gbnewby@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Gregory B. Newby) (03/11/91)
Appended is the text of a proposal I wrote for VR at Syracuse
U. As mentioned in a previous post, we have the opportunity to
get some VR equipment donated from the PowerGlove folks (inventor
is an SU grad).
Things seem to be going well. A contract has been negotiated
for the transfer of some equipment. It remains to be seen whether
the lab will be a university-wide resource, or only available for
use on request, as a result of a request for equipment usage. It
depends on who takes charge of the equipment. So far, as mentioned
previously, I have my hands on a PowerGlove and RS232 interface
box.
A note on my status: I was uniquely positioned to light the necessary
fires to get the VR thing going. I'm a PhD candidate in the School
of Information Studies, and teach a course there. I'm also the
consultant for VMS and Unix (via email) for the Academic Computing
Services center.
Finally, I have been using the graphics equipment for my dissertation
protoype. I met the PowerGlove guy last year while he was up doing a
demo -- he was happy to have someone reasonably capable and informed
who was willing to push people to make VR happen.
I'll keep you posted as to how things go...
-- Greg Newby
School of Information Studies
Syracuse University
gbnewby@rodan.acs.syr.edu gbnewby@sunrise.bitnet
"Curiouser and curiouser" - Alice
-------- Text follows
January 22, 1990
Virtual Reality at Syracuse University
by
Gregory B. Newby
School of Information Studies
Syracuse University
Syracuse University has the opportunity to enter into a
select group of institutions pursuing Virtual Reality (VR)
research. By creating a VR laboratory, SU will offer faculty
opportunity for high visibility original research and funding.
Currently, only two academic institutions are well-known for
their Virtual Reality laboratories. This document outlines some
potential areas in which Syracuse University could work which are
currently not part of other institutions' project lists.
Virtual Reality is a new and important area for research.
Syracuse University has an excellent opportunity to create and
sustain a leading position in industry and academe by supporting
the development of a VR laboratory.
--------
1. Virtual Reality: Some Current Areas for Research and
Development.
Most current VR is aimed at interaction with simulations of
physical environments:
- flight simulation and air traffic control
- interaction with simulated physical terrain
- games (such as raquetball) and sports (such as jogging)
- musical instruments
- medical applications (simulation of microsurgery,
exploration of organs
or systems, sports therapy)
- interaction with chemical or biological systems
2. Virtual Reality: New Areas for Investigation.
The following are some general areas which have not yet been
a focus of VR:
- cooporative multimedia editing
- integration of VR with other forms of interaction and
communication (such as a business presentation system
involving teleconferencing and VR)
- interaction with non-simulated physical terrain (such
as a video tour of the Leaning Tower of Pisa)
- interaction with physical representations of non-
physical items (such as a space for selecting TV shows
or bibliographic citations)
- less interactive environments (such as a video tour of
a city or a historical event, where the user is taken
through a fixed tour, but can look around and have some
control)
3. New Markets.
New platforms and applications can bring Virtual Reality to
the following market segments:
- Business. Teleconferencing and presentations take on a
new dimension when VR techniques are combined with
traditional methods for communication.
- Public schools. VR for education; lower end and more
durable platforms, produced en masse.
- The library and school media centers. For way-finding,
tours, and education. A virtual browsing system would
allow the user to wander the stacks, select texts, and
read them.
- Travel. Plug into eyephones and dataglove, and take a
point-and-experience tour of the city you are
interested in visiting.
- VR parlours and collective gaming. A new type of video
arcade, where people develop characters and interact
with simluated environments or other characters in a
virtual world. Opportunities for ongoing games and
virtual communities.
4. More Accessible Platforms.
Current VR platforms are expensive and require local high-
end dedicated hardware (such as a pair of Iris workstations and
an Apple IIcx). Some areas for making VR more accessible:
- run on a single Iris, or Iris/Apple pair, or Iris/Sun
pair
- run over high speed networks with limited local
processing
- run on the Connection Machine
- run in multi-user mode (either with a series of
workstations or by using the Connection Machine for
computation and the networks and local machines to
connect each user)
--------
Outline for Implementation
Syracuse University already has an infrastructure for the
creation of a Virtual Reality laboratory. Implementation would
require initial investment for user support to develop the
laboratory and interact with faculty, but little or no investment
in hardware or software.
1. Hardware at Syracuse University.
The Advanced Graphics Research Laboratory has the two
Silicon Graphics IRIS workstations and Apple computers required
to run existing configurations. The Northeast Parallel
Architectures Center (NPAC) runs the Connection Machine, which
could be connected directly to the Graphics Laboratory.
2. Other Sources.
DataGlove, eyephones, and existing software are to be
contributed by A.G.E. Visits to other VR laboratories could
result in mutually beneficial sharing of resources (such as
programming libraries).
3. Timeline.
Installation and testing of equipment could take place in
early 1991. Publicity and demonstration during spring semester.
Interested faculty could begin development of their ideas in
conjunction with dedicated staff by summer, 1991.
--------
What Would it Take?
The main impediment to a new VR laboratory is the startup
time for individual faculty. Initial support for faculty project
development must be excellent. This would involve working
equipment with full documentation, and at least two graduate
student workers (or similar) dedicated to faculty support and
development.
Faculty will be first impressed with demonstrations, and
then given the support they need to get a minor project going.
There would be a familiarity period where faculty are given a
fair amount of support. Later, for more advanced projects,
faculty are expected to get their own funding for programming or
development.
Departments to be particulary targeted: Education,
Engineering, Computer Science, and Information Studies.
Independent study credit may be offered to students to work on
programming projects. At least one graduate student or half-time
consultant would be employed for VR laboratory support.
The Lab would be involved with the press to insure
visibility. A focus will be on developing prototype systems or
demonstrations, and then approaching outside agencies for further
development and marketing of the prototype.