HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hahn@seas.gwu.edu (James K. Hahn)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: EVENT: Smithsonian series of talks, "Journey into VR"
Date: 22 Aug 92 13:30:59 GMT
Organization: George Washington University
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu




***********************************************************************
I am organizing a series of talks for the Smithsonian Institution, 
Washington, D.C.

The series is a part of the "Campus on the Mall" program and is
entitled: "On the Forefront of Computer Technology: A Journey Into 
Virtual Reality."

The final schedule is as follows (all sessions are approximately 
1 1/2 hours on Wednesdays at 8:00 PM).

If you would like more information, please call:
(202) 357-3030
Campus on the Mall
The Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20560

Oct. 14 "The Virtual World of the Computer   An Introduction to computer 
        graphics, computer animation, and virtual reality"
        James Hahn, The George Washington University

Oct. 21 "New Interactive Paradigm: The Missing Meaning of "Look" and "Feel" 
        Margaret Minsky, MIT Media Lab

Oct. 28 "Human-Computer Interaction Techniques and Devices"
        John Sibert, The George Washington University

Nov. 4  "Image Processing in Art and Entertainment"
        Tom Brigham

Nov. 18 "Simulating Reality with Computer Graphics"
        Michael Cohen, Princeton University

Dec. 2  "Designing Virtual Objects in the Computer"
        Andy Witkin, Carnegie Mellon University

Dec. 9  "If Isaac Newton Had Owned a Computer: Using Physics to Move Virtual 
        Objects"
        David Baraff, Carnegie Mellon University

Dec. 16 "The Art of Artificial Reality"
        Myron Krueger, Artificial Reality Corporation

***********************************************************************

There will be demonstrations associated with the series in the
National Demonstration Laboratory at the Library of Congress.
We are still accepting applications for hands-on demonstrations that
illustrate computer graphics, computer animation, and virtual reality.

Applications from the commercial, government, and academic institutions 
are welcome.
Please make all inquiries to me:

James Hahn
Asst. Professor
Electrical Engineerign and Computer Science Department
The George Washington University
(202)994-5920
hahn@seas.gwu.edu

-- 
James K. Hahn           The George Washington University
Asst. Professor         Department of EE&CS
hahn@seas.gwu.edu       801  22nd Street NW, Washington, DC  20052
From: cdshaw@cs.ualberta.ca (Chris Shaw)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: INDUSTRY REPORT: Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN) Inc.
Date: 12 Aug 92 19:00:50 GMT
Organization: University of Alberta
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



I think the most amusing anecdote about BBN's gold-plated SIMNET node
technology is that Mike Zyda's lab at the Naval Postgraduate School
built a SIMNET node with graphics using an SGI Indigo Elan.

Cost of Indigo with Elan  -  $45,000 retail quantity one.

Cost of BBN's SIMNET box - $300,000 (hopefully the Army gets a price
break)

The Indigo outperforms the BBN Box on every count.

I believe Zyda's lab had a staff of 8 or so for this project. I have
also been led to believe that the BBN box in question doesn't have
graphics.  Up until recently, SIMNET was text only.


Chris Shaw               University of Alberta
cdshaw@cs.UAlberta.ca    CatchPhrase: Bogus as HELL !
From: smitty@es.com (Maurice Smith)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: SCI: Voxels vs. Polygons
Date: 21 Aug 92 15:29:48 GMT
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp., Salt Lake City, UT
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



I haven't followed this thread as closely as I should so this may be old
news :). 

A voxel is just a representation of a scalar field.  Implicit in this is 
eneough position information so that a change of basis function can be
applied.

It is a superb tool for the visualisation of scalar field data, but (IMHO)
way to much work otherwise.  A cloud can be represented as a scalar field
changing in time, but unless you are analysing the fluid flow of clouds a
texture mapped set of polygons is a LOT easier.

I didn't use graphics buzz words on purpose.
 
