular with its economic environment. The work describes and suggests business opportunities in the virtual world. It is concerned with education possibilities and proposes its realization. These suggestions also contain an actual enumeration of individual costs and their height.

The content of this thesis is to describe process of developing computer game and presentation of Unity3D game engine. Acquisition of knowledge is used to create simple application for PC. The first chapter of this thesis deals with describing proces sof komputer games developing, Unity3D game egnine and its Integrated Development Enviroment, known as Unity Editor is described in the sekond charter with other programs, uset to creating sample application. Last chapter deals with describing creation of application via using techniques and software, which are described in first two chapters.

E-commerce and transactions in virtual worlds has monetary value and may lead to actual cash flows. Where real money trade occurs tax authorities are bound to seek ways and means in which to levy and collect taxes (Pienaar, 2008:38). Previous research on the application of the South African income tax laws to transactions in virtual worlds has been conducted. The application of the charging section of the value added tax laws in South Africa has also been researched in the context of e-commerce and transactions in virtual worlds. Limited research has been conducted on the actual value added tax collection methods in the context of e-commerce and transactions in virtual worlds. This study critically analyses the value added tax collection methods employed in South Africa in the context of ecommerce and transactions in virtual worlds and compares the extent of its application to the extent of the goods and services tax collection methods’ application employed in Australia in this context. The study concludes that that the value added tax collection methods employed in South Africa and the goods and services tax collection methods employed in Australia are similar. Special rules have been adopted in Australia to ensure goods and service taxes are collected on the supply electronic goods. This is not the case in South Africa. However, in the case of transactions in virtual worlds, both countries’ collection methods struggle in ensuring value added tax and goods and service taxes is collected where the supplier of a virtual item is foreign in relation to South Africa or Australia. AFRIKAANS : E-commerce en transaksies in virtuele wêrelde het monetêre waarde en mag in sekere omstandighede kontantvloeie tot gevolg bring. Wanneer regte geld verhandel word sal belasting owerhede altyd maniere soek om belasting the hef op die onderliggende transaksies en dit in te vorder (Pienaar, 2008:38). Vorige navorsing rakende die toepassing van die Suid Afrikaanse inkomste belasting wetgewing in virtuele wêrelde is al voorheen gedoen. The toepassing van die heffings artikel in the belasting op toegevoegde waarde (BTW) wetgewing op e-commerce en transaksies in virtuele wêrelde was ook al vorheen nagevors. Min navorsing was gevind wat aleenlik fokus op die invorderings meganismes in die BTW wetgewing in die konteks van transaksies in virtuele wêrelde en e-commerce. Hierdie studie analiseer krities die toepassing van die invorderings meganismes in die Suid Afrikaanse BTW wetgewing in die konteks van e-commerce en transaksies in virtuele wêrelde en vergelyk die toepassing daarvan met die toepassing van die Australiaanse goods and services tax wetgewing se invorderings meganismes in dieselfde konteks. Die studie lig uit dat die twee lande se invorderings meganismes baie dieselfde is. The Australiaanse wetgewing maak egter spesiale voorsiening vir lewerings met betrekking tot e-commerce. Dit is nie die geval in Suid Afrika nie. Met betrekking tot transaksies in virtuele wêrelde sukkel beide lande se invorerings meganismes om seker maak dat BTW en goods and services tax ingevorder word waar die verskaffer nie Suid Afrikaans of Australiaans is nie. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Taxation / unrestricted

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This thesis explores economic aspects of virtual worlds by focusing on a specific massively multiplayer online role-playing game, RuneScape. In particular, it examines the similarities and differences between the virtual economics and real world economics, the economic understanding of RuneScape players and the possibility of using virtual worlds as a laboratory for testing economic behavior and theory. This thesis uses a versatile methodology that includes texts, direct observation, self-reports, and other reports to investigate the research questions. Virtual economics in general and RuneScape in specific are understudied so far and this study fills a gap in the literature. The unique contributions of this thesis are: a comprehensive survey that reveals player perceptions of economics, a new equation useful for modeling money supply, and a new use of faucet-drain economy in massively multiplayer online games. The results indicate that virtual economics of RuneScape partially reflects real world economics, player perceptions of virtual and real world economy are surprisingly complex, and virtual worlds can be used to study real world economics. Game developers, players, economists, educators, researchers, and individuals who are interested in massively multiplayer online games and economy in general can benefit from this study.

Title: Level of Detail AI: a prototype of a large virtual world Author: David Skupien Department: Department of Software and Computer Science Education Supervisor: Mgr. Cyril Brom, Ph.D. Abstract: The Level Of Detail technique (LOD) is an established means of optimization in computer graphics. It uses the limitations of human perception to spare system resources. Progressively, this approach has found its use in artificial intelligence. This adaptation, commonly known as LOD AI, is used to optimize autonomous agent control in large virval worlds. This thesis consists of two parts. The first part deals with standing LOD AI uses, mostly focusing on the IVE project. The second part directly uses the IVE project to implement a LOD AI game using the LOD based reactive planning algorithm called S-GHRP over the ISMA representation. The above game is then tested on respondents to verify the practical usability of S-GHRP/ISMA. In its conclusion, this thesis briefly ponders the possibilities of further development of techniques used in the IVE project, based on previous findings. Keywords: artificial intelligence, LOD AI, virtual agent, large virtual world, IVE

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-04T20:04:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 29 / Nenhuma / Esta dissertação, que teve como foco de investigação o Emocionar em mundos digitais virtuais em 3 dimensões – MDV3D, consiste no estudo teórico embasado, principalmente, na Teoria da Biologia do Conhecer de autoria de Humberto Maturana e Francisco Varela, articulada à interação dos adolescentes no Metaverso Second Life. Por um período de 5 semanas, com seis encontros, totalizando 20 horas, adolescentes do PEI – Projeto Esporte Integrado – da Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos – UNISINOS, viveram e conviveram no Second Life com a proposta de conhecer e explorar MDV3D. O objetivo central desta investigação consistiu em compreender como os adolescentes representam o Emocionar, ao interagir nos MDV3D-SL, e como este se constitui enquanto ambiente provocador de aprendizagens, para a partir dessa análise buscar elementos de forma a propiciar o desenvolvimento de práticas pedagógicas inovadoras. A pesquisa é de natureza exploratória qualitativa cuja metodologia adotada, foi a estudo de caso. Os instrumentos / This dissertation, which focuses on Emotions in three-dimensional virtual digital worlds (3DVDW), consists of a theoretical study mainly based on the ideas presented by Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela, in their Biology of Knowledge, articulated to adolescents’ interactions within the Second Life Metaverse (SL). During a period of 5 weeks, totallizing 6 meetings and 20 hours, adolescents who participate in the ISP - Integrated Sports Project - implemented by Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS, lived and interacted within Second Life with the aim of getting to know and explore this 3DVDW. The main objective of this investigation was to understand how these adolescents represented Emotions, while interacting in the 3DVDW, and how this world acted as a learning-provoking environment. During such an analysis, elements to develop innovative pedagogic practices were sought. The investigation has a qualitative exploratory nature and consisted of a case-study. Data collection instruments were: que

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