HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ppugliese@pimacc.pima.edu
Subject: Re: A-12 tail numbers
Organization: NCR Corporation - Law Department
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 15:05:33 GMT


From ppugliese@pimacc.pima.edu

 
>  >The local Air National Guard Museum received
>  >one of the A-12 aircraft 
> 
> That would be the eighth A-12 built (actual) tail number 60-6931, 
> which was last flown on June 7th, 1968.
> 
>  >that were decommissioned last year.
> 
> Well, the A-12s were actually "decommissioned" back in the late 1960s.
> The follow-on SR-71s are the aircraft that the AF shut down recently.
> Fortunately NASA has three operational Blackbirds at Ames-Dryden FRF.
> 
>  >The guys in the booth reported that during the cleaning/refurbishing
>  >of the aircraft it was discovered that the aircraft had several
>  >different tail numbers (depending on which layer of paint you
>  >were looking at).  
> 

A book I have states that the precursor to the SR-71 was actually desig-
nated A-11, not A-12. Does anyone have any info on this or should or I
assume it was just a typo in the book I have. On the other hand, if there
actually was both an A-11 & A-12 could someone furnish whatever info they
have?

thanks,   PHIL
 ppugliese@pimacc.pima.edu
From: jlb31348@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jim Brain)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: U of I Powerglove update 8-31-92
Date: 1 Sep 92 18:28:42 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Sep2.081503.4598
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



I will try to be concise, so here goes:

I am revising PGSA.DOC, so please alert me to errors.  The new copy
will be put at KARAZM next week.

Ben Gross is getting his email account set up, so I am still taking
all correspondence.

Ben is also recruiting people to finish the project and reading over
the summer's events I penned on paper.  He and I talked last thursday,
so he is catching up at the moment.

I will be announcing our work over the summer and getting people
interested on Wednesday the 2nd of September at the ACM general
meeting and on the 3rd at the SIGARCH general meeting.  I plan to
recruit heavily for the project.

We have a meeting to solidify dates, goals, and other items on
thursday.  I will tell you their outcome.

In the next PGSA.DOC, I will incorporate a table of contents and
include the command set previously posted separately.  Again, tell me
of errors in it.

We have decided to keep issuing new versions of PGSI.DOC (Previously
PGSA.DOC) and slowly transform it into the the user's manual.  I plan
to do editing in Microsoft Word for Windows and save it as both a Word
doc and as a text file.  Tell me if that is unacceptable.

I have recruited two people to help with the code, so that the timing
will be fixed.  Therefore, I expect the engineering part to be done in
the next few weeks.

I am answering questions for an article in Midnight Engineering for
John Wiliams.  Check it out if it makes it toi print.

That is all.  This is the format we will follow through the semester,
unless anyone needs to know more info, or major events force an
unexpected posting.

Jim Brain

-- 
Jim Brain, Power Glove Serial Interface Project Leader (for the summer)
brain@cs.uiuc.edu
Yes, my last name REALLY is BRAIN!
From: 76130.2225@CompuServe.COM (John Eagan)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: Volumetric Touch Screens
Date: 28 Aug 92 08:36:52 GMT
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



Jeremiah.Blatz@dartmouth.edu (Jeremiah Blatz) writes:

>In article <1992Aug26.012223.22391@u.washington.edu>
>bobp@hal.com (Bob Pendelton) writes:
>
>>(capacitive touch screen stuff)
>> This approach to touch sensing is cheaper and more reliable than the
>> array of leds approach.
>
>Yes, but it's not *volumetric*. The problem w/LEDs is that they emit
>light in every direction, thereby making it very hard, if not
>impossible, to determine *wich* LED the user's [finger, hand, face,
>etc.] is under. I see two possible solutions: 1) use uniquelt colored
>LEDs and light sensors with very accurate filters, 2) use lasers :-).

It's a bit easier than that. A quick check of a catalog reveals that
available beam angle on infrared emitters is as low as 15deg.
Plus, a hint...>they don't all have to be on at the same time< ;-)

IR touch systems _do_ work. Having said that, though, they have their
disadvantages, and there would be definite problems in doing a
"volumetric" system, as I've said before. If somebody wants to play with
it, it should be possible to make a 3d position sense system like this.
The question is whether it's worth it.

******************************************************************
*John Eagan                         "humans is funny critters.." *
*VR section leader                                   -me         *
*Computer Art Forum                                              *
*CompuServe                                                      *
*compuserve:76130,2225                                           *
*internet:76130.2225@compuserve.com                              *
******************************************************************
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: ejua61@castle.edinburgh.ac.uk
Subject: TECH: Re: Posting on Retina Laser Scanning displays for VR
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 11:42:07 GMT



RE:

>         In the movie DUNE, there was a doctor working on the fat guy
> (Sorry, I am not good with names) who was wearing cylinders on his
> eyes.  I suppose that they use a contact lens arrangement.  Maybe if
> you could set the laser on top of the eye like in the movie you
> wouldn't have to worry about tracking eye movement.
>
> -the richmeister-  

The sort of rig thats being described here was developed for
perception research by Yarbus (1950's) to produce stabilized retina
images. Basically, a large suction cap contact lens is placed on the
eye and an image fired onto the retina via a mirror - Firstly these
lens are certainly not recommended for daily wear - secondly the
interesting feature of stabilized retinal images is that they
decay/disappear after 4+ secs due to photosensor adaptation. -

Whatever they were meant to be doing in "Dune" they would have to have
worked fast.  -The point is that eye movement/tremor is important for
stable perception and not something to try and bypass.

Perception & Action in VR Project
Psychology Dept.
Univ. of Edinburgh
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: "Richard M. Coffey" <c-crm@math.utah.edu>
Subject: Re: TECH: VR and Laser Displays
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 05:00:20 GMT



In response to skr@castle.edinburgh.ac.uk

Quick suggestion:

        In the movie DUNE, there was a doctor working on the fat guy
(Sorry, I am not good with names) who was wearing cylinders on his
eyes.  I suppose that they use a contact lens arrangement.  Maybe if
you could set the laser on top of the eye like in the movie you
wouldn't have to worry about tracking eye movement.

gotta go
-the richmeister-
From: na0s+@andrew.cmu.edu (Nicolas Alejandro Arauz)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: Rend386 and the LawnmowerMan!
Date: 26 Aug 92 18:44:25 GMT
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



I believe that this project would be within our reach, and I'm sure
most of you have seen LawnmowerMan, and therefore will know what I'm
talking about.  I've already been trying a little bit to do this with
the Fpoly kit and the Rend386 devel. kit, but I believe there are
probably many more of you out there much more capable than I am to
attempt this project.

The idea is to use Rend386 to make the program from LawnmowerMan,
"Flying, Falling, Floating" Now, it may not necessarily have to be
that complex (visually, that is), as in the movie, but I believe that
we could make some pretty cool stuff so far.  We could use the
PowerGlove to control motion.  Move your hand forward, and it seems as
if you're moving forward in the world.  Same for flying, falling, etc.
for all possible movements.  Now, especially, with the 3D glasses, and
probably cheap HMD soon, this could become pretty incredible. Tell me
what you guys think of this, and maybe if any of you have already
tried working on something like this.

I will upload a really cool demo, 320x200, called COOL.ZIP to
sunee.uwaterloo.ca hopefully by this evening, into pub/incoming.  You
can see some of what I'm talking about. I think it will sprout some
interest.  Also, if any of you have seen the *awesome* UNREAL demo,
remember the one that looks like your being pulled down into a
whirlpool?  If you haven't seen that yet, check it out.  It's
UNREAL.ZIP, on SIMTEL, in PD1:<MSDOS.SOUND>, maybe it's in the
graphics dir also.  Later!  And tell me what you all think!
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: daver%sunspot.ssl.Berkeley.EDU@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (David Ray)
Subject: Re: TECH: Linking VR glove and synthesizer?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Space Sciences Lab, UC Berkeley
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 17:55:43 GMT



In article <1992Sep3.072240.23843@u.washington.edu> John Eagan
<76130.2225@CompuServe.COM> writes:

>pvanheus@frodo.cs.uct.ac.za (Peter van Heusden) writes:
>
>>Firstly, has anyone tried linking a VR glove and a synthesizer to make
>>an instrument? I was thinking along the lines of one finger for
>>amplitude, another for pitch, etc. Also, I realise this will not be
>>(stuff deleted)
>
>If you want to do something relatively cheap, you could try using a
>Mattel/Nintendo Powerglove.

I use a Power Glove to perform music with a synthesizer. I interface
it using a Mac LCII, Gold Brick Nintendo/Mac interface, and a program
called Max (Opcode systems). Its a very flexible system. Basically I
use the finger bend data to sound notes, x-position for pitch, y-
volume, z- modulation. I have set up the program so that the keypad on
the wrist changes various settings. For example, I hit a button and
the glove then manipulates a drum machine instead of playing notes, or
the glove triggers sampled sounds from the hard drive at different
sampling rates.

>The degree of control you would have is fairly gross for pitch control...

Actually I get excellent pitch control by filtering the glove data and
using noise-absorbing material behind the ultrasonic receivers. The
noise is cut down to 1 or 2 bits so I filter it out with the Max
program. I filter it further by limiting the pitches to 1sts and 5ths
as you move the glove from left to right. Then I manipulate the notes
up or down a few half-steps with the different fingers. This way I can
play scales with the glove in mid-air.  Different buttons on the wrist
pad set different modes like major, minor, etc.

I think I posted about this and other synth/vr people a few months
ago. If anyone is interested I could e-mail copies of those postings.

-dave
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: pvanheus@frodo.cs.uct.ac.za (P A van Heusden)
Subject: TECH: Linking VR glove and synthesizer?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Computer Science Department, University of Cape Town
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 07:42:28 GMT



Firstly, has anyone tried linking a VR glove and a synthesizer to make
an instrument? I was thinking along the lines of one finger for
amplitude, another for pitch, etc. Also, I realise this will not be
very controlled, but the application I am thinking of is in the realm
of CyberPoetry, essentially a multimedia surrealist show, where the
art is directly related, via a physical interface, to the artist.

Secondly, could someone give me data on what modern VR gloves are able
to do, how many joints, what accuracy of information obtained?
Although we don't have anything resembling VR in South Africa, I would
like to know, just to start working on the theory of my music synth.

Peter

--
*******************************************************************************
Peter van Heusden              "Thou shalt not kill
CS2 lab, UCT, Cape Town               Kill kill kill!"
pvanheus@frodo.cs.uct.ac.za                    Ministry
From: domine@wam.umd.edu (Gil Funk)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: REQUEST: SEGA glasses for sale?
Date: 29 Aug 92 19:57:49 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Aug31.071142.15599
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



Hi, I'm interested in picking up a pair of SEGA glasses.  Does
anyone have them for sale?

gil 
domine@wam.umd.edu
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: kiernasj@craft.camp.clarkson.edu (Daedraug)
Subject: Re: TECH: Linking VR glove and synthesizer?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Clarkson University
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 04:20:56 GMT



pvanheus@frodo.cs.uct.ac.za (P A van Heusden) writes:

>Firstly, has anyone tried linking a VR glove and a synthesizer to make
>an instrument? I was thinking along the lines of one finger for
>amplitude, another for pitch, etc. Also, I realise this will not be
>very controlled, but the application I am thinking of is in the realm
>of CyberPoetry, essentially a multimedia surrealist show, where the
>art is directly related, via a physical interface, to the artist.
>(Stuff deleted)

In the October 1992 issue of Keyboard magazine, a "virtual
keyboardist" named Mark Trayle has used the Nintendo Power Glove to
control his synths through MIDI.  The X axis controls the pitch, the Y
axis controls the volume, and the Z axis controls the duration.

A CD of his work is soon-to-be-released this fall by Inial Overtone.
The article gives more information on his work with the Power Glove in
music synthesis.

- Steve Kiernan
From: jew5001@venus.tamu.edu (WILLIAMSON, JOHN EDWARD)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: APPS: PC "VR" Games
Date: 30 Aug 92 17:00:28 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Aug31.073628.16332
Organization: Texas A&M University, College Station
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



For those of you who would like to create your own worlds for Apogee's
Castle Wolfenstein 3D, a world editor is available on America On Line.
In addition, there are several new game sets including one apparently
designed by the guy who wrote _Alien_.  While you are still limited to
creating hallways and dungeons, you might be able to build a world
based loosely on your office building.  Though the decor will still have
a decidedly down atmosphere, you can remove most of the Nazi symbols.

For those of you who would like to play "hide and seek" in virtual
reality on a budget, try _Terminator_ from Bethesda Software.  Two
players can connect over a null modem and walk (and shoot) their
way through a fairly decent world.  I found the game painfully slow
on my 25 Mhz 386, but I bought the game as a closeout for $5, so
I can't complain too much.  I found the idea very interesting and to
the best of my knowledge, it is the game where this type of two
person interaction was possible (not counting flight simulators).

I will ATTEMPT to upload the Wolf3D editor next week.  But check
your local BBS first before trying the ftp sites.

John Williamson
From: uum1!kksys!mishima!tomg@uunet.UU.NET (Thomas Greenwalt)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: VR and Laser Displays
Date: 3 Sep 92 06:23:01 GMT
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



skr@castle.edinburgh.ac.uk writes:

> Theres been mention here and elsewhere of using lasers in place of
> LCD/CRTs in HMDs.
> 
> [ isn"t the HIT lab doing some of this stuff Bob?  can you
> tell us about it?]
> 
> 
> [MODERATOR'S NOTE:  Not being at the HIT Lab on a regular basis, I
> can only refer you to HIT Lab researcher Joel Kollin who is working
> on this (jkollin@hitl.washington.edu). -- Bob Jacobson]

I found a paper called "Scanned Laser Displays for Head Mounted Displays"
by Douglas E. Holmgrem and Warren Robinett from the University of North
Carolina that discuss' some aspects of the technologies necessary for a
laser scanning display.  Its available electronically (email) from the
University there.

-- 
Thomas S. Greenwalt (Tom-Too)                                  (612)866-1344
7300 Nicollet Ave. S, Mpls, MN 55423                     tomg@mishima.mn.org 
-------------- Death: SEE! I HAVE TIME! AT LAST I HAVE TIME! ---------------
--- Alfred: And now that you have it, what are you going to do with it? ----
--------------------- Death: I AM GOING TO SPEND IT! -----------------------



[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  The Holmgren/Robinett paper story is interesting.  It
seems that the paper explained why a laser-scanned image could not achieve
sufficient resolution about one month before the HIT Lab demonstrated a
workbench version of the laser scanner that achieved excellent resolution.
Just goes to show that empirical proof should undergird every theory, I
guess. -- Bob Jacobson]
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: rpi@well.sf.ca.us (David Reed)
Subject: TECH: PC VR software lists?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 03:41:23 GMT



I am seeking any inclusive lists of PC based VR software for the
United States and any other countries. Please email me with anything
you might have like this. Thanks.
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: strength@milton.u.washington.edu (Julian Bleecker)
Subject: Re: CULTURE: Movies other than Lawnmower Man...and that too!
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 01:37:43 GMT



mango@esd.sgi.com writes:

>        I dont think we should overlook one of the best VR films in my
>        opinion and that is BRAINSTORM. Direct feed to your brain. Emotions,
>        respiration the whole nine yards. It is a interesting concept being
>        able to record and reproduce your thoughts as well as others, and
>        then being able to share the same sensory experience. A little far
>        fetched maybe but so was TV 100 years ago.


Recent reports would indicate that `reading' thought patterns (albeit
broad patterns) is happening now.  See for example the latest
Scientific American or the report in Nature by some University of
Washington professors doing work on this sort of thing.

In the spirit of the `movies' thread, consider the not so hard sci-fi,
but quasi-cyberpunkish *Until The End of The World* by Wim Wender (out
of the theaters now and not in video unfortunately.)  In Until.. a
well-intentioned scientist develops a technology that allows one to
record on video tape one's *dreams* which can then be played back on
palm-sized HDTV video units in an eerily pixelated impressionistic
rendering of what you dreamed.  Fascinating, compelling and all that.
But it turns out to be so powerful and moving that the few who try it
start going a little bonkers.  Anyway, the spooks catch on and kidnap
the scientist and all of his gear for whatever black purpose they have
in mind.