======================================================================
 Maurice Smith                     |" I feel much better now that I've
 smitty@dsd.es.com  (use it!)      |  given up all hope." 
 Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp. | 
 Salt Lake City, Utah              |  #include <standard_disclaimer>
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: dpr@ohm.york.ac.uk (David Rossiter)
Subject: Re: EDUC: Schools doing virtual reality research
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Electronics Department, University of York, UK
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 23:48:56 GMT



It isn't specifically VR research, but it may also be worth taking
note of the Music Technology group of the University of York, England.
Research has taken place into 3D sound systems for some time now, and
papers have been published (mainly in ICMC (Computer Music
Association) proceedings).
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: kpc@panix.com (Kevin Centanni)
Subject: INDUSTRY: Looking for VR Patent Information (esp. Myron Krueger)
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix & Internet, NYC
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 14:38:29 GMT



I'm trying to find out more information about patents in virtual
reality and artificial reality.  Does anyone have a list of patent
numbers, descriptions, and holders?  I've unsuccessfully attempted to
do a patent search on CompuServe with keywords like 'virtual reality'
and 'artificial reality'.

Specifically, I'm looking for information about patents by Mryon
Krueger.  Does anyone have any information?
 
Thanks...

Kevin P. Centanni
Corporate Communication Group
212.268.2100
kpc@panix.com       {cmcl2,apple}!panix!kpc


[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  Myron is still alive and kicking.  A phone call
would probably do.  Artificial Reality Corp., PO Box 786, Vernon, 
CT 06066 USA, 203-871-1375. -- Bob Jacobson]
From: clarke@acme.ucf.edu (Thomas Clarke)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH:  Alternative Head Trackers
Date: 21 Aug 92 17:28:31 GMT
Organization: University of Central Florida
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



Does anyone know of (rumors of?) headtracking devices that avoid the 1
meter cube limitations of Polhemus, Logitech and similar units?

I am especially interested in systems that don't require a room to be
specially prepared like the UNC optical system.

Thanks.

--
Thomas Clarke
Institute for Simulation and Training, University of Central FL
12424 Research Parkway, Suite 300, Orlando, FL 32826
(407)658-5030, FAX: (407)658-5059, clarke@acme.ucf.edu
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: jburney@seamis1.gsfc.nasa.gov (Jeff Burney)
Subject: TECH: Stupid question about VR Helmet
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Goddard Space Flight Center
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 20:29:55 GMT



I realize this is probably really dumb but...

I have two 2 inch screen color tvs (from handheld game).  Is it
possible to mount these to a helmet and feed video from a computer?  I
imagine if all of the other complications of wiring and mounting were
worked out, that would still leave the problem of creating some sort
of 3-d/eye seperation emulation between the two displays (using two
computers linked up in some way?)

Well, I know not of what I speak...flame away.
--
Jeff Burney                     | Icky, Icky, Icky, Icky, Ptang,
jburney@seamis1.gsfc.nasa.gov   | Loomfong, Zowzing.
SES, Inc.  301-439-6617         |               - Holy Grail
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center|
From: geoffrey@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz (Geoff Thomas)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: PUBS: MONDO 2000
Date: 11 Aug 92 23:02:17 GMT
Organization: Computer Science,University of Canterbury,New Zealand
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu


In article <1992Aug11.062340.4967@u.washington.edu> rex@sics.se (Rolf
Staflin) writes:

>[mondo 2000 address etc. deleted]
>
>New Zealand
>        Propaganda
>        C.P.O. Box 582
>        Auckland, New Zealand
>        Tel: 64.09.781.582
>        Fax: 64.09.781.582
>
>  (Yes, the phone and fax numbers are identical)

Being a Kiwi, I suspect that the phone and fax numbers above probably:

        Tel: 64.9.781.582
        Fax: 64.9.781.582
                ^
                | no 0 here

but then, anyone overseas wouldn't need this info, and anyone in NZ is
probably aware of the missing 0 (only there for calling within NZ), so
I've probably just wasted 5 minutes!


Geoff Thomas
From: little@sei.cmu.edu (Reed Little)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: SCI: Timestamps... (somewhat late)
Date: 21 Aug 92 19:33:41 GMT
Organization: The Software Engineering Institute
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



In article <1992Aug3.202012.26129@newshost.lanl.gov>
harrison@beta.lanl.gov (David A. Harrison) writes:

>Back to timestamping packets...Does anyone know of a way to
>synchronize the clocks of many computers to allow useful 
>timestamping?

use either wwv or gps.  they've solved the "wan" problem.  i've heard
of computer connectable devices which use one or the other for time
determination.  dont' know of any specific ones though.

