Technical Possibilities of Cloud-Based Virtual Reality Implementing Software as a Service for Online Collaboration in Urban Planning

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the technical possibilities of cloud-based virtual reality (cloud-based VR) computing tools for online collaboration in urban planning and design. We first create a digital asset representing our design proposal of a pedestrian bridge in Shibuya, Tokyo. A platform for cloud-based VR technology, i.e., a VR-Cloud server, is used to open the VR dataset to public collaboration over the Internet. The digital asset representing the design scheme of our pedestrian bridge includes buildings, roads, trees and street furniture for the entire urban area. The vehicles and people are designed and inputted into the virtual world of the urban area, in which they run and walk with predefined behaviour scenarios. Users share the VR world by accessing the VR-Cloud servers from remote clients, using cloud communication software to review vehicle and pedestrian crowd simulations and discuss the design concepts. Meanwhile, we compare the advantages and disadvantages of three cloud-based VR tools on their technical support for net collaboration: 1) VR-Cloud; 2) Google Earth; and 3) 3DVIA.