Integrating WebRTC and X3DOM: bridging the gap between communications and graphics

In recent years, with the emergence of HTML5, the Web has managed to evolve from an Internet application for information announcement and exchange to a toolkit provided for pervasive, ubiquitous and collaborative services. In this context, the Web can ultimately provide Real-Time Communication (RTC) services between browsers via the Internet. WebRTC is the standardized project that provides browsers and mobile applications with RTC capabilities via simple JavaScript APIs. This opens new horizons in web-based applications such as capabilities for online gaming, support for complicated 3D graphics in real-time, video-conferencing, exchanging of text messages, immersive technology, etc. In this paper, we introduce the integration of WebRTC capabilities within virtual 3D worlds and present several implementations that bridge WebRTC and X3DOM technologies. In the applications we have developed, virtual 3D collaborative environments are provided for the cooperation of web peers at real time, while they are able to manipulate a 3D scene without the use of plugins. In this context, an online educational game and an immersive conference tool supporting all types of real-time communication such as video chat, text messaging and the use of social media, both using WebRTC over X3DOM, are presented and thoroughly discussed.