========================================================================
        reed little
        software engineering institute - carnegie mellon university
        little@sei.cmu.edu, +1.412.268.5792
From: chand@nyx.cs.du.edu (Chris Hand)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: INDUSTRY: W Industries current address?
Date: 11 Aug 92 22:13:12 GMT
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



In article <1992Aug10.164648.22231@u.washington.edu>
csg078@cck.coventry.ac.uk (~Zebedee~) writes: 

Does anyone know the address of Leicester (UK) based VR company W-Industries?

Virtuality House
3 Oswin Road
Brailsford Industrial Park      Tel. +44 533 542127
LEICESTER  LE3 1HR              Fax. +44 533 471855
UK

Chris   (virtually in Denver, physically in Leicester)
cph@leicp.ac.uk


[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  I have a different address, good as of May 1992:

Dr. Jonathan D. Waldern
Managing Director & CEO
W Industries Ltd.
26-28 Chancery Street
Leicester LE3 1HR, United Kingdom

44-533-542 127 phone
44-533-471 855 fax
From: jan_b@lysator.liu.se (Jan Besehanic)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: HUMOR: Doors Between Worlds
Date: 19 Aug 92 21:35:13 GMT
Organization: Lysator Academic Computer Society, Linkoping University, Sweden
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



avi@usl.com writes:

>In light of the discussions of doors between worlds and possible
>representations, I wanted to brainstorm (or drizzle) all of the
>permutations of a door paradigm.  We'll start with the obvious:
>
>[Many varieties of Doors deleted]
>
>Mail further suggestions to me in lieu of followup and I'll summarize.
>Avi Bar-Zeev

But you forgot the TARDIS!!

The TARDIS - Will transport you instantly into a weird and wonderful
             world built entirely of virtual cardboards and old BBC
             props.

>Speaking for myself as usual.

Speaking only for the Imperial daleks.

Jan

Jan Besehanic
email: jan_b@lysator.liu.se
New, improved .sig-file under construction.


[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  Oh no, now you've brought the Swedes into it....
-- Bob Jacobson]
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: chand@nyx.cs.du.edu (Chris Hand)
Subject: Re: INDUSTRY: W Industries current address?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 21:58:59 GMT



In article <1992Aug13.002238.15991@u.washington.edu>
cjp@robots.oxford.ac.uk (Christopher Patmore) writes:

>I've never tried this out but I think it's correct.
>
>        W Industries Ltd.
>        ITEC House
>       [ ... ]

That's an old address.  Current address is

        Virtuality House
        3 Oswin Road
        Brailsford Industrial Park
        LEICESTER   LE3 1HR
        UK
        Tel. +44 533 542127
        Fax. +44 533 471855

(I did post this address before, but the machine died while I was 
posting, so it may not have reached the outside world.)


Chris

cph@leicp.ac.uk
From: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu (Robert Jacobson)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: ADMIN: 1st Call for Vote:  sci.virtual-worlds.apps
Date: 17 Aug 92 07:47:15 GMT
Organization: WORLDESIGN, Seattle
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



-------------------------------------------
1st CALL FOR VOTE:  SCI.VIRTUAL-WORLDS.APPS
-------------------------------------------

Three weeks ago, sci.virtual-worlds moderator, Bob Jacobson, and
co-moderator, Mark De Loura, posted a CFD to discuss a new newsgroup,
sci.virtual-worlds.apps .  This new newsgroup would focus on current
and forthcoming uses of virtual-worlds technology ("virtual reality").
It would be moderator by Jacobson and De Loura, who would hand over
moderatorship of sci.virtual-worlds to new moderators selected by
its sponsor, the HIT Lab at the Washington Technology Center.

The comments we received were unanimously supportive of this new
newsgroup.  There were no suggestions for modifications (although
additional segmentations of sci.virtual-worlds were recommended).

Accordingly, we are now calling for a vote.  The vote will continue
for 30 days or, if the early results are decisive one way or the
other, we will post the results within a reasonable time and, unless
there is a protest, close the voting in 15 days.

To vote on the creation of sci.virtual-worlds:
----------------------------------------------

1.  Send all votes to: 

                cyberoid@u.washington.edu 

2.  You can do this by replying to this message or sending email
    directly to the account.

3.  If you are replying to this message, the header will 
    automatically indicate the topic.  If you are sending email
    directly to the cyberoid account, put SCI.VIRTUAL-WORLDS.APPS 
    in the "Subject:" field.

