Reach Out and Touch the Future of Motion Tracking; Immerse Yourself in InterSense Technology at SIGGRAPH 2000 and See 3D Come to Life.Business/Technology Editors SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics, www.siggraph.org) The arm of the ACM that specializes in computer graphics and interactive techniques. Providing publications, workshops and conferences, it has served technicians and researchers as well as the artist and business community 2000 NEW ORLEANS New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded , La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 2000 InterSense, Inc., the market leader in precision motion tracking technology that brings computer-generated three-dimensional (3D) environments to life, has a single technological mission - to create better ways to merge real worlds and immersive environments. InterSense technology plays a vital role in helping the leading makers of 3D graphics products add new realism New Realism Early 20th-century movement in metaphysics and epistemology that opposed the idealism dominant in British and U.S. universities. Early leaders included William James, Bertrand Russell, and G. E. to applications as diverse as interactive game-playing, industrial design and computer animation. Many of these products can be experienced firsthand at SIGGRAPH 2000, the 27th annual international conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques, held this year in New Orleans. The integration of InterSense technology into so many different graphics products illustrates the promise of 3D graphics that has been made possible through advances in computer processing speed See MHz. and power as well as in motion tracking and display technologies. As new applications for 3D environments continue to arise, InterSense technology will become an essential component in an even greater range of products. "We are gratified grat·i·fy tr.v. grat·i·fied, grat·i·fy·ing, grat·i·fies 1. To please or satisfy: His achievement gratified his father. See Synonyms at please. 2. that our motion tracking products are being utilized and displayed here by so many innovative companies," said Charlie Miller, chief executive officer of InterSense. "The prevalence of our technology illustrates the benefits that precision motion tracking brings to the next generation of 3D immersive applications. It also demonstrates how well we are positioned to capitalize on Cap´i`tal`ize on` v. t. 1. To turn (an opportunity) to one's advantage; to take advantage of (a situation); to profit from; as, to capitalize on an opponent's mistakes s>. the dramatic growth of simulated and virtual environments as they enter mainstream markets." See InterSense technology in action Several exhibitors at SIGGRAPH 2000 are demonstrating products utilizing InterSense technology. These exhibitors include: -- AiCube (Booth #1845) -- BARCO (Booth #642) -- Engineering Animation, Inc. (EAI (Enterprise Application Integration) Refers to various techniques used to share data and business processes in large enterprises. When companies acquire another organization, disparate information systems have to be made to work together. ) (Booth #780) -- MechDyne (Booth #819) -- Meta Motion (Booth #1279) -- Trimension (Booth #3019) -- University of Washington Human Interface Technology Lab (Booth #71) AiCube (Booth #1845): Experience a New Dimension in PlayStation2(TM) Game-Playing InterSense's new InterTrax2 head-tracking system is the world's smallest high-performance head-tracker. Weighing just 1.4 ounces, it attaches easily and quickly to any head-mounted display. Together with its Japanese partner, AiCube Co. Ltd., InterSense has developed middleware that enables the InterTrax2 to work with Sony Entertainment Inc.'s new PlayStation2 game console See video game console. through a USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. interface. As visitors to the AiCube booth will discover, the combination of the InterTrax2 and PlayStation2 offers a realistic immersive 3D game experience far beyond the capabilities of previous technologies. BARCO (Booth #642): Interact with 3D Designs Using the BARON Projection Table BARCO, a provider of large-screen projection and virtual reality systems, has integrated InterSense's IS-900 Precision Motion Tracker into its high-performance BARON projection table. Offering stereoscopic stereoscopic /ster·eo·scop·ic/ (ster?e-o-skop´ik) having the effect of a stereoscope; giving objects a solid or three-dimensional appearance. ster·e·o·scop·ic n. 1. , immersive 3D projection, the BARON is used by architects, industrial designers, researchers and other professionals who want to be able to simulate 3D interactions with their designs. Visitors to the BARCO booth will be able to interact with designed objects on the BARON table using a stylus or wand. EAI's Sense8 Products (Booth #780): View the Future of 3D Interactive and Virtual Reality Application Development EAI's Sense8 Products, one of the world's leading providers of 3D interactive development tools, will use SIGGRAPH 2000 to demonstrate its recently introduced WorldUp(R) version 5 development environment. A comprehensive GUI-based development and delivery environment for creating real-time 3D interactive and virtual reality applications, WorldUp version 5 enables developers to complete all phases of application development, from initial prototyping to final application delivery, without compromising performance, visual quality or future adaptability. By using WorldUp version 5 in conjunction with the InterTrax30 motion tracking headset, an earlier version of InterSense's InterTrax product, developers can build immersive applications for use in training, medical simulations, product prototyping, entertainment and other applications. MechDyne (Booth #819): Immerse yourself in the MD Table(TM) MechDyne Corporation, a provider of one-to-one, large-scale and multi-screen projection systems, among other products, utilizes InterSense's patent-pending Constellation(TM) tracking technology as a crucial element in its visualization solutions. MechDyne's internal testing demonstrates that the InterSense technology provides consistent, accurate tracking even in environments containing metallic materials, which typically impair the performance of conventional electromagnetic-based tracking technologies. At SIGGRAPH 2000, MechDyne is demonstrating an InterSense IS-900 motion tracking system on an