HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: geoffrey@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz (Geoff Thomas)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: Simulated motion effects used by the Disney crowd
Date: 05 Jan 1993 22:03:05 +0000 (GMT)
Organization: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



Does anyone know where I could get info on the technique that
the Disney people use in their fun parks for simulating motion?

The system I'm describing works something like this:

Users sit down in front of a small movie screen in a special
theatre. The seats aren't fixed to the floor as such, but move
in sharp jolts up/down/left/right etc. as the action on screen
is presented.

The net effect is that the viewers' eyes tell them they are
moving, and their inner ear balance thingy also tells them
that they are moving, resulting in a very realistic experience
(so I've heard).


Does anyone know where I could get more info on how these
things work, and some of the parameters that are required
(such as how quickly to move the viewer, and how much to
move them).

Cheers,
Geoff Thomas                    geoffrey@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz
Computer Science Dept.
University of Canterbury
Private Bag                             +-------+
Christchurch                            | Oook! |
New Zealand                             +-------+
From: mac20@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Michael A Cecere)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: Odd qualities of interface for SEGA 3D PC glasses ?
Date: 31 Dec 92 21:16:45 GMT
Article-I.D.: shelley.1ib6cqINNrak
Organization: Columbia University
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



Can someone suggest to me why my SEGA glasses interface works better
on one side then the other? i've tried both the 2N2222 circuit and the
555 circuit which i'm sticking with and they both do the same thing.

the left eye has quite a nice extinction ratio, can't see much of the
'R' but the right eye isn't nearly as good.

Is there a tuning for REND386 that might compensate for this?  I tried
flipping the lenses also and the problem then switched sides.  i
'think' i tried switching the lenses inside the program and i think
the problem stayed on the same side.

Thanks,
Mike Cecere
WB2ZLW

***********************************************
**** "Of course TV is a medium,            ****
***    It's not rare,                       ***
***     And it's certainly not well done."  ***
From: cmcl2!acf3.nyu.edu!gelderd@uunet.UU.NET (Dirk Van Gelder)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: Fuses for VPL dataglove model 2? anybody?
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 00:59:55 GMT
Organization: New York University
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


Hi everybody,

I'm doing a project in the NYU robotics lab using an Exos dexterous
handmaster and a polhemus as input devices to an SGI Iris. I got 
exos to work fine, but the polhemus is dead to the world. I'm using
the "black box" (don't know what else to call it) from a VPL dataglove
model 2 setup that was used with the polhemus and a dataglove, I'd only
use the polhemus. No one has used it in 4 years, no one has any manuals,
no one remembers how to set it up. Someone scavenged the fuses from the
back of the box. I have no idea what fuses to put back in. There are 
four fuses numbered 1-4, anyone know which fuses I should use?

If anyone knows the answer, could they email it to me? I don't want
to take up more bandwidth on something that isn't of general interest.

thanks-
Dirk Van Gelder
gelder@graphics.cs.nyu.edu
       -or-
gelderd@acf3.nyu.edu
From: joro@panix.com (Joe Rosen)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: Using an IBM as a dumb interface
Date: 2 Jan 93 00:38:19 GMT
Article-I.D.: shelley.1ib7u5INNsef
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



In <1hp8nuINNf80@shelley.u.washington.edu> bradw@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu
(Brad Wyble) writes:

>I'm still interested in interfacing to a Mac and I've had the
>following idea.  How feasible is it to use an IBM as a dedicated
>interface unit and have it output a signal to com port which would
>then hook to a Mac?  The IBM could constantly poll both (or more)
>gloves and keep the info handy, then the Mac would send a request for
>either glove and the IBM would send a packet of info....

A better solution might be to use a small chip-based computer that has
both digital I/O lines and a serial com port...

With such a configuration it would be possible to interface the power
glove (or any alternative input device) to the macintosh serial
port...

     i.e.

   alternative I/O device ->

                 chip computer's digital I/O port ->

       chip computer'S Serial port -> macintosh computer serial port

the Intel 8052AH-BASIC chip computer is perfect for this task...

     ... programmable in BASIC, the device can be set up to act
as an interface between custom I/O designs and a Macintosh.
From: diego@minerva.st.dsi.unimi.it (Diego Montefusco)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: Fuses for VPL dataglove model 2? anybody?
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 93 19:51:10 CET
Organization: University of Washington
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



In <9301082336.AA12030@ghost.dsi.unimi.it>, on Jan 8, you wrote:

> From: cmcl2!acf3.nyu.edu!gelderd@uunet.UU.NET (Dirk Van Gelder)
> Subject: TECH: Fuses for VPL dataglove model 2? anybody?
> Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 00:59:55 GMT
> Organization: New York University
> 
> I'm doing a project in the NYU robotics lab using an Exos dexterous
> handmaster and a polhemus as input devices to an SGI Iris. I got
> exos to work fine, but the polhemus is dead to the world. I'm using
> the "black box" (don't know what else to call it) from a VPL dataglove
> model 2 setup that was used with the polhemus and a dataglove, I'd only
> use the polhemus. No one has used it in 4 years, no one has any manuals,
> no one remembers how to set it up. Someone scavenged the fuses from the
> back of the box. I have no idea what fuses to put back in. There are
> four fuses numbered 1-4, anyone know which fuses I should use?

I checked on the DG Box I use (Model 2+). Mine has just 2 fuses
(numbered 1&2), and they're both 3/4A 250V 312. The LINE fuse is 2A
250V 312.  I don't know what those mean, because I don't know anything
of electric/ electronics...

If you also need istructions on how to use the Polhemus inside the
box, let me know.

I have a favour to ask. Could you please take some photos of the Exos
DHM (with and without a human hand inside, from some points of view)
and send them to me?? I am desperately seeking a good picture of an
DHM (because I am a journalist) and I can't find it. It would be great
for me to receive them. Thanks a lot!

Best regards (and Happy New Year!)

Diego Montefusco

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
   | Diego Montefusco     |         Computer Science Department          | 
   | Via Pirano 4         |         University of Milan - Italy          |
   | 20127 Milano         |                                              |
   | Italia               |     P L E A S E   R E P L Y   M E   T O :    |
   | +39 (0)2 27001467    |         montefus@ghost.dsi.unimi.it          |
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: micieli@ifi.unizh.ch (Roberto Micieli)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: WHO: Multimedia Lab, University of Zurich - Request info
Date: 4 Jan 93 15:17:24 GMT
Article-I.D.: ifi.1993Jan4.151724.1733
Organization: University of Zurich, Department of Computer Science
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



I am working at the Multi Media Lab of the University of Zuerich,
where we are in the process of developing a VR - System.

We are still reviewing various devices (such as HMD's, gloves etc),
but we would be interested in more products than just former VPL-stuff
and so on.

We are looking for input devices like wands, not only and exclusively
Reality Gloves, and since here in Switzerland there is not really a
lot going on in the field of VR, almost the only information we get is
through this newsgroup.

We work on several SG Workstations (we have even bought a Reality
Engine lately) and now we are looking for VR - specific devices.

If you have information on following topics, i would be glad if you
could send them to me.

Thanks a lot


Topics
_______

1. VR-Hardware (Technical specifications wanted!!)

        1.1.  Input Devices
                Gloves
                Voice Recognition
                Other devices (Flying mouse, Spaceball...)
                Eye-tracking devices
        1.2.  Output Devices
                Head Mounted Displays
                Stereo Vision in general
                Holography
                Stereo Sound
K

Roberto E. Micieli                      eMail:  micieli~F33o@rfce Feedback and o
ther output devices
11;2H@Roberto E. Micieli
2. VR - Software
1;24r
        - Is there a classification of software in VR?
1;22r   - What are the most commonly used SW-tools in VR-Systems?
12;1H   - What exactly would you want to work with on a Reality Engine and why?
12;22r
3. Options Trading with VR-Tools
1;22r
C
@@Roberto E. Micieli
Roberto E. Micieli                      eMail:  micieli@ifi.unizh.ch
Universitaet Zuerich-Irchel
Institut f. Informatik, MML
Winterthurerstrasse 190
CH - 8057 Zuerich                       FAX:    ++41 1 363 0035
From: jmvance@iastate.edu (Judy M Vance)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: BOOK?: The Virtual Corporation
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 15:31:21 GMT
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


I just read in the Des Moines Register that a book
called "The Virtual Corporation" by Davidow was one
of the business-related best-sellers of last week.
Does anyone know if this book has anything to do
with virtual reality? 

Thanks for saving me a trip to the bookstore!

Judy Vance
From: schmidt@cogsci.uwo.ca (William Schmidt)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: INFO: FTP site
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 03:58:08 GMT
Organization: University of Western Ontario, London
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu




A number of VR related ftp sites have recently encountered administrative
problems. Our site (cogsci.uwo.ca or 129.100.6.10) has picked up the
contents from two such archives. We now have a copy of the contents of
sugrfx.acs.syr.edu and will soon be adding to the contents of
karazm.math.uh.edu, including the regular glove list related materials.

Please also note that the site should soon become the distribution and
repository for Division Corp's dView transputer software and
development programs.

I hope that this will be of service to the VR community.

Thanks
Billy
From: Jeremy Thompson <100113.2636@CompuServe.COM>
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: INFO: VR Research Directory
Date: 05 Jan 93 17:02:57 EST
Organization: University of Washington
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


Details of the Directory are not yet finalised - what is is given below.

'International Directory of Virtual Reality R&D'
Edited by J B Thompson
Advisory Editors: W Bricken, J M Moshell, M Nomura, R J Stone, T Feldman, M   
    Griffin, H McClellan
Published by Meckler Corporation, CT, USA - 1993 (early '93)

Price: unknown, but discount on cover price for those who have made an entry 
to the Directory.
From: RTODD@FALCON.AAMRL.WPAFB.AF.MIL
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: HELP?: Searching for VRI helmets...
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 13:25 EDT
Organization: University of Washington
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


We are ready to launch a new company that will focus on high-end Virtual
Reality entertainment systems.  All of the technical problems have been
solved with the exception of the helmets.  Since Virtual Research (VRI) is
planning to come out with a new helmet design in June, we are looking at the
possibility of using used helmets in the interim for developing the prototypes. 

I'm sure that some of you now have VRI helmets staring at you from the shelf
since you have completed your research.  If you have a helmet that you would
be able to sell within the next 3 months, please let us know ASAP.

Thanks,
Bob

Contact Robert Todd, Engineering Solutions, Inc., Columbus, Ohio.
phone: 614-459-0344
email: rtodd@falcon.aamrl.wpafb.af.mil
From: bobp@hal.com (Bob Pendleton)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: Arbitrary input devices
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 22:44:37 GMT
Organization: HaL Computer Systems, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


>From article <1ib69aINNr9b@shelley.u.washington.edu>, by thinman@netcom.com (Te
chnically Sweet):
> 
> 
> X is a mess and structurally all wrong for VR work.

Hmm...

But, just about every high performance 3d graphics system is embedded in X.

> My system uses this technique: data is fed to X number of input filter
> objects.  When a particular object decides that input has happened, it
> sends an "Input Happened" message to its interested parties with
> itself as the argument.

This is pretty much the same way X events work. The rest of the method
you describe can be mapped on top of X without much trouble.

But, if you are working trying to get the most out a low end graphics
machine such as typical 486 class machines the transport overhead
involved in using most X systems will eat you alive.

Just rambling...

I once was part of a project that implemented a subset of Xlib
functionality (including input) as a library that talked directly to
the frame buffer, keyboard, and mouse (we had our reasons.) It worked
out quite nicely and had surprisingly good performance.

The main problem with X is transport overhead. Several companies now
have various flavors of "Direct X" that avoid the transport overhead.

"X" has grown enough that saying "X" no longer means just the stuff
you get for free from the X consortium.

                                Bob P.


-- 
Bob Pendleton             | As an engineer I hate to hear:
bobp@hal.com              |   1) You've earned an "I told you so."
Speaking only for myself. |   2) Our customers don't do that.
                   <<< Odin, after the well of Mimir. >>>
From: Frank.Taylor@lambada.oit.unc.edu (Frank Taylor)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: Sony Headset Video Screen
Date: 9 Jan 93 13:33:07 GMT
Organization: UNC Office of Information Technology
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



In article <1ikvoeINNg8n@shelley.u.washington.edu>
loewenth@neural.kodak.com (Ken Loewenthal) writes:

>Does anyone have information concerning the soon to be introduced Sony
>headset video screen. Sony has developed a prototype called Visortron,
>consisting of a headset containing tiny LCDS and headphones. The
>device, worn like ski goggles, has two 0.7-inch screens just in front
>of the eyes. A Sony spokesman said the 8.8 once Visortron would be
>aimed mainly at people on long journeys on planes, buses and trains.
>An article concerning this device recently showed up in the New York
>Times, Nov. 13th 1992.   

        There was an article in section B of the Wall Street Journal
for Friday January 8th about this device.  They were apparently
demonstrating it at CES last week.  The article described it as a TV
system which allows you to view TV as if it was 8 or 9 feet in front
of you (obviously stereoscopic).  It also implied that display allows
you to see through the screen so you can see your real surroundings.
There was no discussion about other applications or technical details.
So it's hard to say whether it has any potential for VR applications.

[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  Nope.  See below....]

   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80


[MODERATOR'S NOTE: Nope, that isn't the Sony Visortron depicted in the
WALL STREET JOURNAL.  It's the lightweight HMD made by Virtual Vision,
Inc., of Redmond, Washington, USA.  The VV "SportsGlasses" will be
available, according to the article, in April 1993.  They are not true
3D but very well could be -- and don't believe what the critics say
about the developer not being aware of industrial possibilities.  It
was created for industrial applications.  The consumer angle is merely
to get quick sales to finance better systems for industrial uses,
IMHO.  Tom Furness, who is a director in this company, wouldn't lead
them wrong. -- Bob Jacobson]
From: thinman@netcom.com (Technically Sweet)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: Arbitrary input devices
Date: 31 Dec 92 19:48:02 GMT
Organization: International Foundation for Internal Freedom
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



X is a mess and structurally all wrong for VR work.

My system uses this technique: data is fed to X number of input filter
objects.  When a particular object decides that input has happened, it
sends an "Input Happened" message to its interested parties with
itself as the argument.  The receiver object then engages in a
dialogue with the input filter object.

Input filters belong to a class structure.  The receiver can query the
type of the input filter and can talk to different types of filters
that it knows how to talk to.  Since the filters are in a class
structure, the receiver can be dumb and only know how to talk to a
parent class of the actual filter.  So, if 6dof is a subclass of 3dof,
the receiver can talk to a 6dof input as if it were a 3dof input and
just get some of the input axes.

-- 

Lance Norskog

Data is not information is not knowledge is not wisdom.
From: dsawdai@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Donald J Sawdai)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: Flaky Power Glove
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 16:59:49 GMT
Organization: The Ohio State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


I have recently connected the Power Glove to my PC compatible by
the parallel port as per the illustrious Byte article (powered from
5V off of a spare drive connector).  When I run REND386 (i.e. DEMO4,
RB, etc.), the glove has a tendency to jump around quite a bit.  I
am wondering whether this is a defective glove or most PGs are this
flaky.
"Jumping around" means that the virtual hand tends to jump all around
and occassionally off of the screen.  The user has marginally control 
over the location of the hand (the statistical mean of the hand 
location seems to be the actual location).  It has a lot of trouble
recongnizing the rotation of the wrist.  The fingers, however, 
regisiter the 2 bits of bending quite well, so the glove is 
communicating with my computer.  By rearranging the 3 sensors, I have
been able to reducing the jumping slightly, but not to any great
extent.

Also, the periodic flickering of the light array on the PG sensor
unit is occasionally interrupted while all lights remain on for
a fraction of a second.  Is this normal?  What causes it?

Also, is it possible to resize the glove to the user's hand (as per
the manual, "make a fist several times") once in hires mode?  Do
the PROG or any other key (except CENTER) on the wrist keypad have
any effect in hires mode?  What is the recommended method of resizing
the glove to the user hand size on the PC?

Thanks for any insights,

Don Sawdai

--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Generic .signature File (tm)
Name   : Donald Sawdai
Address: dsawdai@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Favorite One-Armed Euphonium Player: none
-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Generic .signature File (tm)
Name   : Donald Sawdai
Address: dsawdai@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
From: balaguer@di.epfl.ch (Jean-Francis Balaguer)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: SITE REPORT: Virtual Environment in Switzerland
Date: 5 Jan 93 09:21:17 GMT
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



I write here to describe the research done at the Computer Graphics Lab
of the Swiss Federal Intitute of Technology, in Lausanne.

Our main concern is animation and since 1990-91 we looked at the possibilies of
VR devices (DataGlove and EyePhone) for the purpose of animation. It took us
some time to get the devices but we got them before VPL closes so we have them.

Our main concern is to build an animation system where all 3D tasks
are performe d directly in the 3D world instead of through the
mediation of 2D panels. As these kind of problem is not particular to
3D animation, we worked on the design and development of a framework
to build 3D interactive applications. Since 2 years we worked on the
framework and we are getting very close to build our first animation
system on top of it.

The framework offers:

Multiple devices for input and visual as well as audio feedback
Posture and Gesture recognition for the DataGlove Data Reduction to
build time curves from sensor data.  A set of three dimensional
widgets to perform the interaction in 3D

A general hierarchical constraint maintenance mechanism. The
hierarchical constraints are used to declare multi-way relations
between active variables in the system. Active variables are variables
that are aware of their state change and that are capable to inform
their dependent of their change. The widgets are an encapsulation of
a modeling hierarchy and a behavior. The behavior is described as a
internal constraint network.

The system is developed in Eiffel and is composed of the following clusters.

Modeling, Distributed rendering, spline curves for animation, 3D widgets,
Gesture and Posture recognition, Real-time data-reduction.

For these of you who are interested in our work, some videos are available but
I am afraid that you will have to pay for the tape as we have budgets shortcuts.

For more information, e-mail me at balaguer@di.epfl.ch

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Francis Balaguer, DI/LIG Ecole Polytechnique Fed. de Lausanne CH-1015 Lausanne
E-mail : Work balaguer@di.epfl.ch, Fax: +4121 6935328
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: fsmar@acad3.alaska.edu
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: Those spinning things:
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 08:05:26 GMT
Organization: University of Alaska Fairbanks
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


In article <1i8moqINNfu8@shelley.u.washington.edu>, WITH TRUE LOVE AS WITH GHOST
: EVERYONE SPEAKS OF THEM, BUT FEW HAVE SEEN writes:
> 
> 
>    I resently went to the mall here in Richmond Kentucky and they had one
>    set up, but they were useing it as a way to exercise. The company's
>    name was ORBOTRON. The man wouldn't tell me were the comany was located but
>    he said the kits cost anywhere from 12,000 to 20,000 U.S. dollars.
> 
> ==============================================================================
=
> Robert Payne
> Computer Security Major
> Eastern Kentucky University
> STUPAYNE.EKU.BITNET
> SMAIL: 212 Calumet Dr APT 1, Richmond Ky 40475
> Voice: (606)624-2700
> ==============================================================================
=

i found something similar in jportland called an airo-trim.. the price range
was 4500$ and up.. they are sending me some more info by mail and i'll post
it when i get it in
larry