4.  For a positive vote, in the message field type:  YES.

5.  For a negative vote, in the message field type:  NO.

6.  Send nothing else in the message field, with the exception of
    your full name and/or site if it does not already appear in 
    your usual email header.


This message is being posted to news.groups, sci.virtual-worlds,
comp.human-factors, comp.simulation, comp.graphics.visualization, and
alt.cyberspace.  It will also appear on The WELL and may be forwarded
to CompuServe and GEnie.

Thank you for your vote.


Bob Jacobson                    Mark De Loura
Moderator                       Co-Moderator
sci.virtual-worlds              sci.virtual-worlds
cyberoid@u.washington.edu       madsax@u.washington.edu
                                        or
From: frankc@netcom.com (Frank Crowell)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: DESIGN: doors between worlds
Date: 19 Aug 92 16:56:21 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



Actually jumping around in cyberspace is fairly easy if the world
supports a teleport function.  I have used magic rings, journals,
spacecrafts to select a destination and 'jump' to the object.

I have also been in objects such as elavators, trains,
magic castle, lamps; I even 'jumped' into someone's inventory and
that person carried me around, until they realized what I had done.

The teleporting command can be system-wide, local to an object,
local to a region, or whatever.  Lists of destinations are easy
to handle.

One of my workshops is floating somewhere in cyberspace.  It has no
door, so no one can just walk in.  So I routinely teleport in and out.
I could expand my workshop by having a main room as 'JumpOK' and the
other rooms as locked rooms.
From: c-crm@math.utah.edu (Richard M. Coffey)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: DESIGN: Doors between virtual worlds
Date: 19 Aug 92 02:12:38 GMT
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



"EACH TO HIS OWN."

Observing this quote and John Eagan's last spiel, I came to realize
that we should be able to define our own parameters to observe the
worlds.  Kinda like we design how our homes look.

gotta go!
-the richmeister-
"Life is too short and boring."
From: speth@cats.ucsc.edu (James G. Speth)
Subject: Re: TECH: Are SEGA glasses drivable with a regular "audio" signal?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 00:42:43 GMT



When I first got my Sega glasses I used my Mac to generate a waveform
from its sound port.  I had to run the sound output from the mac into
my stereo's amplifier, and turn the volume all the way up.  This was
able to produce enough current to drive the sega glasses.

Jim Speth
speth@cats.ucsc.edu
From: jew5001@zeus.tamu.edu (WILLIAMSON, JOHN EDWARD)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: Volumetric Touch Screens
Date: 14 Aug 92 19:34:33 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Aug17.063437.23929
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



I finally bit the bullet and assembled the Powerglove and SEGA units
for my PC.  For those of you too timid to give it a try, even this
liberal arts major was able to assemble it with only a few tantrums.

Now that I am feeling cocky, I would like to build another "VR" type
of interface.  I vaguely remember reading a description of a home brew
touch screen interface in _Circuit Cellar_ (???)  by Garcia (??) a few
years ago.  The author included plans for a grid of photo-cells and
lights mounted in a frame places over the monitor.  When the light
path was broken, a signal was sent to the computer so that the
location could be calculated.  I think the author mentioned
constructing multiple frames to create a type of "volumetric touch
screen."

First, would this work in principle?

Second, my trip to the library was unsucessful.  Can someone give me a
lead on the correct spelling/title of the author/magazine or any other
leads for an interface of this type.

John Williamson
jew5001@zeus.tamu.edu
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: the Crisco Kid <idx009@cck.coventry.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: VR conference
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Eris's Restaurant
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1992 18:03:30 GMT


Hi, Bob!

> Next time, Kay, please mail relevant announcements to 
>       sci.virtual-worlds
> as well as news.announce.conferences.  Thanks.  I took
> care of this one.

I did, I did!  Well, as far as I'm concerned, I did; whether our
newsposting software is bright enough to realise that

        Newsgroups: news.announce.conferences,sci.virtual-worlds

should mail stuff to s.v-w's moderator is a moot point...

Anyway, thanks for catching the slip.  I'll check out what may have gone
wrong with our news administrator.