immersive MechDyne MD Table offering a wide variety of applications, including engineering design review, virtual prototyping, and manufacturing process simulation and review. Meta Motion (Booth #1279): See the Technology Behind the Most Lifelike Computer Animation Meta Motion, a provider of tools for motion capture, distributes and sells the Gypsy Motion Capture System - a "suit" that captures the motion of the actor wearing it. By measuring the motion of the actor's bones, rather than the motion of the suit or of sensors in space, the Gypsy provides a highly accurate representation of human motion in the form of clean .bvh files that can serve as the basis for computer animation. Visitors to the Meta Motion booth will be able to see a demonstration of the Gypsy 3.0, which, like its predecessors, uses InterSense's IS-300 to track the motion of an actor's hips and provide a framework for the accurate representation of the actor's movement. Trimension (Booth #3019): Discover the Difference InterSense Technology Makes in the World's Smallest L-Shaped Projection System Trimension Systems, a U.K.-based virtual systems integrator, uses InterSense's IS-900 product family as the core interactive technology for its V-Desk line of virtual reality desks. At SIGGRAPH 2000, Trimension is demonstrating its L-shaped V-Desk 6, an immersive display workbench for computer-aided design computer-aided design (CAD) or computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), form of automation that helps designers prepare drawings, specifications, parts lists, and other design-related elements using special graphics- and calculations-intensive (CAD) applications. It features two virtually perpendicular screens and unique projection technology that give it the smallest footprint of any L-shaped projection system available today. With the addition of InterSense's IS-900 technology, the V-Desk 6 allows designers to enhance their design process by using a wand to "pick up" virtual objects and examine them from various angles. University of Washington Human Interface Technology Lab (Booth #71): Explore Virtual Worlds with the Magic Book The University of Washington's Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HITL HITL - Human Interface Technology Laboratory ), in conjunction with ATR ATR Achilles tendon reflex, see Ankle reflex Research Laboratories of Kyoto, Japan and Hiroshima City University of Japan, has used InterSense's InterTrax30 to develop the Magic Book. This application enables viewers to explore the transition between physical reality, augmented reality See mixed reality. and immersive virtual reality Immersive virtual reality is a hypothetical future technology. It consists of a virtual reality/artificial environment in which the user is as immersed as they usually are in consensus reality. in a collaborative setting. Although Magic Book looks like a typical storybook sto·ry·book n. A book containing a collection of stories, usually for children. adj. Occurring in or resembling the style or content of a storybook: storybook characters; a storybook romance. with pictures and simple text, when viewed through a head mounted display A display system built and worn like goggles that gives the illusion of a floating monitor in front of the user's face. The head mounted display (HMD) is a critical component of a body-worn computer (wearable computer). (HMD See head mounted display. ), Magic Book images create an augmented reality by popping off the page to become 3D animated virtual objects. Two or more viewers will be able to experience this augmented reality simultaneously, seeing the virtual images from their own viewpoint, exactly overlaid on the real world. By pressing a button that activates the InterTrax30 motion tracker, any or all of these viewers can "fly" into the virtual scenes and become immersed in the storybook environment. Each viewer who has chosen the immersive experience will see virtual representations of all other viewers who have made the same choice. Potential Magic Book applications include medical education, architectural visualization and entertainment. At SIGGRAPH 2000, visitors to the University of Washington booth may experience a variety of books, including fairy tales This is a list of fairy tales, the dates of their earliest known printed version, the author and, if known, the collection of tales in which it was published. It should be noted, however, that not all stories listed below would be categorized as fairy tales by a strict definition told with an unexpected twist, or Japanese and Native American stories. About AiCube Co. Ltd. Based in Tokyo, Japan, AiCube Co. Ltd. develops, markets and customizes real-time graphic solutions such as virtual reality simulators and interactive exhibition contents. Using graphics engine technology, AiCube provides a full line of services to the development community, including conceptualization con·cep·tu·al·ize v. con·cep·tu·al·ized, con·cep·tu·al·iz·ing, con·cep·tu·al·iz·es v.tr. To form a concept or concepts of, and especially to interpret in a conceptual way: , system and program design, hardware configuration, and installation. AiCube has packaged these tools into a development environment called Xeios. For more information about AiCube, visit www.aicube.com. About BARCO BARCO is headquartered in Kortrijk, Belgium, and operates five major lines of business: Projection Systems, Display Systems, Vision, Graphics, and Communications. In 1999, these five key activities delivered a turnover of euro 710 million. Approximately 50% of this turnover is realized outside Western Europe Western Europe The countries of western Europe, especially those that are allied with the United States and Canada in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (established 1949 and usually known as NATO). . BARCO has a network of subsidiaries, distributors and agents in 97 countries throughout the world. BARCO has been quoted on the Brussels Bourse bourse (b  rs), term applied to a European stock exchange. The first international bourse was established in Antwerp in the 16th cent. since 1986 and is a BEL 20 company. BARCO Projection Systems is an ISO (1) See ISO speed.(2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. 