From: kinzler@cs.indiana.edu
Subject: Usenet Oracle Update
Followup-To: rec.humor.oracle.d
Reply-To: kinzler@cs.indiana.edu
Organization: Computer Science, Indiana University
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 11:55:04 -0500

Written by kinzler@cs.indiana.edu in news:rec.humor.oracle
+---------- "Usenet Oracle Update" ----------

Well, progress on bringing the Usenet Oracle up again creeps along.
Lately, I've been impeded by an Internet connection here in Barcelona
that's been down for most of the past week.  My apologies for my late
reply to email during that time, but I believe this post answers most of
everyone's questions.  Now that the Olympics are over and the network
connection is working again (permanently I hope), I expect to bring the
Oracle back to life soon.  Thanks to everyone for their encouragement
and patience.  At the very latest, worst-case scenario, it should be
back in early September after I return to the States.

A number of you have asked about the project I've been working with
during the Olympics -- you may skip to the next article if you're not
interested ...

A team of about 24 people from Spain and the USA mainly, also Germany,
Korea and Czechoslovakia, were involved.  We videotaped many gymnastics
and track & field performances and then digitized the important ones for
biomechanical analysis using a mechanical simulation of the human body.
Unlike other biomechanics projects during this and previous Olympics, we
did all this during the Games instead of weeks later.  Since from our
data and simulator, we can get some pretty nice-looking and interesting
computer graphics, it's always been a side project to provide such
graphics periodically to the Olympic television feed for international
availability.  Well, the Olympic television folks turned out not to be
as cooperative as we were led to expect and nothing went to the
international feed.  We did, however, provide images directly to
American, Australian, Brazilian, Japanese and Spanish television.  I
know that they broadcast our stuff in Spain.  NBC Sports was supposed to
show it in the US during the last Friday, Saturday or Sunday of the
Olympics.  I don't know if they did or not.  If anyone saw it, I'd
appreciate hearing about it.  It probably included a side-by-side
recreation of Carl Lewis and Mike Powell doing their best long jumps and
a variety of men's and women's gymnastics.  Perhaps a metallic
"Terminator"-style pole vaulter or two, in addition!  If they mentioned
CAR, the Spanish Olympic Training Center, biomechanics or the ABAT
project, then that was certainly it.

Also, a film crew doing a documentary on science in sport for the "Nova"
series was here and filmed our project for part of their program.  It
should air on PBS in the US in January or February `93 as the premier
episode of the new "Nova" season.

Anyway, my small part in it all was to set up and run our computer lab
in the Olympic area (4 PCs for digitization and 3 Silicon Graphics
Irises for analysis and graphics).  I also programmed and ran much of
the data transformation, management and analysis software we used
inbetween the digitization system and the mechanical simulation and
display system.  The whole thing was a lot of fun -- only a few major
emergencies and free media passes to practically everything when I could
get away for a few hours (not to mention being able to look down over my
workstation to the wrestling area)!  Barcelona is to be congratulated
for hosting such a successful Olympics and can be proud of their
beautiful, infinitely interesting and hospitable city.

Steve "last man on Montjuic" Kinzler