VideoWhiteboard: Video Shadows to Support Remote Collaboration

VideoWhiteboard is a prototype tool to support remote shared drawing activity. It provides a whiteboard-sized shared drawing space for collaborators who are located in remote sites. It allows each user to see the drawings and a shadow of the gestures of collaborators at the remote site. The development of VideoWhiteboard is based on empirical studies of collaborative drawing activity, including experiences in using the VideoDraw shared drawing prototype. VideoWhiteboard enables remote collaborators to work together much as if they were sharing a whiteboard, and in some ways allows them to work together even more closely than if they were in the same room.