9001 registered world leader in developing and manufacturing large screen projection systems for a broad range of applications, from entertainment, presentations and training to process control and simulation. Its U.S. subsidiary, BARCO Projection Systems Inc., is based in Kennesaw, Georgia Kennesaw is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 21,675 at the 2000 census. Census estimates as of 2005 indicate a population of 30,522. The original name for the town was Big Shanty, and it is now considered a suburb of Atlanta. . For more information about BARCO, visit the Web site at www.barco.com About Engineering Animation, Inc. Engineering Animation, Inc. (EAI) is the leader in Internet-enabled visual process management, collaboration, analysis and communication solutions for extended manufacturing enterprises. EAI's solutions, which include e-Vis.com(TM) (www.e-vis.com), Open Enterprise Visualization(TM) and Virtual Factory solutions, help manufacturing companies drive down costs while improving business practices, efficiency, quality and time-to-market. EAI's Sense8 products, which include WorldToolKit(R), WorldUp(R) and World2World, simplify the complex task of developing real-time 3D interactive and virtual reality applications. The company maintains its corporate headquarters and technology center in Ames, Iowa Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa, about 30 miles north of Des Moines in Story County. It is the principal city of the 'Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Story County, Iowa and which, when combined with the , and has offices worldwide. About MechDyne Corporation MechDyne Corporation specializes in one-to-one, large-scale, and multi-screen virtual reality systems, as well as high-fidelity simulators, haptics, robotics, engineering consulting, and dynamic reconstruction. In addition to MechDyne systems on six continents Six Continents is a large retail PLC in UK which split into Six Continents Retail known as Mitchells and Butlers plc. The hotels and soft drinks business of Six Continents PLC is now known as InterContinental Hotels Group PLC. , the company has designed, installed, and serviced systems for several Fortune 500 companies with applications ranging from aerospace to automotive design Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles. This most commonly refers to automobiles but also refers to motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans. and simulation to oil and gas exploration. MechDyne clients use visualization systems for a variety of applications, including engineering design review, virtual prototyping, manufacturing process simulation and review, factory layouts, multivariate analysis multivariate analysis, n a statistical approach used to evaluate multiple variables. multivariate analysis, n a set of techniques used when variation in several variables has to be studied simultaneously. , product flow, and marketing. The systems also shorten "time to insight" and allow a collaborative environment for sharing ideas. MechDyne's relationships and alliances with respected equipment and software suppliers allow the Company to serve as a single-source or "turn-key" provider of engineering, installation, integration, service, and support for all visual and audio systems. MechDyne offers several copyrighted software programs, expertise in melding the many components of large-scale visualization systems, in-house fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´sh  n),n the construction or making of a restoration. and design proofing, and unparalleled responsiveness to client requests. The company has forged a number of advancements in the technology used in visualization and simulation systems, and has developed a client base covering North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. For more information, contact Alison M. Doyle, Manager of Corporate and Marketing Relations at 515-754-4649, or visit www.mechdyne.com. About Meta Motion Meta Motion has 26 years of combined experience in the computer animation field. It is responsible for worldwide sales and distribution of the Gypsy Motion Capture System. Meta Motion also sells data gloves, face trackers, and software for motion capture and facial capture and animation, as well as for performance animation. About Trimension Systems Trimension Systems is the leading virtual systems integrator specializing in large-scale immersive and semi-immersive environments for virtual reality. Applications are extremely diverse and include seismic data analysis, engineering design review and architectural walkthroughs. For more information about Trimension, visit www.trimension-inc.com. About The University of Washington Human Interface Technology Lab The Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HITL Lab) at the University of Washington, Seattle, conducts groundbreaking research in the areas of Virtual Reality and Human-Computer Interaction Human-computer interaction An interdisciplinary field focused on the interactions between human users and computer systems, including the user interface and the underlying processes which produce the interactions. . Over it's 10 year history the HIT Lab has been responsible for transitioning innovative technologies from academia to industry as well as creating many start-up companies to commercialize these technologies. For more information about the HIT Lab, visit www.hitl.washington.edu. About InterSense Inc. InterSense Inc., based in Burlington, Mass., is the market leader in precision motion tracking technology that enables computers to `see and understand' motion in 3D space. By delivering the best precision and performance, InterSense's motion tracking systems have become widely used in a variety of applications, including virtual prototyping and design, visual simulation and training, video/film production and special effects, manufacturing and 3D game development. InterSense recently received the Frost & Sullivan 1999 Market Engineering Technology Innovation Award, as well as the Computer Graphics World 1999 Innovation Award for its IS-900 motion tracker series. Founded in 1996, InterSense has quickly become the market leader by forging powerful relationships with world leaders in the industrial, government/defense, medical and entertainment and research markets, including Boeing, Volkswagen, Lockheed Martin, Ortho-Biotech, Universal Studios Sony, MIT MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Johns-Hopkins University. For more information about InterSense, call 781-270-0090, or visit www.isense.com. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion