HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jason@MERCURY.CS.UREGINA.CA (Jason Breti)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: APPS: VR Systems using Intelligence in other Parts of the Body
Date: 24 Jul 92 04:26:55 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Jul24.051612.17456
Organization: University of Regina
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



I'm posting this question for a friend...

At UNC (University of Northern Carolina) the molecular docking
apparatus developed by Fredrick Brooks allows a non-chemist to form
new medicines by using his or her "proprioception"... which is the
brain's way of knowing where one limb is in relation to another.  In
other words, the VR apparatus lets you solve a complex problem of
physical chemistry by applying the 'intelligence' required when you
move your arms, twist your wrists, push and pull against resistant
forces, and so on.

Are there other areas of VR research that allow people to use
non-traditional aspects of our intelligence?
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: Jeremiah.Blatz@dartmouth.edu (Jeremiah Blatz)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: SEGA light guns
Date: 23 Jul 92 18:42:24 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Jul24.050912.17067
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



In article <dZR-rLB@engin.umich.edu>
bovine@engin.umich.edu (Mitchell Rohde) writes:

>   Sega light "phasers" : are they good for anything?
>   What is in them?  How did they work?
> 
>   I can buy one surplus here for about $10.....

Well, I took apart my Nintendo light gun and came up with the
following.

Known:
There is a lens in the muzzle, then what appears to be a photo-{diode,
resistor} behind it. The light sensor is attached to a small circut
board with some resistors and capicitors on it.
The trigger is connected to a micro-switch (duhhh).
The micro-switch and small circut board are connected to a larger, more
complicated circut board in the handle. This board is connected to the
cable which leades to the deck.
These appear to be the only inputs, there don't appear to be any
outputs (except for the cable).

My thoughts:
I think that the photo-thingie is a photo-resistor. It either acts
differently when exposed to different frequencies or amplitudes of
light. The controlles sends the gun various colors/brightnesses of
light to watch for. When you pull the trigger, the gun opens the circut
that goes through the photo-resistor, and the resistor sends back a
signal to the gun board. If the amprege is the one associated with one
of the colors/brightnesses that the deck requested, the gun sends a
signal to the deck.
I must say that I'm not all that strong on this stuff, so please take
that into account when reading this/correcting me/flaming me.
I intend to test my theories a little by shooting various things with
the gun. I will, of course, post my results.

Jeremiah
jerbl@dartmouth.edu
From: machin@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Dave Machin)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: SCI: Full body interaction methods
Date: 22 Jul 92 04:09:08 GMT
Organization: Purdue University
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



My associate and I have developed what we consider to be a very
practical method for allowing full body interaction (ie., walking,
jumping, climbing stairs, etc) within a VR without using real space.

I was wondering what the level of developement of full body
interaction of this nature is the the field.  Can anyone tell me of
the latest techniques?


Dave Machin
machin@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
From: lonachon@anu.edu.au (andrew longhorn )
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: Toshiba glasses
Date: 23 Jul 92 01:55:04 GMT
Organization: Australian National University
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



For anyone in Australia interested in getting them, I rang reel-3d
direct (or you could fax them) which cost me about $6 and gave them my
address and visa number, the cost is $US75 for the glasses (as you
know) and $US10 for seamail (a few months) or $US30 for airmail (they
quoted me 2-3 weeks).

The interface is IDENTICAL (same plug as well) to the sega glasses and
apparently are better made with very large shutter lenses and rigid
head band.

Anyone else setting up "hobby" VRs in Australia?

Bye for now,

Andyroo.
From: s047@sand.sics.bu.oz.au (Jeremy Lee)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: WHO REQUEST: Looking for Mike Gigante, VR researcher at Melbourne U
Date: 22 Jul 92 05:56:57 GMT
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



I'm trying to reach anyone at Melbourne University, and most
specifically Mike Gigante(?). I've just been talking with Prof. Peter C.
Poole, and he has given me that name to contact.

