The high-speed infrastructure challenges have, for the most part, been solved. Standardization and interoperability of intelligent services are under way now. A The list of applications being used or developed by I2 members is long. A One of the most intriguing applications involves a virtual collaborative environment called the CAVE, which enables users to see, hear, and even feel an event such as a meeting or tradeshow in real time. It's a 10x10x10-foot cube, sometimes with one wall removed.
Users enter through the open wall.
A The CAVE is increasingly being used commercially, not yet over the public network infrastructure but on private network lines. Together they witnessed in real time what would happen if they altered the diameter of the vehicle's tires or tweaked the steering mechanism. And they didn't have to travel halfway around the world to do it. The next step is to take this immersive virtual reality concept to the desktop level. Already there are portable virtual-reality consoles that are being transported fairly easily to conferences and other meeting places for demonstrations.