From: scivw@hitl.washington.edu Subject: DIGEST: Virtual-worlds Info Booth [01.03] Organization: Human Interface Technology Laboratory, U of Washington, Seattle ############################################ ### Virtual-worlds Info Booth Digest ### ### volume 01, number 03 ### ############################################ Contents: INFO: ZKM VR installation INFO: Cyberspace over Internet SPECS: 3-D-SOUND for driving simulator Re: TECH: Using Interlink FSR sensors Re: INFO: WIndustries goes public Re: INFO: WIndustries goes public INFO: SIMNET Re: SPECS: Pressure Sensitive Variable resistors Re: SPECS: DEC ALPHA VR? SPECS: VREAM Vs WTK EDUC: Searching PhD's Programs. EDUC: VR/telepresence Research at US Universities SPECS: Virtus VR for Macintosh SPECS: VR Applications INFO: Viz for massive digital libraries WHO: address for Richard Satava? WHO: Has anyone worked with VR and Music? INFO: VR Safety INFO: MULTI-G Databases WHO: Virtual Reality Collaboration WHO: contact for ROTEX PI See the Sci.Virtual-Worlds Meta-FAQ, posted monthly and available by anonymous ftp (ftp.u.washington.edu: /pub/virtual-worlds/Meta-FAQ), for more details on digests and suggestions on how to read them. _^_ Toni Emerson, Mike "Squish" Almquist, Aaron Pulkka, et al. <(===)> \|/ HITL Sci.Virtual-Worlds Moderating Group H Fluke Hall FJ-15, U of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195 == cut here ==== cut here ==== cut here ==== cut here ==== cut here == From montefus@dsi.unimi.it Wed Oct 20 14:23:51 1993 Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 00:36:27 +0100 Message-Id: <9310132336.AA11965@imiucca.csi.unimi.it> From: Diego Montefusco Subject: INFO: ZKM VR installation I've heard that from 5th to 20th Nov the Zentrum fur Kunst und Medientechnologie (sp?) in Karlsruhe will host a VR installation linked to another in Japan (Tokyo?). Could any of our German friends find out more and report to the group? Thanks a lot! Diego ------------------------------------------------------------------- | Diego Montefusco | Universita' di Milano | | Via Lepontina, 9 | Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Informazione | | 20159 Milano | | | Italia | montefus@dsi.unimi.it | | Tel: +39 2 6072216 | Mai dire (or)mai | ------------------------------------------------------------------- --------- From u9050728@cs.uow.edu.au Wed Oct 20 14:23:55 1993 From: Shane Kelvin Richards Subject: INFO: Cyberspace over Internet Date: 14 Oct 1993 14:45:18 +1000 Organization: University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia. I remember reading somewhere that either a private company or the US gov was designing a system to allow cyberspace over Internet (I am not sure if this was just a protocol or what). Can anyone point me to more information about this. Thanks. +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Shane Richards u9050728@cs.uow.edu.au +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- --------- From schlende@wrcd1.urz.uni-wuppertal.de Wed Oct 20 14:23:59 1993 From: schlende@wrcd1.urz.uni-wuppertal.de.thu.oct.14.14.52.11.1993 Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds Subject: SPECS: 3-D-SOUND for driving simulator Date: 14 Oct 1993 13:59:32 GMT Organization: The University of Wuppertal Message-Id: <29jm04$r7v@wmwap1.math.Uni-Wuppertal.DE> Hello, I'm working on the sound system for a driving simulator. Therefore I need informations about three-dimensional-sound-systems. If you have experience with the following 3-D sound systems or products from other companies please contact me via e-mail: Focal Point Division Convolvotron, Acoustetron, Beachtron Head acoustics BMC AKG Audiosphere Roland RSS Marconi multidimensional sound system ... Who has experience with the development of a own low-cost 3-D sound System. Thanks, Dirk Schlender e-mail: [The October, 1993 MIX magazine has a good article by Durand Begault, "The Evolution of 3D Audio". You could start there. -TE] --------- From john1@HMS01.HMS.UQ.OZ.AU Wed Oct 20 14:24:02 1993 Message-Id: From: John Wann Date: 15 Oct 1993 10:53:16EST5EDT Subject: Re: SPECS: Using Interlink FSR sensors John Wann wrote: >Regarding the "InterLink" FSR pressure sensors. The devices >gave a linear output for forces above 100g (1N), but were >markedly non-linear below 1N. Lance Norskog wrote: >The non-linear response is intentional. Finger pressure changes >which "feel" linear are in fact quite non-linear. The Interlink >response attempts to match this curve, so that what feels like >linear changes in pressure are measured as linear. If this really was an a priori design feature it was a rather unfortunate one. Touch perception does follow a non-linear curve as stated (Fechners/Steven's law), but this can always be built into the system hardware/software at a later stage (e.g. just prior to tone production). If you build it into the peripheral device, then all you do is build in sensor inaccuracy, so you can't measure low force levels accurately. It really means the devices are pretty inaccurate for sensing many fine-manipulation tasks, including subtle pressure on keyboards. John Wann --------- From ejuv19@festival.ed.ac.uk Wed Oct 20 14:24:04 1993 Date: Fri, 15 Oct 93 15:03:26 BST Message-Id: <9310151503.aa14500@uk.ac.ed.festival> From: ejuv19@festival.ed.ac.uk (D Nicoll) Subject: Re: INFO: WIndustries goes public References: <29kde3$n0l@news.u.washington.edu> Message-ID: Organization: Edinburgh University Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1993 14:03:19 GMT Diego Montefusco writes: > RUMORS!! Just rumors, so take them as such. > > WIndustries has just put on the London Stock Exchange some stocks. > Sega seems to have bought royalties on WI games (dunno which ones) for > the home market. > According to what I've been told, WI wants to raise about #10M, > partially to cover some debts (#400000) and to start and aggressive > R&D policy (to become the "VR Microsoft". Huh huh??) > > Does anyone know something??? > > Diego Not anymore info as such, but this was featured in the 'Sunday Times' business section, Sun. 10th, Oct. [According to the Reuters Wire Service, Oct. 12, 1993, "Virtuality changed its name last month from W Industries Ltd": Virtuality has recently formed an alliance with Sega Enterprises Ltd. The wire also stated that Motorola Inc and IBM (Europe) plan to buy between 3.8 an 2.8 percent respectively of the issued share capital. There is a venture capital group, Ajpax Partners which holds 50.9 percent of the share capital. The wire also stated that the company is slated to supply Sega w ith Virtuality's operating systems and to assist Sega in VR game production. -TE ] ----------- From marc@rednet.demon.co.uk Wed Oct 20 14:24:25 1993 Date: Fri, 15 Oct 93 17:31:56 GMT-60:00 From: news@dis.demon.co.uk Sender: news@dis.demon.co.uk Message-Id: <9310151731.aa07160@dis.demon.co.uk> From: Marc Nicholas Subject: Re: INFO: WIndustries goes public Organization: RedNet Ltd. - The Mac Networking People References: <29kde3$n0l@news.u.washington.edu> Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1993 16:31:51 GMT >According to what I've been told, WI wants to raise about #10M, >partially to cover some debts (#400000) and to start and aggressive >R&D policy (to become the "VR Microsoft". Huh huh??) This not a rumour, it's true....They are raising STG 10million with a placing on the London market as "Virtuality Group plc".... Most of W Industries is owned by a Venture Captial firm called Apax, and some is even owned by John Waldon - the founder... I'll dig out some more info and post it... Marc. [Another Reuters Wire, dated Oct. 12, 1993, headline reads "UK "Virtual Reality" Firm Float to Raise 10MLN STG". The financial report reads-- "Virtuality Group Plc, a British company, said it was placing 7,433,813 ordin ary shares at 170p per share, with dealing to begin on Oct. 19...the placing, which would raise cash for future development and growth, would capitalise Virtuality at 44.4 million stg." -TE] --------- From u9050728@cs.uow.edu.au Wed Oct 20 14:36:26 1993 Path: news.cs.uow.edu.au!not-for-mail From: Shane Kelvin Richards Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds Subject: INFO: SIMNET Date: 16 Oct 1993 18:44:16 +1000 Organization: University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia. Message-Id: <29oc90$2np@wraith.cs.uow.edu.au> I am interested in more information about SIMNET project by Defense Simulation Internet. Can anyone direct me to articles, papers, specs etc etc on this subject, thanks. +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Shane Richards u9050728@cs.uow.edu.au +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- --------- From ulrich@world.std.com Wed Oct 20 14:36:33 1993 Path: ulrich From: Thatcher Ulrich Subject: Re: SPECS: Pressure Sensitive Variable resistors Message-Id: Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA References: <29205u$90e@news.u.washington.edu> <29c37p$get@news.u.washington.edu > Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 15:46:56 GMT My former employer, Tekscan Inc. in Boston, MA, makes pressure sensitive variable resistor sensors. They specialize in arrays of such sensors, e.g. a typical sensor will have ~1000 individual pressure sensitive elements (8-bit resolution) on a 2" x 2" square mylar sheet. The