This research investigates an infrastructure to enable multiple users to collaborative on one or more software applications projected on a large display. Multiuser collaboration is an important element for ground operations of planetary rover and lander missions. During the missions, scientists need to meet often to plan science activities. The multiuser collaboration infrastructure allows them to visualize science data, select targets, generate command sequence using the planning tools being displayed on a large screen simultaneously. The infrastructure includes (1) human-computer interaction techniques to ensure natural, responsive, and accurate inputs, (2) communications protocol to ensure reliable and efficient coordinations of multimodal input devices and host computers, and (3) application-independent middleware that maintains the states and sessions, and supports interactions between individual users and the software applications. The application-independent middleware supports multiuser collaboration on commercial and custom applications running under both the Unix and Windows platforms. POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS Design reviews, brainstorming sessions, and organization meetings, are often conducted with a software application projected to a large screen to facilitate the discussion. The software could be a PowerPoint presentation application or other design tools. The resulting technologies will enable the attendees to interact with the software application simultaneously, using the handhelds or laptops they often bring to the meetings, from anywhere in the room without leaving their seats. The technologies can also be extended to remotely control all different things, such as medical devices and home appliances
