INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICAL ECONOMICS

ARTUS: The Adaptable Round Table with a User-specific Surface

Matthias G. Raith, Helge Wilker

Working-Paper No. 298

May 1998

Abstract

ARTUS is a process control system that provides an infrastructure for group decision making over the Internet in the form of controllable "Virtual Tables." The system includes options for defining the method and structure of interaction, and records the complete process for documentation or evaluation. ARTUS creates an environment which can serve as a variable platform for actual group interactions, as a laboratory for experiments, or as a classroom for educational purposes. The common basis for these different applications is conceived to facilitate the development, testing, and deployment of group support systems. In this paper we describe design and implementation of the system, and explain the technologies used.

Keywords: Process Control System, Group Support System, Virtual Tables