***********************************************************************
*    . Jeremy Lee s047@sand.sics.bu.oz.au    Student of Everything    *
*   /|            "Where the naked spotless intelect is without       *
*  /_|              center or circumference. Look to the light,       *
* /  |rchimedes      Leland, look to the light" - Dale Cooper         *
***********************************************************************
From: msimon@physics.ucla.edu (Simon)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: Power Gloves for sale
Date: 25 Jul 92 00:59:31 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Jul26.074558.8932
Organization: UCLA Department of Physics
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu


In article <1992Jul23.030827.12673@u.washington.edu> ingalls@cs.dal.ca (Colin In
galls) writes:
>
>
>As the subject says, I have a few Nintendo Power Gloves
>I would like to sell.  They are all large  which I think
>is about a men's medium.  They cost $100 (+ shipping,
>which should be <= $10 I think).
>
>Colin I.
>

I can't really believe that $100 is the going rate for power gloves.  I
have a supply of new large Mattel/Nintendo power gloves that I will
happily sell for $50 including shipping to anywhere in the US.  Other
places may be extra.  $5 extra for COD.  Please send orders only
to:                Martin Simon
                   P.O. Box 25231
                   Los Angeles CA 90025

msimon@physics.ucla.edu
From: madsax@milton.u.washington.edu
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: URGENT ADMIN REQUEST: madsax needs a SIGGRAPH local dial-in!
Date: 24 Jul 92 08:12:20 GMT
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu


URGENT!
------
 
Could you post a message for me to sci.v-w and see if anyone knows
of a local dial-in I can call in Chicago so that I can do the newsgroup
this weekend?  I'll do long-distance if I have to, but I'd rather not.
*grin*

Mark De Loura
Co-Moderator
From: vernon@blueeyes.kines.uiuc.edu (vernon)
Subject: Re: APPS: VR Systems using Intelligence in other Parts of the Body
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 10:59:02 GMT


In article <1992Jul24.051612.17456@u.washington.edu> jason@MERCURY.CS.UREGINA.CA
 (Jason Breti) writes:
>
>
>I'm posting this question for a friend...
>
>At UNC (University of Northern Carolina) the molecular docking
>apparatus developed by Fredrick Brooks allows a non-chemist to form
>new medicines by using his or her "proprioception"... which is the
>brain's way of knowing where one limb is in relation to another.  In
>other words, the VR apparatus lets you solve a complex problem of
>physical chemistry by applying the 'intelligence' required when you
>move your arms, twist your wrists, push and pull against resistant
>forces, and so on.
>
>Are there other areas of VR research that allow people to use
>non-traditional aspects of our intelligence?
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Is this the non-traditional aspect of our intelligence which allows us
to locomote, communicate verbally, seek out information, run, skip, leap,
catch, throw, carry.... 

It seems that while the focus of attention in much VR research is on
visual information many people have not had their eyes opened to the
multi-modal sophistication of the human perception-action system.


--Vernon McDonald
  Department of Kinesiology
                ^^^^^^^^^^^


-- 

---------------------------------------------------------------
Vernon McDonald                         vmcdonald@uiuc.edu
Department of Kinesiology,              office:  (217)-333-8561
University of Illinois,                 FAX:     (217)-244-7322
Urbana, IL, 61801                       Home:    (217)-344-1145
From: steve@cse.fau.edu (Steve Smith)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: INFO: a few questions
Date: 25 Jul 92 05:58:19 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Jul26.074639.9003
Organization: Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu


I am new here; in fact, I am new to VR.  I am thinking about implementing/
developing a virtual world over the next 3 years and I have a few questions
while I'm getting started.  Unfortunately, no one here knows anything
detailed about the subject. :-/

First: What are some good references that would bring me up to the current
developments in the field?

Second:
The hardware platforms that I will be using are largely dictated by
the available resources and I would like comments/advice as to how well
I can expect to do with what I've available.  I have unlimited access
to bunch of Sun hardware and I have almost unlimited time on a DECmpp
(a SIMD massively parallel box) that I have some experience with.  Has
any work been done on (SIMD) parallel processing in VR?  It is clear
how this could be used for rendering but has anyone come up with any
other tasks amenable to parallel execution?  If I used a Sun or a PC
for a graphics/input, what would the parallel machine be useful for,
if anything?  Any input would be appreciated.
                                        -Steve
-- 
      ___________________________________________________________
     (_____    |   (______    Internet: steve@cse.fau.edu
___________)___|__________)   Bitnet:   S_SMITH@FAUVAX
From: dstamp@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Dave Stampe-Psy+Eng)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: My standard is better than your standard
Date: 24 Jul 92 13:30:40 GMT
Article-I.D.: watserv1.BrwAv4.LCy
Organization: University of Waterloo
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu


Here's an interesting note to the user-nonuser object discussion.
To grasp or move an inanimate object, you can temporarily make it part of
your user object.  To do this, you get possession of of the object
(exclusive control) by handshake messages to the object's control
process (this also prevents multiple users from moving an object).

Now that you own the object, you can manipulate it in real-time.
This ability to do real-time operations is important if it's to
be VR and not just a slow system.  Only when you do special things
(hit something with the object, put it down, etc) do you need to 
exchange messages.  And if the object has special characteristics
(doors have constrained motion, heavy objects can be slid but not 
lifted) these characteristics should be sent (if required) with the
object ownership message.  This also helps manipulation be real-time.

In summary, the user-nonuser in a large part is similar to the manipulation
and ownwership question.  That is, who moves the object?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| My life is Hardware,                    |                              | 
| my destiny is Software,                 |         Dave Stampe          |
| my CPU is Wetware...                    |                              | 
| Anybody got a SDB I can borrow?         | dstamp@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca |
__________________________________________________________________________
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: stuart@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz (Stuart Ralston)
Subject: TECH: Virtual Ball Handler?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 09:08:07 GMT



Has anyone got code for ball handling with a Power Glove?

 \||||||/
 / o  o \          ___  ____  stuart@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz
 \ /  \ /         /__    /   /  /        
  (    )         ___/   /   /__/     
   \__/
From: madsax@u.washington.edu (Mark A. DeLoura)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: INFO: Sci.virtual-worlds meetings at SIGGRAPH
Date: 25 Jul 92 00:08:21 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Jul26.074525.8861
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu


Well, so far we have set two times for meeting other members of 
sci.virtual-worlds at SIGGRAPH '92 in Chicago.

On Wednesday at 5pm there will be a meeting at the concierge desk
in the Hyatt.

Also, on Tuesday there will be a theoretical gathering at 7:45 in front
of the Electronic Theatre entrance.

Keep an eye on the Birds-of-a-Feather board for further developments.

Hope to see you all there!
        ---Mark

===============================================================================
 Mark A. DeLoura      madsax@hitl.washington.edu      University of Washington
         deloura@cs.unc.edu  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
                sci.virtual-worlds co-moderator/librarian
From: Graham.Bradley@regina.cs.uregina.ca
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH REQUEST: VR Demo System for Mac IIsi
Date: 27 Jul 92 19:33:21 GMT
Organization: SaskTel
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



We are interested in purchasing two turnkey VR demo systems to run on
the Mac IIsi platform.   Please reply with description, price and
delivery.
From: machin@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Dave Machin)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: WHO REQUEST: Looking for Dr. Anne Balsamo
Date: 21 Jul 92 20:29:18 GMT
Organization: Purdue University
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



I am looking for the E-Mail address of Dr. Anne Balsamo (hope I spelled that
correctly) who attended the Dragon-Con convention on the weekend of the 18th.

I heard your cyberspace seminar and found it very interesting and was
surprised when you mentioned sci.virtual-worlds.

