Joint Research (Type IV)
Preparatory Research Concerning Remote International Training Aiming at
Building a Resilient Society Adaptable to Extreme Weather Conditions
Project Leader: TAKARA, Kaoru, Disaster Prevention Research Institute,
Kyoto University
(Term:2010 - 2011)
- Joint Seminars in 2010 - 2011 Fiscal Year
- Outline of Joint Research
- This research is a feasibility study aiming at a comprehensive evaluation
of the next generation remote conference system used for the international
training program of UNESCO-IHP (International Hydrological Program).
- Purpose of Joint Research
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In order to strengthen the quality of international collaborative research
in Asia, it is necessary to provide an infrastructure for daily-basis research
communication among research sites that are geographically scattered throughout
Asia. Nevertheless, communication tools such as conventional remote conference
connections are costly to maintain. This research therefore aims at evaluating
how to best use the next generation remote conference system comprehensively
in a situation of research communication. This remote conference system
provides a direct connection between a technical training program and the
participant’s personal computers around the world, so that participants
can easily access lectures or meetings along with training materials.
- This next generation remote conference system allows remote meetings and
training without any special equipped conference room or any travel cost.
Participants are individually directly connected to a virtual communication
site, allowing for a more active participation than through a conventional
room-based meeting system.
- How can such theoretical differences change the user’s experience? What
are the benefits and drawbacks of this particular remote conference system
in terms of economic efficiency, flexibility and technological availability?
Through such an evaluation, we can determine how we can best use this technology
as a communication infrastructure for international collaborative research.
- Outline of Result
- The result was far better than expected. This next generation of remote conference system allows remote training without any specially equipped conference room or any travel costs. Individual participants are directly connected to a virtual communication site, allowing a more active participation than through a conventional room-based meeting system. The user’s experience of “taking part in the meeting” is greatly improved and thus becomes a more positive one.
For example, participants are not a “one in a connected site”, but every
participant are directly connected to the virtual meeting room with computer
screen, at the same level than the presenter.
This represents a huge advantage, allowing participants a more active participation to the meeting. However, a few difficulties remain in the case of some on-hands training such as computer-based programming for numerical modeling, due to instability issues of real-time screen-sharing from the host.
This new generation system also allows the full use of a variety of media
such as voice + presentation materials, video + presentation materials
with text/voice/video feedbacks from participants sites, real-time Q&A,
polling, file download, recording whole training session in a click, etc.
On a flexibility and technological availability point of view, the next
generation remote conference system needs a single operator, no firewall
configuration, no bandwidth reserving, no special room or equipments, which
conventional conference systems normally requires. Other advantages are
: each “virtual meeting room” can host a large number of sites, the bandwidth
adjustment is automatic, just 1/10 internet speed (bandwidth) is enough
to have the same (or higher) quality as a video meeting. Low bandwidth
and no special equipment needed means greater availability of the meeting
especially in areas with poor internet connections and without equipments
or specialists.
Instant recording function allows recording the whole session as is, and
offers playback anytime after the meeting.
Combinations of these flexibilities and wider availability with easy operation literally revolutionize the practice of video meeting. Such virtual meeting rooms are available at prices as low as $1,000 per year (from 3 rooms minimum). Since the system is an “on the web” service, an updated new system is always available automatically without the hassle of maintaining physical machines or purchasing a new system. Due to these facts, this new-generation system also presents significant economical advantages.
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