Active World virtual appliance-what is it actually?

Question

My group has to do a project on active world virtual appliance as a classroom enviroment. I've done some research on it but still dont understand it- any suggestions?

Answer 1

You may know more about it than I do, but from what I see on their web site, they have created a computer program that provides a background and working environment that operates over the internet to allow people, represented as avatars, to interact. If it functions as I would expect, it should allow creation of special environments, such as the moon, Mars or underwater that allow students to do experiments as if they were there. It could also use equipment that could not be brought to a school, such as cranes, bulldozers, etc.
In a simple sense, it is like a computer model that puts a spot on the screen and you set the gravity, set the mass, and hit it with a force and see how far it goes on the screen which is determined by formulas for movement (F=MA) and gravitational falling. Instead of the student manipulating the program variables directly, the world is presented as a realistic graphic display in which objects of different weight are discovered (say in a cabinet) or delivered (matter transporter or synthesizer) and used. The computer follows real world rules.
Depending on the complexity of the world, it might be possible to build towers until they collapse, bridges that sag, etc. In any given world, there is usually some limit to the calculations, for example, I found on the internet a demonstration of a program that would allow objects to bounce off the wall and float in a pool with real looking waves and proper sinking to floating point. But when I asked about changing the viscosity of the liquid, say to that of motor oil or alcohol, that wasn't in the program. I blow glass as a hobby and when I looked at the modeling of gathering molten glass, keeping it on the pipe by turning while the viscosity changes as it cools, etc., it quickly became obvious that great computing power would be required. See the second source.
[Later: I went and downloaded the Active Worlds browser. Neat!]

Answer 2

So, to my understanding, you do not know what A W V A is? Every, Nobody on the planet of IZ knows what A W V A is.

Well I suppose you could call it a satellite maybe? or maybe a hair dryer??