Thanks in advance,

Dave Machin
machin@mentor.cc.purdue.edu


[MODERATOR'S NOTE: Anne, can you send it to me too?  I can't find it
in the sci.virtual-worlds Roll Call. -- Bob Jacobson (cyberoid@u.
washington.edu)]
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: Jeremy Lee <s047@sand.sics.bu.oz.au>
Subject: Re: TECH: My standard is better than your standard.
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 12:15:12 GMT


I have one question that I use to deliniate the good schemes presented
here from the bad ones. So far it has been very usefull, and so far the
only one that I have seen that will accept it as a matter of course is
my own. Hopefully someone can prove me wrong.

Is your favorite method for implementing a VR capable of handling
object(s) that work in four dimensions? And mixing them with objects
that work in three?

***********************************************************************
*    . Jeremy Lee s047@sand.sics.bu.oz.au    Student of Everything    *
*   /|            "Where the naked spotless intelect is without       *
*  /_|              center or circumference. Look to the light,       *
* /  |rchimedes      Leland, look to the light" - Dale Cooper         *
***********************************************************************
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: bar-zeev@tortoise.cis.ohio-state.edu (avi bar-zeev)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: Text interfaces
Date: 22 Jul 92 14:22:56 GMT
Organization: The Ohio State University, Department of Computer
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



I like the idea of a virtual monitor WITHIN the virtual world.  You
can either use texture mapping to render the text/graphics in 3-D or
modify scalable font routines to draw in 3-D instead of 2-D.  I can
imagine a virtual monitor resting in space, maybe even with controls
which mimic real controls (brightness, on/off, etc).  The user can, of
course, rotate and pull the monitor as close as he/she wants without a
"mom" jumping out and warning us about going blind.

As for input, when we have fast update, tactile feedback, and two
gloves per person, a virtual keyboard with realistic action (in any
style - manual, electric, computer, etc) might be possible, although
it might not be practical.

There may be a better way, though. I don't remember if it was this
group or comp.human-factors which was talking about using Sign
language in VR.  I don't know the current state of gesture
recognition, though.

Then again, there's always speech recognition...

Avi
From: Charles.Y.Hitchcock@dartmouth.edu (Charles Y. Hitchcock)
Subject: TECH: PowerGlove interface doc's?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 01:24:10 GMT



Any information publically available (FTP-able?) that describes the
PowerGlove interface, pinout, and/or internals?


[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  For Charles and others, please first check the
archives.  I'm quite sure there's stuff of this type in there:

        milton.u.washington.edu
        /public/virtual-worlds/...

Use the FAQ for an index. -- Bob Jacobson]
From: bovine@engin.umich.edu (Mitchell Rohde)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: SEGA light guns
Date: 22 Jul 92 05:20:05 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



  Sega light "phasers" : are they good for anything?
  What is in them?  How did they work?

  I can buy one surplus here for about $10.....
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: salnick@dejavu.spk.wa.us (There is no substitute for displacement...)
Subject: Re:  TECH: Re: World Descriptions
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1992 13:18:43 GMT



I have been following this discussion with great interest, since I
believe that it represents the first (real, public) conceptual design
of distributed VR.  

My $0.02 worth: Assume that the ONLY constraint is network bandwidth.
Do everything you can to minimize traffic over the net - even if this
means more work for the VRStation.  In fact, USE CPU wherever possible
to minimize network traffic.  Remember, 100 MIPS VRStations will be
available this year, and the curve is steepening.  (And the Net is
getting busier all the time...)

For what it is worth, I think that the minimum traffic will result if
objects are responsible for themselves.  That is, the VRStation
originating an object should be fully responsible for it (except for
its actual rendering - this would be the responsibility of each of the
other VRStations on the net... if the object is within the 'range of
interest').

--
Bob Salnick, Spokane,WA |  Home: salnick@dejavu.spk.wa.us
  Amiga 1000, WB 1.3    |  Work: mfgsys!salnick@kaiser.spk.wa.us
      WA9BVE            |
From: dbell@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: UForce Controller?
Date: 26 Jul 92 00:20:11 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Jul26.074924.9212
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu


Does anyone have any experience with the Broderbund UForce Controller
for Nintendo? I've seen it on the shelf, and it appears to be a
3-D triangulating controller compatible with the Power Glove...

