The concept of collaborative virtual prototyping environments (CVPEs) has emerged under the push of technology development. On the one side, it opens a new horizon in global product realisation for the industry and, on the other side, it raises many heavy issues for the developers of advanced design support systems. A CVPE is a holonomic system based on technologies such as (a) distributed grid computing, (b) advanced modelling and real-time simulation, (c) multi-site imagining and advanced interaction, (d) high-speed communication and multi-channel networking, (e) collaboration support and virtual presence, (f) knowledge asset management, and (e) interface to virtual enterprises technologies. Nevertheless, a practical CVPE is much more than just a mixture of pertinent technologies. It also involves functional, methodological, implementation, use, trade-off operational, and social aspects. This paper makes an effort to explore what the foundational technologies do or do not support and which functional and methodological issues are waiting for solutions.
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