technology is very slick. Their phone # is (617) 737-8734. -Thatcher ulrich@world.std.com --------- From montefus@dsi.unimi.it Wed Oct 20 14:36:40 1993 Date: Sun, 17 Oct 93 13:36:21 +0100 Return-Path: Message-Id: <9310171236.AA26049@imiucca.csi.unimi.it> From: Diego Montefusco Subject: Re: SPECS: DEC ALPHA VR? >> Dikk Kelly >> Digital Equipment >> Artificial Life & Virtual Reality Application Group >> Technology Centre >> 111 Locke Drive >> Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752 >> >> Fax (508) 4805822 > >Daniele forgot Dikk's email: kelly@laotzu.dec.com OPS! I gave a wrong address! The right one is: kelly@dkas.enet.dec.com Sorry for any problem this might have caused. Diego --------- From stuart@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz Wed Oct 20 14:36:49 1993 Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 21:24:11 +0000 (GMT) From: stuart@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz (Stuart Ralston) Subject: SPECS: VREAM Vs WTK Message-Id: Organization: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Path: stuart Has anyone compared these two VR tool kits? _/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ +------------------------------+ _/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ | stuart@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz | _/ _/ _/ _/ +------------------------------+ _/_/_/ _/ _/_/_/ ------------ From COP10011%UFRJ.BITNET Wed Oct 20 14:36:57 1993 Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1993 10:49:35 BRA Reply-To: Vinicius Roriz From: Vinicius Roriz Subject: EDUC: Searching PhD's Programs. Hi Fellows, I am finishing my Master in Brazil next months and I am starting to look for Universities in abroad to my possible future PhD studies. I would like to send aplications to the right places (the recommended VR research centers). Could you help me sending the adresses or e-mails from this places? I am sending a short informations about myself to orient your sugestions. As you will see I have an interdisciplinary background, than it would be important recommend Universities with cross-posted programs (interdiciplinary): I did my undergraduated studies in FEA - Faculdade de Economia e Admnistracao (Economics and Business Admnistration) the degree in this field is Bachelor. I have studied at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, a very considered Univers ity in Brazil. I will have my master's degree in few months in Industrial Engineering in the same University (UFRJ - Federal U. of Rio de Janeiro). I have already did the arrangments to take required graduate examinations as TOEFL (test of english...), GRE or GMAT. My native language is Portuguese and I have studied english during 6 years in IBEU (Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos -Binational Center Brazil-USA). I am requesting finantial aid to the Brazilians government and from Fullbright fundation. My research work is related to a general overview of VR. As I wrote in a post toscivw-apps, my work is one of the firsts in Brazil than I am trying to write a good number of informations that could to orient the Brazilians researchers interested in VR. I would like to do my next research works related to the Busi ness applications of VR and Social aspects. If you can recommend any University and any others informations about the place or anything else I will be ability to send Application and request more infor- mations. Thanks in advance and hope to hear from you soon. Virtualy, Vinicius Roriz. Carlos Vinicius de Sa Roriz COP10011@UFRJ.BITNET -------- From nickt@netcom.com Wed Oct 20 14:37:01 1993 Path: nickt From: Nick Taylor Subject: HELP: Postgraduate Courses in the USA Message-Id: Summary: EDUC: VR/telepresence Research at US Universities Organization: University of Sunderland Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1993 11:41:01 GMT Hi, I'm currently a final year computiong student at the University of Sunderland here in England. I'd like to specialise and do an MSc or PhD in one of the following areas: Computing and Visualisation particularly visualising data in 3D Real Applications of VR particularly telepresence, HCI and building multimedia/VR at the OS level and telecommuting. Multimedia/HCI/Cognitive Psychology. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, please email me. Thanks in advance for your help. Nick Taylor. -- // Amiga 4000 MPC Compliant ;-) Apple CD300 Sony SRS-D2 \\ // NICK TAYLOR - nickt@netcom.com nt@cix.compulink.co.uk \X/ Phone +44 92 523 6386 - Sunderland, England, Europe xx --------- From mackinno@fnal.fnal.gov Wed Oct 20 14:37:06 1993 Path: fncase!mackinno From: Bryan MacKinnon Subject: SPECS: Virtus VR for Macintosh Date: 18 Oct 1993 16:49:27 GMT Organization: FERMILAB, Batavia, IL Has anyone tried Virtus VR for the Macintosh, which now appears to be in wide di stribution? I have tried the demos but not the real product. What are our impresssions? -- Thanks in advance, Bryan Bryan MacKinnon: Fermilab Computing, (708) 840-4790, mackinnon@fnalf.fnal.gov --------- From ppc@inel.gov Wed Oct 20 14:37:12 1993 Path: willow!ppc From: Pam Johnson Subject: SPECS: VR Applications Date: 18 Oct 1993 18:53:05 GMT Organization: Visualization & Imaging Team Message-Id: <29uomh$fdc@mica.inel.gov> We are in the process of forming our own VR laboratory. We are in the information gathering stage right now. What I would like to know is what are people currently doing with Virtual Reality. What types of worlds are being created and what equipment (hardware/software) is being used. We currently have a helmet, Crystal Eyes, and WorldToolkit. Any information I can gather is appreciated. Thanks ************************************************************************ Pam L. Johnson Visualization and Imaging Team UUCP: ...!uunet!inel.gov!ppc Idaho National Engineering Lab. INTERNET: ppc@INEL.GOV POB 1625 M.S. 2608 Phone: +1-208-526-9379 Idaho Falls, Id. 83415 FAX: +1-208-526-9936 ************************************************************************ [Take a look at the new sci.v-w Meta-FAQ, Jerry Isdales' "What is VR", and "Information Resources in Virtual Reality (IRVR) all available via anonymous ftp: ftp.u.washington.edu. The Meta-FAQ is in the ./public/virtual-worlds directory and "What is VR" is in ./public/VirtualReality/whatisvr.txt. IRVR is in the directory ./public/VirtualReality/HITL/papers/tech-reports/irvr.txt. -TE] --------- From lipman@oasys.dt.navy.mil Wed Oct 20 14:37:17 1993 Path: oasys!lipman From: Robert Lipman Subject: INFO: Viz for massive digital libraries Message-Id: <58130@oasys.dt.navy.mil> Date: 18 Oct 93 19:54:42 GMT Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD I'm looking for information about visualizing massive distributed digital libraries (databases) using either thru-the-window visualization and/or virtual reality on parallel graphics supercomputers. Thanks in advance, e-mail please, if I get enough responses, I'll post a summary, Robert Lipman | E-mail: lip@ocean.dt.navy.mil Naval Surface Warfare Center | or: lipman@oasys.dt.navy.mil Code 2042 | Voice : (301) 227-3618 Bethesda, Maryland 20084-5000 | Fax : (301) 227-5753 PLOKTA - press lots of keys to abort --------- From skr@festival.ed.ac.uk Wed Oct 20 14:37:22 1993 Date: Mon, 18 Oct 93 23:57:18 BST From: skr@festival.ed.ac.uk Message-Id: <9310182357.aa08494@uk.ac.ed.festival> Path: skr From: skr@festival.ed.ac.uk (S Rushton) Subject: WHO: address for Richard Satava? Message-ID: Organization: Edinburgh University Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1993 22:57:07 GMT i'm trying to find some way of contacting Richard Satava of remote surgery using VR technology fame? a browse back through conference proceedings hasn't turned up an address only a name and affiliation (DARPA/DIRO Biomedical Technology). does anyone have an address (email and/or postal) or fax or phone no.? cheers simon [I believe that Dr. Satava is with the U.S. Army Hospital, Monterey/Ft. Ord, CA. Check our VR medicine tech report at ftp.u.washington.edu, ./public/VirtualReality/HITL/papers/tech-reports/medVR.txt -TE] ---------- From brownc@t9.cs.man.ac.uk Wed Oct 20 14:37:25 1993 Path: mucs!p4.cs.man.ac.uk!brownc From: "Christopher C. Brown" Subject: WHO: Has anyone worked with VR and Music? Message-Id: Date: 19 Oct 93 12:23:04 GMT Here at the advanced interfaces group, University of Manchester, I am working on a project exploring making music in a virtual world. I have been looking everywhere for information about research that has been conducted into "virtual music" but have found very little. What I have discovered is "MusicWorld", an interactive drumming application using an optimal linear filter to predict the positions of the drumsticks to account for the lag in rendering them and the lag in generating the sound. Speaking to a professor at Dartmouth College, NH, I heard about a demonstration given by Jaron Lanier at the last Siggraph. Using gyroscopes rotating about different axis, a sound was produced every time a point on each one met. I haven't formulated any concrete ideas of my own yet, but hope to control a midi synthesizer connected to our SGI crimson, interacting using a dataglove and HMD. I want the musical notes produced by any given interaction to be exact, but I am