Seeing this reminded me of an essay in a journal called ETC. about the
possibilities of using VR to build and experience one's dreams
(self-help psychoanalysis?) in order to more fully understand the
implications.  Wender is clearly skeptical about such possibilities.

Julian
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: CADONMAC.UK@AppleLink.Apple.COM (Mac Cad Support & Training,GB,IMU)
Subject: TECH: Filmodels(tm)
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 21:15:00 GMT


 
CADONMAC ANNOUNCES WORLD'S FIRST "FILMODEL(tm)" SERVICE
 
Cadonmac, the UK consultancy for computer-aided-design and virtual
reality, has announced a new and unique service for estate agents,
property-developers and others seeking to market or visualise flats,
houses, offices and developments.
 
Developed with authoring software from Virtus Corporation,
"filmodels(tm)" are stand-alone file/programs that are "films" in that
they allow users to play back a pre-recorded walkthrough of the space,
and fully-fledged 3D models that can be explored in real-time without
the need for any additional software. They also include a credits
screen in which the property owner or agent can provide information or
advertising. Typical file sizes are 400K, so two or more filmodels can
comfortably fit on a high density disc without compression.
 
"We think filmodels will introduce a whole new method by which people
conduct the selling or letting of property", says John Tan, marketing
director at Cadonmac. "The fact that filmodels are so modest in size,
play themselves on any Mac and allow the user to explore the spaces at
their leisure will greatly simplify the process of pre-viewing. They
inform the prospective buyer or tenant in a way that photographs and
floorplans cannot, and in many cases eliminate the need to travel to
and from properties to get a feel for the space.  This is of
particularly useful, of course, in the evaluation of properties in
remote areas or in other countries."
 
Filmodels can also be of use to corporate facilities planners, film
and theatre directors, and to public institutions as a complement to
plan guides for visitors.
 
Typical prices for filmodels start from =L120 including VAT and
disbursements.  Where required, furniture & fittings can be added to
the model.  Turnaround for typical projects is two days from receipt
of order.  International orders are welcome.
 
For further information, sample filmodels, and/or order forms contact
Jonathan Stoppi or Mark Stephens at:
 
Cadonmac
665 Finchley Road
London NW2 2HN
 
Tel. (+44)-71-723.0294
Fax  (+44)-71-433.1808
Applelink: CADONMAC.UK

[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  Commercial postings are offered on sci.virtual-
worlds as a public service.  Their appearance here does not 
necessarily indicate endorsement by the moderators or by the USENET or 
its administrators. -- Bob Jacobson]
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: lc1@st-andrews.ac.uk (Longman Cartermill)
Subject: TECH: Benchmarks for own PC-based VR software?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 12:31:57 GMT



Hi,

I've been writing my own VR software to do all the geometry etc and
would like to know if there is anything I can compare it against?
That's any demos (for the PC or Amiga) and any C source code?

Cheers,

Peter Johnson
lc1@uk.ac.st-andrews

p.s. i've got ftp ability though i've never used it.
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: das+@CS.CMU.EDU (David Simon)
Subject: TECH: UNC 3D "projection" display found
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Carnegie Mellon University
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 13:11:38 GMT



In a recent article I wrote:

>I recently heard that a group at the University of North Carolina
>developed a stereoscopic display device which can "project" 3D images
>into the real world. I believe that this system uses some type of
>heads-up display to superimpose a 3D image onto the user's actual
>field of view.  For example, an image of an apple could be
>superimposed onto the outstretched hand of the viewer.

The system which I was looking for is described in the latest SIGGRAPH
Proceedings:

        Bajura, Fuchs & Ohbuchi, "Merging Virtual Objects with Real World:
        Seeing Ultrasound Imagery Within the Patient", Computer Graphics
        vol 26, no 2, pp 203-210. 

Thanks to Sam Uselton and Dave Chen for responding.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------

  David Simon       The Robotics Institute         Voice: (412) 268-3084
                    Carnegie Mellon University     Fax:   (412) 621-1970 
  das@ri.cmu.edu    Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds