HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: knaru@gumby.Altos.COM (Kim Naru)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: INFO?: Info on HMD wanted...bad.....really bad
Date: 11 Nov 92 17:41:55 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov12.022043.23483
Organization: Altos Computer Systems, San Jose, CA
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu





Hi,
        I would like to know what is available in VR gear; specifically,
        HMD.  I know there are companies  that advertize HMD, a gut feeling
        tells me, I could ill-afford this equipment. Would someone be
        gracious enough to let me know how much VR gear costs and what
        alternatives do mere mortals have for buying/stealing/building
        this stuff?


--kim
        

********--------********--------********--------********--------*********
* Disclaimer :  "I was not in the loop"(family values man circa 1992)
*                                                                       *
*  --Kim Naru       knaru@Altos.COM    |  apple!altos!knaru
*                                                                       *
*                       A       C       E       R                       *
********--------********--------********--------********--------*********
From: jlb31348@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jim Brain)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: U of I PGSI update 11-9-92
Date: 11 Nov 92 17:52:52 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov12.021942.23270
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


I have noticed a few people on the net expressing concern over the wait
incurred by the slow progress of the PGSI.  I understand.  I hope that noone
is holding up development because of us, since I am working on it between school
and such.  I am almost finished with the prototype board, so we shall see 
if the thing really works.

If you want to get into PG work now, I encourage you to hack up a parallel port
interface, since the cost is only pennies compared to the PGSI, and the code
is out there.  I assure you I am working as hard and fast as I can to get this
out, but as the semester progresses, I seem to be alone in working on it, so 
I can only do so much at one time.  I will get it done, but I have to schedule
it around an education, which will eventually make me more money.  Just so
you know.

I would like for anyone who has information about reading data in via parallel
port to email me all info you have, since I have another project for a class
that needs to send data to an IBM PC via Parallel port.

Some people have requested the number of the makers of the curtis extendo 
cables.  It is NUBY manufacturing ands the number is:

                        603-532-4123

Thjey will not sell to individuals, so I would suggest getting a group together
to buy a lot, and then dole them out.  The price is 2.75 or so per cable,
so that makes the parallel port hack 30 times less expensive than a PGSI.

All I want is to get this done, but while I am learning about it, I DO NOT need
people upset because I have announced vaporware.  I still contend that I have
not told anybody I have a product, only that I have a design.  Please weigh all
the benefits and costs of all the ways to hook up the PG, because it upsets me 
slightly to see people frustrated over a non-existent product, when I am 
desperately trying to get it done.  Right now I need moral support on this
because I seem to be the only one concerned about getting it done and done
right and sometime this century.  Please have pity on a lone designer.

Frustrated,

    Jim


(Frustration mode off)

-- 
Jim Brain                           "If you build it, they will come."
brain@cs.uiuc.edu
Senior, Computer Engineering                                    Field of Dreams
PowerGlove Serial Interface Designer and Co-Project Leader.
From: pat@jupiter.risc.rockwell.com (Pete Tinker)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: INFO: patents
Date: 11 Nov 92 18:20:31 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov12.022013.23407
Organization: Rockwell International Science Center
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


Although I recall seeing some discussion of this on the net, I can't
find any information in the archives about it.

Does anyone have information about a possible patent covering the
display of a hand model on a computer screen as an input device?
Memeory tells me it was VPL, but I'd apprecieate more detailed
information.  Who owns the patent?  was it issued? what's the title?
date of issue? patent number?

Thanks in advance,

-- 
        Pete Tinker (pat@risc.rockwell.com)

        Science Center, Rockwell International Corporation
        (805) 373-4268
From: ed@cwis.unomaha.edu (Ed Stastny)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: INFO?: VR at RAVES?!
Date: 10 Nov 92 11:15:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: cwis.ed.721394115
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


I'm looking for people with experience or information about the use of
VR at raves (techno dance tribal pow-wows).  A local rave-organisation
would like to incorporate VR into raves here, but they're unable to find
any local experts.    
 
Please send ordering info for cheap VR kits for pcs or amiga or info on
anyone knowledgable in the VR-world near Omaha, NE.
 
Thanks.
...e

--
::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::|   ed   |  death 
  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  |  @cwis |  comes 
::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::|.unomaha|    too 
  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  |  .edu  |   soon
From: BWOOD@TrentU.ca
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: SCI: Vr and Psychology
Date: 11 Nov 92 04:20:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov12.021730.22760
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


        re:  copley-devon@cs.yale.edu

Q: "I wonder, then, how infants WOULD react to virtual reality, if
exposed to it before they've formed many of their conceptions of
the way the world REALLY works.  Many questions come to mind.
Would hightened, simulated reality speed an infants understanding
of actual reality, or interfere with it because it requires a level
of abstraction out of the child's reach?  What if you present very
young children with virtual reality that DOESN'T rely on paradigms
from actual reality?  What shape could such an "illogical reality"
take?  And do they make powergloves in extra-small?"

A: What about comparing what goes on in a child's behaviour with regard
to video games, TV, radio and other simulations of the "real" (physical)
world? Hasn't enough psychological work been done in this area, or
have the psych people been ignoring the "artificial" character of these
experiences in favour of the physical?
From: destiny@sfsuvax1.sfsu.edu (Brian Gordon French)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: INFO?: V.R. Education
Date: 9 Nov 92 21:22:18 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov9.220524.11992
Organization: San Francisco State University
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


   1) What programing skills (if any) will one likly need to develop V.R.
educational packages now or in the future?

   2) What are the most likly applications for educational V.R. in...
      A.  The next five years?
      B.  K-12 home or classroom use?
   
   If you have any ideas on these subjects please send replys to:

   destiny@sfsuvax1.sfsu.edu

   Thanks.
From: megmond@cs.vu.nl (Egmond van M)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: INFO?: Request on VR-related classes
Date: 9 Nov 92 13:41:22 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.BxGBCy.4zH
Organization: Fac. Wiskunde & Informatica, VU, Amsterdam
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


Hi everyone,

VR is a very interesting subject. In my opinion, it is the future 
indeed!
Right now, I'm a 2nd year CS-student in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Next year (in August), I'll have to make up my mind in what field I
would like to graduate in. Graduation itself (if all goes OK) will
be in 1995. Unfortunately, we don't have a standard VR-"training"
(yet). So I'll have to put together my own training.

Now here are my questions: what subjects (or: courses) are related 
to VR? And what is VR part of? Is it artificial intelligence, or 
software engineering, or psychology, or something else?
What will be a more important aspect of VR in the future: software or
hardware?

Courses I can think of are:
- computer graphics
- real-time programming
- human-machine interaction
- robotics
- image-processing
- reasoning processes
- knowledge engineering (?)
- language-processing
- compiler-building (?)
- computer language design (?)

What courses are good to take in relation to VR?
Also, I'd like to know what sort of background/education members of 
VR (research-)groups operating right now have had; and where these 
members spend their time with: programming? electronics?

I realize that these are a lot of questions. Please try to answer 
them, though. You may also answer by e-mail.

        Thanks in advance,

                Maarten.


 ___________________________________________________________________________
 \_________________________________________________________________________/
  |                                                                       |
  |          Some people never say the words 'I love you'.                |  
  |          It's not their style, to be so bold.                         |  
  |          Some people never say those words 'I love you';              |  
  |          But like a child they're longing to be told...               |  
  |                                                                       |  
  |______________                         Paul Simon        ______________|  
 /_________     /_____                                 _____\     _________\
|         /_____     /_________________________________\     _____\         |
|        |     /                                             \     |        |
|________|   /_________________________________________________\   |________|
         |   |                                                 |   |
         |___|     Maarten van Egmond   (megmond.cs.vu.nl)     |___|
             |     Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam                |
             |     The Netherlands                             |
             |_________________________________________________|
From: thinman@netcom.com (Technically Sweet)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: INFO: Haitex problems
Date: 5 Nov 92 18:32:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov6.034251.4402
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


Ummmmm, Haitexes are different from SEGAs.  Haitex has
a bulletin board #, and I got this info from them.  In
fact, Haitex imports specs that Nintendo made for the
Japanese market but never exported.  Haitex adds a
"cigarette box" which has the 5V->25V oscillator.

The Haitex "cigarette box" takes 5V, ground, and a control
line from a Amiga joystick port, and can be mated to
a PC parallel port (or joystick port) with special wiring.
I haven't implemented this yet.

The wiring to the glasses is 25V peak-to-peak.  Here's
the blurb I have from ages back:



                     X - S P E C S   3 D
                    STEREOSCOPIC GLASSES

                  HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS

                        Description

The X-Specs 3D glasses contain two liquid crystal optical
modulators, one for each eye.  They have two optical states: one
light transmitting, one light blocking.  By operating them out of
phase, stereoscopic image pairs can be viewed field sequentially.

The drive signals (25v p-p @ 500 Hz) are supplied by the driver
interface which has been adapted to the Amiga computer.  Using X-
Specs compatible software, sync signals are generated for the
driver interface by the computer to trigger left and right images.


                  X-Specs Driver interface
INPUT

Supply:  +5V @ 33 mAmps supplied by computer control port pin #7.
         Ground supplied by computer control port pin #8.

Control: High low state of computer control port pin # 6

       Control Signal              Transmitting State (clear)
          High                       Right Eye
          Low                        Left Eye 
          Low- 2 horiz. periods      Both transparent

Note: If a "low" state persists more than two horizontal periods,
      both eyes declare transparent.

OUTPUT
        Extinction State: 0V p-p
        Transmitting State:25V p-p
        Frequency of Frame Rate: 60 Hz gated
        Connection: three pin miniature stereo jack (dual port).
##
From: copley-devon@CS.YALE.EDU (Devon Copley)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: using the "Private Eye" as an HMD
Date: 10 Nov 92 19:18:10 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov11.035837.17860
Organization: Yale University Computer Science Dept., New Haven, CT 06520-2158
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



Forgive me if this is a subject that has been brought up before.
Some of you may be familiar with a unit called the "Private Eye",
for the PC, which consists of a tiny Hercules-compatible(?) monitor
which floats about an inch in front of one eye.  Would it be possible
to hook up two of these units to a PC, one for each eye, generating
stereo vision?  I recognize that they are monochrome (not even gray
scale) which hardly contributes to the reality factor, but has
anyone tried it?  Are there inherent problems with the Hercules
hardware that make it impossible (or at least ludicrously difficult)
to hook up two seperate Hercules devices?  Furthermore, I remember
reading somewhere that the company that designed the private eye
was working on a VGA-compatible version.  (Whether it was gray-
scale or color wasn't mentioned.)  Has anyone heard anything 
further?

On an unrelated topic, I recall hearing about a Logitech 3-D
mouse about a year ago. Is it available?  Will it sense rotation
as well as position? How much is it?  How does it work?

If so...strap the 3-D mouse to your head, put on two Private Eyes,
and voila: HMD for under $1k!

I'm dreaming.  I know.


Devon
-----
From: billc@Apple.COM (Bill Cockayne)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: DEMO!: Virtus Walkthrough (Macintosh) Virtual Worlds
Date: 11 Nov 92 22:43:24 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov12.022208.23735
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



I have posted 3 sets of Virtus WalkThrough virtual worlds on ftp.apple.com
for people to take a look at. They are in the directory /pub/VR and are
named Virtus_demos.hqx. The three files are binhexed and compacted.

These three files are stand alone virtual worlds that were created by employees
of Virtus Corporation. They are freeware demos. They are full-functioning but
will not allow editing.

The three files are:
- A Greek Temple
- A Coliseum
- Virtus' WalkDemo (5 worlds that show various levels of complexity and
realism)

Grab these if you want to have some fun.

bill cockayne
billc@apple.com
From: bchang@nyx.cs.du.edu (Ben Chang)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: 3D sound?
Date: 11 Nov 92 00:24:58 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov11.035955.18166
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix (sponsored by U. of Denver Math/CS dept.)
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


does anyone have the algorithms & formulas and incantations to make 3D
sound?  ( or know where i  can get them ?)  it seems like a problem of
just calculating the delay and magnitude for each ear but that's probably
too easy.

ben
From: m14494@mwvm.mitre.org (Mike White)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: INFO: Virtual Reality Group (VRG)
Date: 9 Nov 92 17:04:27 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov9.220338.11651
Organization: The MITRE Corporation
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


In article <1992Nov7.070350.15211@u.washington.edu> 
george@northwest.Berkeley.EDU writes:
> I have not had a chance to call VRG, but no HMDs currently have 1280X1024
> resolution especially in a 1" CRT.  Correct me if I am wrong.

The specs I listed were verbatim from the VRG spec sheet, and confirmed
by a VRG representative at a demo I attended.

************************
* These are my opinions only.*
************************
From: amselem@dingolptl.jussieu.fr (Denis Amselem )
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: INFO: Virtual Reality Group (VRG)
Date: 6 Nov 92 16:05:56 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov7.015642.6822
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



In article <1992Nov5.025127.16860@u.washington.edu>, cnshah@vela.acs.oakland.edu
 (Chirag N. Shah) writes:
|> I have heard about a company called Virtual Reality Group (VRG) which
|> presumedly manufactures HMDs with resolutions upto 1280x1024.  

The adress is:

Crhistopher Lewis
Virtual Reality Group
800 Follin Lane, Suite 270
Vienna, VA 22180
Voice: (703) 242-0030
Fax:   (703) 242-5220

Yes, the resolution is 1280x1024: it is because they use CRT and not LCD.


Denis A.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Denis AMSELEM                           Laboratoire ARTEMIS
amselem@imag.fr                         Institut IMAG,
phone: (33) 76 51 44 98                 F-38041 GRENOBLE Cedex, FRANCE
From: hitl-support@hitl.washington.edu
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: VEOS support is coming
Date: 13 Nov 92 06:46:13 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov13.190621.5332
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



              *** Preliminary Announcement ***

             Consultation & Support for HITLab
     Software, Documentation, and replated Tech Reports

For those who have obtained the free software from the Human Interface
Tech Lab, there will soon be active support available.

The HITLab is not officially providing support; rather, a member of
the Lab will function as the support/consultant staff *at* the Lab,
and I shall be that person for now.  I've been with the Lab since the
summer of 1990, working on conceptual and implementation designs for
OSs to be used for vr.  I worked on the original VEOS design team,
thus am intimately familiar with the design, though not the source
code since I didn't write it.  However, being inside the Lab, I can
get bug fixes and questions answered rapidly.  I am also developing
future os releases and very much interested in getting technical and
user feedback on the current systems.

The software to be supported is available via anonymous ftp from
U.Washington.Edu (formerly milton.u.washington.edu but that host is
soon to be replaced, please make a note of it.)

There will also be distribution tapes and printed documentation
bundles available for nominal fees covering materials, postage, and
handling.

To help users help themselves, an unmoderated ALT newsgroup will be
created to which the current veos-support mailing list messages will
be forwarded.  This newsgroup is intended only for issues relating to
acquiring, installing, using, maintaining, and upgrading HITLab
software (VEOS) and for discussing plausible new features for upcoming
releases.  Additional newsgroups will be created upon demand, and when
a sufficient number of users request it, a move to non-ALT groups will
be made.

Again, this is only a preliminary announcement as this service has
just been decided upon today, efforts beginning next week.  Services
will be made available as soon as possible, and once all services are
stable, documentation bundles fully assembled, distribution tapes
compiled & edited, and the newgroup(s) created, the official
announcement will be made.

For now, send messages to: 

        veos-support@hitl.washington.edu
  
or

        hitl-support@hitl.washington.edu  for general stuff.

fax: 206/543-5380, attention: HITLab Support, VEOS support, etc.

voice: a specific number and extension will be made available soon.
until then, use the main Lab number, 206/543-5075, and leave a
message.

snail mail:
 
HITLab, (Wash Tech Center)
Fluke Hall
U of Wash, FJ-15
Seattle, WA 98195  USA
From: macris@nsd.fmc.com ((Willie))
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: U of I Call for Specification Discussion
Date: 11 Nov 92 03:09:43 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov11.040147.18686
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


From: Samuel John Kass <sk4i+@andrew.cmu.edu>

-- What I'm curious about is setting up the equivelant of an "AT Command
-- Set"


I like this. Let's expand on it by stealing some concepts from the
MIDI world.  Have a dedicated set of messages (and send/receive
routines) as a kernel for the bare minimum necessary, and then add
something similar to "System Exclusive" messages. Each device (or
device manufacturer) can have a dedicated ID# that will allow custom
messages that will only be recognized by that device.

Willie
From: 100022.3014@CompuServe.COM (Jonathan Seah)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH/INFO: 'Brain' Box Info
Date: 12 Nov 92 21:14:36 GMT
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


Hi all,
 
Does anyone know if Jim Brain is still making the PC interface for the PG
and the Sega glasses? If so, where can I get one?
 
Will it support the Toshiba glasses too?
 
Also, are the gloves and glasses available in the U.K. or Ireland?
 
Any advice you can give me would be most appreciated.
 
Many Thanks.
 
Jon Seah
100022.3014@compuserve.com
comm_seah@ccvax.ucd.ie
From: matti@arbw3.kf.tu-berlin.de (Matthias Rotting)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: re: TECH: using the "Private Eye" as an HMD
Date: 11 Nov 92 21:03:36 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov12.022127.23608
Organization: ZRZ/TU-Berlin
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


In article <1992Nov11.035837.17860@u.washington.edu> copley-devon@CS.YALE.EDU (D
evon Copley) writes:
>...
>Some of you may be familiar with a unit called the "Private Eye",
>for the PC, which consists of a tiny Hercules-compatible(?) monitor
>which floats about an inch in front of one eye.  Would it be possible
>to hook up two of these units to a PC, one for each eye, generating
>stereo vision?  I recognize that they are monochrome (not even gray
>scale) which hardly contributes to the reality factor, but has
>anyone tried it? 
>...

Randy Pausch (Pausch@Virginia.edu) tried it and described it in a paper called 
"Virtual Reality on Five Dollars a Day". 
University of Virginia, Computer Science Report No. TR-91-19, October 7, 1991.

Matthias

[Co-Mod (Mark): It's also in the Sci-VW archives...]