trying not to produce or reproduce an existing interface from a physical instrument, such as a virtual violin or piano, as one of the major benefits of producing music in a virtual world is that there don't need to be any of the physical limitations that all current instruments are designed around. What I don't want to do in my project is something someone has already done - I'm not a big one for re-inventing the wheel for the sake of it. This is why I'm posting here, so I can choose an original research topic. If anyone has seen demonstrations, heard of systems (or even developed a system themselves), could you please post or mail me with details. Thanks in advance, Chris Brown Advanced Interfaces Group Computer Science Department, University of Manchester [There are a number of good musicians exploring music in VR. This is just off the top of my head, so please don't flame the moderator (interesting version of don't shoot the piano player)...the Banff Centre for the Arts would be an excellent place to start-- Jim Eliot is there. A choreographer, Yacov Sharir did a project with Banff Centre for the Arts combining VR technology and dance ... see May, 1993 article in Dance Magazine, "Sharir Explores Virtual Reality". And let us not forget Jaron Lanier. -TE] --------- From aje1@UNIX.BRIGHTON.AC.UK Wed Oct 20 14:37:30 1993 From: edwards Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 14:13:53 BST Reply-To: edwards Subject: INFO: VR Safety Hi! I don't know if anyone can help me ... my the final year of my degree, I am researching the health & safety issues of VR, both physical & psychological effects. Does anyone have any info about radiation from HMD's, sim sickness, heavy equipment, eye strain, etc. etc. Any help would be much appreciated. Cheers ! Angela --------- From u8901660@cc.uow.edu.au Wed Oct 20 14:37:51 1993 From: Rudd Barney Brunel Subject: INFO: MULTI-G Databases Date: 20 Oct 1993 16:32:30 +1000 Organization: University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia. I have been reading information about MULTI-G database. The databases only seem to have geometry information, what about the position and rotation information?? Thanks in advance Barney Rudd --------- From rodney@aerodec.anu.edu.au Wed Oct 20 14:37:52 1993 From: Rodney Davies Message-Id: <9310200606.AA03787@aerodec.anu.edu.au> Subject: WHO: Virtual Reality Collaboration Date: Wed, 20 Oct 93 15:06:07 GMT+9:00 We're looking for interested parties that would like to do some intensive collaboration in Neural Nets, cognitive & fractal chaos, hologram/lightwave Cybernetic & bio electronic monitoring systems, transaural sound systems for developing cognitive Virtual Reality and Interactve environments. The project is to develop an international touring exhibition dealing wit Antartica and Tropical Rainforests, multicultural awareness, and development of Virtual Reality/Interactive Hubs for utilisation of digital superhighways for the 2000 Olypmic games - creating a global village in VR Practical applications for education exchanges, environmental awareness and creative products for commericalisation will be developed. If you'd like to have a lot of fun doing something you love doing, please reply. Please reply to Rodney@Aerodec.anu.edu.au... Thanks, Scot Thrane --------- From v057ewgw@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu Wed Oct 20 14:37:58 1993 Path: ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu!v057ewgw From: v057ewgw@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Dave Odrobina) Subject: WHO: contact for ROTEX PI Message-Id: Organization: University at Buffalo Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 13:58:00 GMT Looking for a way to contact Gerd Hirzinger from the ROTEX experiment for as a possible speaker for a course at the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA. Thanks in advance..Dave Odrobina --------- From alsberg@saturn.kj.uib.no Wed Oct 20 14:38:04 1993 Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 15:12:17 +0100 Message-Id: <"alf.uib.no.206:20.09.93.14.12.23"@uib.no> From: alsberg@saturn.kj.uib.no () Subject: EDUC: PROGRAM for designing VR worlds Message-ID: <1993Oct20.141214.22155@alf.uib.no> Sender: usenet@alf.uib.no (Bergen University Newsaccount) Organization: University of Bergen, Norway Date: Wed, 20 Oct 93 14:12:14 GMT We are a couple of students with access to a SG Reality Engine and wish to obtain a program for designing VR worlds. Any suggestions? Thanks! B. Alsberg Department of Chemistry University of Bergen Allegt. 41 N-5007 Bergen Norway phone : +47 55 21 33 79 fax : +47 55 32 90 58 e-mail: alsberg@saturn.kj.uib.no #EOF#