A Spatial Model of Cooperation for Virtual Worlds

Virtual world metaphors are becoming increasingly popular as a basis for collaborative systems (i.e. Groupware and Computer Supported Cooperative Work). This paper describes how such metaphors might be extended to support communication on a large scale through the introduction of a spatial model for meditating interaction in virtual computer spaces. Key concepts from the model are introduced and are then defined in terms of an abstract mathematical framework. The paper then outlines how this framework might be applied to a diverse range of technologies. As a next step, the combination of rooms into larger virtual structures is considered resulting in proposals for structuring, navigating and mapping a large virtual cyberspace for cooperation. Finally, the paper describes the current CyCo prototype at Nottingham.