From: lm011@rrz.Uni-Koeln.DE (Alexander Tuchacek)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberspace
Subject: VRship Info
Date: 11 Jan 1993 12:40:07 GMT
Organization: Regional Computing Center, University of Cologne
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: rs1.rrz.uni-koeln.de
Keywords: Sounds


KNOWBOTIC RESEARCH - HAMBURG VR PROJECT
Thank you very much for your interest. Here is the information you
requested:

An interactive, walk-in, data base will be installed in two of the
cargo holds (originally used as freezer rooms), on the freight ship
Cap San Diego, in Hamburg harbour. 
The first cargo hold, a physical walk-in room corresponds to a self-
organising, artificial data room made up of sound data, which will be 
called up, from aroundthe world, in the form of short musical or verbal 
sound statements.Visitor will navigate through the physical room with 
the aid of anultrasonic room sensor and an artificial eye, (a small mon-
itor receiving orientation information via radio waves which is placed 
in front of one eye). The sensor and private eye allows the visitor to
be informed about, and interact, with the virtual room.
As a virtual visitor you are integrated into a computer system,
which rebuilds rules of a self-organising complex organism (a
model by Prigogine). From the characteristics of the sound
statements, these rules build an interactive system similar to a
cultural community and influence the behaviour of the carriers of
musical and verbal data (the agents).  The visitor can make contact
with these 'agents' as he navigates through the room, and can
activate their sound information, producing a real-time concert in
the physical room.
The resulting virtual reality, with constantly changing new
structures of agent groups, can be observed at all times from the
control room (the second cargo hold). Information about progress in
the virtual room is displayed via a large video projection. Further
monitors inform the visitor about the arrival and geographic origin
of the sounds in the data bank, the state and developments in the
real, and artistic sound room, and describe the use of the ultrasonic
sensor and the artificial eye display.

How to send sound files to KR+cF:
Please send your sound files in AIFF format (audio interchange file
format, see Inside Macintosh, Volume VI", chapter 22: p. 22-33).
We can also read next and wave formats. You may send standard
audio tapes or DAT tapes with your recording as well.
The sample should be a sound statement and express your
personal attitude towards the world. What we need is musical
material, verbal sound or noise, which can be collected in and help
to create our virtual space. Your sound sample should be in mono
and about 6 seconds. It might be a good idea to use your name and
country as a file name, e.g. mike_mueller_germany.aiff.
Let us know if anything is not clear.

This is your chance to be part of a unique virtual enviroment,
which will be explored by many visitors during the duration of the
exhibition.  We look forward  receiving your statements and
incorporating your  contribution into the virtual room
Please send it as soon as possible.
Specific information on how to send us your details:
Parameters (preferred:  8 bit,  32 kHz):
        length:                   max. 6 seconds
        resolution:             8, 12 or 16 bit
        sample rate:            22, 32 or 44.1 kHz
        sound type:             mono
Sending your file (e.g. mike_mueller_germany.aiff):
via UNIX mail (INTERNET) type the following at the UNIX prompt:
        uuencode mike_mueller_germany.aiff mike_mueller_germany.aiff | \
        mail  krcf_snd@khm.uni-koeln.de
via anonymous ftp type the following at the UNIX prompt:
        ftp obelix.khm.uni-koeln.de
        anonymous               /* enter anonymous as login name   */
        your_name               /* enter your name as password     */
        bin                     /* switch to binary transfer mode  */
        send mike_mueller_germany.aiff
via COMPUSERVE (e.g.  on Apple Macintosh):
    use the program BinHex or STUFFIT to translate the binary sound
    file into ASCII code. your file must be less than 560 KByte which
    can be achieved by using the preferred parameters of 8 bit
    resolution and 32 kHz sample rate.
    In COMPUSERVE enter the following commands:
        go mail
        3                                     (upload a message)
        2                                     (select a protocol)
        1                                     (e.g. XMODEM/protocol)
        1                                     (ASCII transfer type)
        mike_mueller_germany.aiff.ascii               (file name)
        1                                     (send)
        >INTERNET:krcf_snd@khm.uni-koeln.de
        aiff file                             (subject)
        aiff file                             (subject)
        your_name                             (your name)

If you send us a standard audio tape or dat, please post it to:
Knowbotic Research
Weyerstrasse 49
5000 Cologne 1
Germany
We will send your material back.
Thank you for your support.
Christian Huebler