Databases Reference
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A New Database Technology for
Cyberspace Applications
Yoshifumi Masunaga
Department of Information Science, Ochanomizu University
Chiemi Watanabe
Ayumi Ohsugi
Kozue Satoh
Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University
ABSTRACT
In this study, we introduce a virtual world database system called “VWDB,” which is
currently under development at Ochanomizu University with the aim of creating a
new generation database system for the cyberspace age. The system is constructed by
integrating a virtual reality system and an object-oriented database system. In this
paper, a VWDB prototype system architecture, a VWDB database schema definition
language, and a VWDB data manipulation language are described. In particular, the
design and implementation of the VWDB multi-modal data manipulation language is
introduced, since the VWDB provides a virtual world as the user's database interface.
It is natural to support a multi-modal database language so that users can interact
with the VWDB database by means of gesture and voice. An automata-based approach
is described for designing and implementing the multi-modal language.
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Introduction
Traditional database systems such as relational or object-oriented database systems
are weak in terms of supporting new database applications such as those in
cyberspace. For instance, a “virtual shopping mall” with a database function such
as a query and update capability cannot be constructed using a relational database
system because the SQL interface is not intended to account for cyberspace
applications. On the other hand, virtual reality (VR) systems are used to develop
a variety of advanced cyberspace applications. For instance, a virtual world and a
(distributed) virtual environment can be synthesized by using a virtual world
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