The size of these displays prevents the user from being distracted by peripheral vision. Because the displays are not head-mounted, multiple users at the same site can see and converse with each other. Any updates they do to the model, the manipulation will occur at the other end in exactly the same way. So you're actually sharing the same interactive environment, not just the same model environment. When the teacher hand does anything, it over-rides the student hand.
Transmission is over the Internet.
While the technology is currently expensive, Silverstein is optimistic that prices will come down as demand for such systems grow. A commercial model of the technology has already been developed and units have been sold to more than 70 universities. The capability of real time synchronous usage makes tele-immersion an ideal tool for medical education. In some areas of specialization, expert knowledge is limited to a small number of individuals. Virtual classrooms would enable such individuals to spread their knowledge far and wide, so that teacher-student interaction would not be limited to those in close geographical proximity to the expert.