If so, I would assume it has (some of) the same data format.

At $30, it looks like a reasonable bargain, compared to the
P.G....

Dave
dbell@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: broehl@sunee.waterloo.edu (Bernie Roehl)
Subject: Re: TECH: My standard is better than your standard.
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 15:02:06 GMT


In article <1992Jul26.075023.9336@u.washington.edu> s047@sand.sics.bu.oz.au (Jer
emy Lee) writes:
>Why a world time scale? If I want a process over here going at 1
>nanaosecond per second, and another over there going at 2 nanoseconds
>per second, does that mean I can't?

The speed at which your process runs is up to you (and to the hardware :-) )

However, if we agree that some sort of timestamping is desireable, we have
to agree on a "tick" length unit for any given world.  Different worlds can,
of course, each have their own time scale.

>What if I go straight from a world in which I had scaled
>myself up to galaxy size, then I zap over to another world that it at,
>as you say, the size of single cell.  I've got to be able to see what I
>am doing before I re-scale myself

>Answer: Use 128 bit numbers, and "actual size" scaling.

The trouble with 128 bit numbers is the overhead involved in processing them
(and transmitting them over networks).  For a VW to be useful, it has to have 
reasonable performance.

-- 
        Bernie Roehl, University of Waterloo Electrical Engineering Dept
        Mail: broehl@sunee.waterloo.edu OR broehl@sunee.UWaterloo.ca
        BangPath: uunet!watmath!sunee!broehl
        Voice:  (519) 885-1211 x 2607 [work]
From: nhaldar@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Neil A Haldar)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: INFO: _VR Playhouse_ Questions
Date: 24 Jul 92 13:45:41 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Jul26.074247.8426
Organization: The Ohio State University
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



I was at the bookstore the other day, and ran across a 1/4" thick paperback 
that I honestly knew nothing about.  Here's the info on the book.

Title:  _VR Playhouse_
Author: Nicholas Lavroff
Publ.:  The Waite Group

Includes an IBM 3.5" floppy and a pair of those obscene red/blue 3D glasses.

ISBN:  1-878739-19-0
Cost:  $22.95


Flipping through the book, basically what I got out of it was a paraphrasing of
articles and other books I had read. Like, no new material. (i.e.; the same VPL
and Sense8 screen shots, same basic products were mentioned (VPL's DataGlove, 
etc.))

What intrigued me was the PC disk.  What's on it?  Has anyone bought the book 
and can comment on the contents of the floppy?  Anything exciting?

Thanks for the help, gang. :)
Cheers!
-Neil
+===============================+==========================================+
|  Neil Alexander Haldar        | INet: nhaldar@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu  |
|  266 1/2  Buttles Avenue      | America Online: NeilH [@aol.com]         |
|  Columbus, Ohio  43215        | the WELL: neilh@well.sf.ca.us            |
|  Voice/Fax: 614.299.8529      |                                          |
+===============================+==========================================+
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: bovine@engin.umich.edu (Mitchell Rohde)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: Urgent request for PowerGloves!
Date: 23 Jul 92 05:52:47 GMT
Article-I.D.: engin.a4R-RP=
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



  I have a source that sells them for $40 a piece.

  If you want, I could buy/send em to you if you cover the
 expenses...

                    mitch   bovine@CAEN.engin.umich.edu

[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: fblau@well.sf.ca.us (Frank Blau)
Subject: TECH REQUEST: Acoustical 3D etc...
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 13:05:06 GMT



I am looking for any research, opinions, contacts, or experiences of people
doing research on acoustical aspects of VR.

Thank You

John Soule
333 Old Mill Rd. #180
Santa Barbara, CA  93117

805-964-5128

Thanks!
-- 
*********************************************************
Frank J. Blau     (203)761-7291       fblau@well.sf.ca.us
        "'cause cheap is how I feel"
        "Joe Bob says check it out!"