Definition

A mobile virtual reality service (VRS) will make the presence and presentation of the sounds and sights of an actual physical environment virtually available everywhere in real time through the use of mobile telecommunication devices and networks. Furthermore, the VRS is the conversion of a physical system into its digital representation in a three-dimension (3D) multimedia format. This paper addresses one aspect of the notion of bringing an actual multimedia environment to its virtual presence everywhere in real time .

An international telecommunication union (ITC) recommendation document, containing ITU's visions on mostly forward-looking and innovative services and network capabilities, addresses the capability needed in a telecommunication system to allow mobile access to real-time sights and sounds of an actual physical environment in the contest and forms of a VRS episode .

Presently, the availability of a VRS is limited to fixed-access phenomena in non-real time , for example , entertainment machines and various simulations equipment. There are also some limited fixed-access and real-time services that require low data transmission rates, such as net meetings. In the latter case, a user can experience a limited real-life environment as opposed to the former case of a non-real-life computer-generated environment. These existing virtual reality services do not allow user control in viewing 3D environments, and they are generally limited to viewing images on a monitor in two dimensions.

The VRS-capable systems, however, will allow rather 3D representations of remote real-life environments. For instance, a passenger in a train or in a car could become a participant in a conference call in a 3D environment or become virtually present among the audience in a concert hall or sports stadium viewing a live concert or event.