A Hybrid Web-Based Toolkit for Human Modeling

Abstract

Modern web-based Scientific Visualization applications try to overcome common limitations imposed by limited internet bandwidth, server bottlenecks or network latency. A further aspect is the desire to gain platform independence by solely using instruments which are platform independent by conception: the programming language Java, the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), or the 3D API Java3D.We present a prototype of a hybrid web-based Scientific Visualization system which makes use of the increasing computational power of modern desktop workstations and personal computers on the client side, and the superior performance provided by a powerful machine on the server side. In order to achieve high interaction rates and to balance computational load the user can dynamically assign selected tasks to his client or to the server.Within the scientific field of human modeling we have implemented a hybrid web-based toolkit for the modeling of human muscles and skin. Our application allows the on-line generation and manipulation of three-dimensional implicit muscle models in a heterogeneous network and it offers various parameters to adjust computation and response time versus rendering quality.