chapin@sunrise.Stanford.EDU (Bill Chapin) (11/06/90)
[I got this a little late but it's an interesting indication of
what's going on at Stanford's Center for Design Research. I have
a longer message that requires some editing, which lays out the
general agenda for Stanford's budding virtual worlds organization.
-- Bob Jacobson, Moderator]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Forum Reminder <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
ME 297 -- Design Theory and Methodology Forum on Virtual Space
Next forum (Wed., Nov. 7th, 2:15, Terman 583):
Larry Leifer
Center for Design Research, Stanford
A discussion: "Virtual Space Applications in Design"
PLAN:
This week we invite several of our speakers to participate in a
panel discussion with the entire group concerning current and
future trends in virtual space research, development, and
applications in design. Prof. Leifer will briefly address the
group about CDR's and Stanford's place in virtual space research
and development. Each panelist will then offer views or questions
for discussion, as Prof. Leifer moderates. Paul Teicholz,
director of Stanford's Center for Intergrated Facility Engineering,
will represent CIFE's strong initiative into computational tools
as a guest panelist.
If you plan to attend, please come with the intention to actively
participate. Those with passive personalities are certainly
welcome as most discussions touching on virtual reality tend to
be entertaining as well as provocative.
Also, Dr. Joe Rosen will show some clips of the Media-Lab video
that eluded him last week.
BIO:
Prof. Leifer holds a B.S.M.E., M.S. Product Design, and PhD in
Biomedical Engineering all from Stanford. He has been affiliated
with NASA Ames Research Center, the MIT Man-Vehicle Lab, and the
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. A Stanford
faculty member since 1976, Prof. Leifer teaches the automation
and machine design course series, directs the industrial design
affiliates program, and manages the Joint Design Research Seminar.
He developed the ME Design Division's smart product design lab and
curriculum and is the founding director of the Center for Design
Research. CDR endeavors to develop basic design theory and
methodology through the application of knowledge based engineering
technology. Projects include an electronic design notebook for
design knowledge capture, telerobot development for medical,
industrial, and space applications, product and process injection
mold design software development, and conceptual design analysis
software tool development. In 1989, he cofounded Tolfa Inter-
national to promote personal independence for disabled persons
through assistive technology.
"Asphalt" DT&M Forum Schedule:
November
14* Bill Kolomyjec, Pixar
PhotoRealistic Renderman
7:30pm, Terman Auditorium
21 No meeting: Thanksgiving
28* Chip Morningstar & Randy Farmer, AMIX
Lessons learned from Lucasfilm's Habitat
7:30pm, Terman Auditorium
December
5 Jim Kramer, Will Kessler & Larry Edwards, CDR
Virtual space research projects at Stanford
2:15pm, Terman 583
13 Randal Walser & Chris Allis, Autodesk Cyberia
The new second generation Autodesk Cyberspace
7:30pm, Skilling Auditorium
* On the 14th and 28th of November there will be optional demon-
strations of Pixar's scene description and photo(sur)realistic
rendering software and a 3D modeling seminar for creating
objects for virtual space applications, respectively, at the
regularly scheduled afternoon time and place.
All members of the Stanford community, industry affiliates and
researchers in design and virtual space applications are invited.
sponsored by:
the VIRTUAL SPACE INTEREST GROUP of STANFORD
E-mail: vsig-request@sunrise.stanford.edu for more information.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++ VSIG NEWS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Please note: there will be optional sessions to meet at the regular
place and time on the days of evening presentations for 3D model design
seminars including Pixar's Renderman scene description. There was much
interest, thanks for the response. Unfortunately the seminars will be
backwards. First on the 14th, you will see how to describe and render
a scene once the geometry is defined. Then on the 28th, we will
examine the process of 3D geometry creation, object heirarchy, and
3D kinematics. The reverse order is due to taking advantage of Pixar's
presence on campus.
The evening presentations are all fairly well planned. They meet
in larger auditoriums, so bring your friends. The first special forum
on November 14th highlights Pixar and will feature four award winning
SIGGraph computer animations. The 90 minute special will be filled
with fun visuals and the history of photo-surrealism. The second
special meeting will take us on a visit, with hundreds from around the
world, to a virtual world created by Lucasfilm. The final forum of
the year will present the second generation Autodesk Cyberspace, with
active demos for door prize winners.
We still need a couple virtual world explorers, willing to interact
with Japanese cybernauts in Fijitsu's Habitat on November 28th.
Volunteers should reply to vsig-request@sunrise.stanford.edu.