Bootnap Ideal Groupware Test System

• Easy natural interaction for the participants. This includes both the ability to use face-to-face like mutual drawing and pointing, but also extra features which the computer can provide, such as erasing, and moving (potentially structured) objects on the screen.
• Easy analysis of the interaction: preferably some logging playback facility that will allow an analyst to step through the interaction.
• natural interaction with a computational agent that can play the part of one of the participants. Ideally, the user would get the same interface whether interacting with another user or a machine partner. This has some obvious conflicts with the first criteria,...

In particular, we would like a system or compound set of systems which provide the following collaborative environment:

1. A 2-way audio connection for real-time speech
2. A whiteboard which allows:
   1. Manipulable objects rather than bitmaps. Users can:
      1. move objects
      2. change objects
      3. erase objects
   2. Public Drawings:
      1. visibile to both collaborators
      2. both collaborators can manipulate the drawings
   3. Pointers visible to both parties
      1. Preferably without having to add a permanent mark
      2. Preferably visible at all times
   4. Typing text at user specified locations
   5. Importing of outside data
      1. Text
      2. Bitmaps
      3. Postscript
      4. Manipulable objects
   6. An Undo feature
   7. Compound objects built up from simpler objects
   8. Stamps, icons, or pre-formulated compound objects
   9. Open-ended augmentation (so we can also provide extra features if needed)
3. Special-purpose domain dependant interactions with domain objects or simulators

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