                                Kay
--
6'2", dark short hair, blue eyes, bisexual and horny as ....
Kay Dekker, Dept of Industrial Design, Coventry University, Coventry UK
37 Old Winnings Road, Keresley Village, Coventry   |B0 f t+ g++ k++! s+ e r p!
Phone: +44 203 838668 (work) +44 203 337865 (home) |Deflowerer-of-innocents
From: pepke@gw.scri.fsu.edu (Eric Pepke)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: SCI: Dimensions of virtual reality - are we really constrained
Date: 11 Aug 92 15:51:49 GMT
Organization: Florida State University, but I don't speak for them
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



In article <1992Aug7.091348.1314@u.washington.edu>
jonh@david.wheaton.edu (Jonathan Hayward) writes:

> In the one (extremely limited) situation when
> I've been able to work in hyperspace - writing a very simple 4
> dimensional maze program on Apple ][ series computers at the end of
> middle school - I found myself able to learn to master the mazes very
> quickly (to the point of finding them to be easier than those that
> occupy only 2 or 3 dimensions).

Sorry to be a party pooper, but this really doesn't get at the
problem.  A maze is basically a graph.  You have a node that you're on
and a set of moves that take you to other nodes.  The problem of
solving a maze is basically the problem of understanding the graph.
Some classes of maze graphs can be mapped onto a space, making the
moves correspond to "directions" in the physical sense, but that's
just a mechanism of classifying the moves.  It's pretty easy to think
in terms of an arbitrary number of degrees of freedom.  It's even
fairly easy to understand mazes that make no attempt to map their
moves onto physical dimensions at all.

The real problem is imagining a volume in 4-space.  I'll take a simple
intance that I usually use: a density volume of a thunderstorm, shrunk
down to the size of a living room.  It's easy to imagine such a volume
and how it's distributed in space.  It's easy to think in terms of
moving your hand through it in X, Y, or Z.  It's easy to think how
your hand would pass through different densities in the storm if you
moved it along an arbitrary path in X, Y, and Z.  It's easy to think
of another orthogonal axis (call it W), and it's easy to think how the
field might change if you turned the W knob, making "slices"
orthogonal to the W.  However, it is definitely NOT so easy to think
of how your hand would pass through an *arbitrary* path in X, Y, Z,
and W, i.e., one not.  It is definitely NOT so easy to grok the field
distributed through 4-space without treating one of the four axes as
special in such a way that one is really thinking about a continuum of
slices orthogonal to these axes.


Eric Pepke                                    INTERNET: pepke@gw.scri.fsu.edu
Supercomputer Computations Research Institute MFENET:   pepke@fsu
Florida State University                      SPAN:     scri::pepke
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4052                    BITNET:   pepke@fsu

Disclaimer: My employers seldom even LISTEN to my opinions.
Meta-disclaimer: Any society that needs disclaimers has too many lawyers.
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: dlwood@mailbox.syr.edu (David L Wood)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: SCI: Voxels vs. Polygons
Date: 14 Aug 92 04:12:09 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Aug17.060925.22656
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



Can two objects composed of voxels pass through one another?

How do you define rotation with voxel-objects, it seems that any
inaccuracy (inevitable?) in final coordinates would randomize the
voxel-object after significant rotations?

For >low-end< machines of the 1990's, voxels are too processor
intensive.

+-----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| dlwood@mailbox.syr.edu      | Gigs and gigs of NiCad memory, bummer.. |
| Cybernaut, with a thought.  | Why buy the leading brand; 90% hate it. |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: mimir@milton.u.washington.edu (Al Billings)
Subject: Re: TECH: SEGA light guns
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: The Friends of Loki Society
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 06:25:55 GMT



In article <1992Aug17.060407.22429@u.washington.edu>
asklingl@immd4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Andreas Klingler writes:

>I have put up a software which lets you control the mouse pointer with
>the gun on karazm.math.uh.edu (129.7.128.1) in Incoming/VR as
>AmigaGun.lha.  (Makes fun shooting at those Workbench drawers.

I tried ftping there earlier and it doesn't let me anonymous ftp. How
do I get on the machine?

Wassail,
Al Billings

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Al Billings - Anthropology Undergrad - Admin for the Troth-l Mailing List | 
| SysOp of The Sacred Grove BBS (206)634-1980 -=- mimir@u.washington.edu    |
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