The AccessGrid is an integrated set of software and hardware resources that support human interaction across the grid. Its ultimate goal is to allow the interaction to be as natural and seamless as everyday, face-to-face meetings. The tools to help use approach this goal currently include multimedia display (video and sound), shared presentation and visualization tools, and the software to manage the interactions.
The AccessGrid will support large-scale distributed meetings, collaboration, lectures, training sessions, seminars, and tutorials. Its emphasis is on multiple, group-to-group interaction rather than individual or one to many interactions. In many ways, the AccessGrid (AG) provides a unique environment where people in designed interaction spaces can simultaneously interact with groups of people at many different sites at the same time.
First, let us explain what the AccessGrid is not. Imagine you are in your home or a classroom watching a video instructor on a single monitor or screen. You might even be able to see the speaker's image alternate with some presentation materials from a computer or document camera but you will only see one image at a time. Now imagine there are several rooms to which this seminar is being broadcast and you are the speaker. You will be able to see on your one screen or monitor only one of the audiences. If someone asks a question, the image might switch to that audience in time for you to see the person asking the question. However, you will not be able to see all of the audiences to gauge their interest, see if there are pending questions, or pace your presentation relative to audience response like you would if the audience was live. This is generally the situation in standard video conferencing.
Now imagine a situation where all of the audiences can see each other, the speaker, and the speaker's presentation materials all at the same time. The speaker can also see images of all of the audiences and hear any question from any audience at any time. Each of the audience rooms now becomes more of an extension of a live audience, as there is the possibility of continuous feedback among the sites. This is the situation with the AccessGrid.
Even in this situation the interaction will not be exactly like that in a seminar where all of the audience is face-to-face. However, it begins to emulate that situation to a greater degree and leaves open options to add new kinds of feedback to move towards a complete, virtual, group-to-group meeting environment.
A current list of AccessGrid Nodes can be found at http://www-fp.mcs.anl.gov/fl/accessgrid/ag-nodes.htm.