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Jaque Davison has used virtual world technology to build an Infosphere – a dense, 3D structure of information that allows anyone to easily access the research they need about Africa. Whether it's pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia or the spread of AIDS across the continent, a simple glance through the window of Africa InfoSphere reveals the answer. Also read about how virtual worlds are helping Canadian businesses derive real world advantages.

The year of work expended to create this world has had some visually stunning results. - Page 1

Businesses get real benefits from virtual worlds. - Page 2

Using virtual worlds to apply for a public sector job in the real world. - Page 3

By Brian Jackson

Jaque Davison is a military man with two passions he indulges in his spare time – playing the harp and exploring virtual worlds.

Today he has combined those two interests to create an online portal that enables users to easily access information about Africa that's presented in an interesting way.

With 27 years experience in 3D construction and virtual worlds . it was natural for Jaque to build an entire world around the instrument he loved to play - the harp.

So using the virtual worlds system of Las Vegas-based Activeworlds Inc., he created a small world dubbed -- surprise, surprise -- “Harps.”

It was a simple "world", with signs pointing to information about harps on the Web, organized by colour and stacked one atop the other, in concentric circles around a sphere-shaped room.

The set up enabled anyone interested to quickly see a huge wealth of information available about the harp.

“I had a campus built with signs that pointed to subject-related Web links,” Davison says. “Before I knew it, there was a community of people coming in to use the world and also adding their own signs to resources I hadn't found yet.”

That's when an army buddy of Davison's suggested taking the concept and applying it to other subject areas. The two turned their attention to Africa and the type of information that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) would need to better plan their work in the continent, and coordinate their efforts. The result was the Africa Infosphere, a densely organized and complex presentation of information in a virtual reality situation room.

“I've been in the army about 20 years and spent a lot of time in war rooms,” Davison says. “I'm familiar with trying to bring a lot of information to a decision maker, using a set of indications and warnings.”

Davison says his work on Africa Infosphere is not related to his role in the military, but is a project of his own volition.

Be that as it may, the year of work expended to create this world has had some visually stunning results.

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