From: diaspar@nic.cerf.net (Diaspar Virtual Reality Network) Subject: PRESENTATION: Low cost tele-operations (Diaspar) Date: 25 Mar 1993 13:30:44 GMT Organization: CERFnet Dial n' CERF Customer Group 000222|David42 |032593|010643|Diaspar|*Announcements *** Diaspar Explores Mars - Sort Of *** McDonnell Douglas invited Diaspar to make a presentation Tuesday on using the Lunar Tele-operation Model techniques for upcoming tests of the joint NASA/Russian Space Program Mars rover tests this fall. The presentation was made with interesting results. See Diaspar/News for details. 000102|David42 |032593|012556|Diaspar|News On Tuesday, March 23, 1993, McDonnell Douglas asked the Diaspar Virtual Reality Network to make a presentation on using their tele-operation techniques planned for the upcoming Lunar Tele-operations Model 1 during tests of the Mars rover coming up later this year. (LTM1 to be formally announced soon.) David "42" Mitchell of Diaspar provided demonstrations of tele-operations at low cost using a radio controlled race car with attached camera. Using both a VRontier head mounted display and a Virtual Research _Flight Helmet_, Russian and NASA scientists, together with various McDonnell Douglas researchers, took turns at operatin the vehicle. By using the head mounted displays, the tele- drivers had the sensation of actually being 3 inches off the ground and gained experience in handling vehicles using this combination of technologies. These tests were done in new joint Russian/American facilities being prepared by McDonnell Douglas. While the driving experiments were conducted outside in the parking lot, the demonstration continued indoors where scientists and researchers experienced a tour to other universes created by various artists and replayed using the head mounted displays. The entire demonstration covered distances from 3 inches above the ground all the way to galaxies beyond our own. This was not a demonstration of full virtual reality since head-tracking, gloves and other interactive tools were not employed. However, it was a powerful demonstration of the practicality of low cost tele-operations and immersive education techniques - and the coming availablity of this at cost levels affordable for home use. And, it was a lot of fun! Diaspar Virtual Reality Network 424 Glenneyre Laguna Beach, California 92651 714 831-1776 Internet: diaspar.com (or 192.215.11.1) 9600 bd.: 714 376-1234 2400 bd.: 714 376-1200 000287|David42 |032593|013049|Diaspar|Let's Talk Frankly, it was a lot of fun. There are no international barriers when scientists do fancy footwork to keep from having model cars run amok. While there are serious sides to finding low cost ways to tele-operate vehicles of all kinds, there is something about this that appeals to the kid in all of us. My goal was to bring home the point that we are on the verge of a revolution that will profoundly touch all of us in a personal way in our own homes. Used properly, we have enormous potential to learn new things, go places never before possible and to test the limits of our imagination. ============================================================================= Permission is hereby given to cross-post the above provided it is posted in its entirety and is unaltered. =============================================================================