VizWorld.com

At the University of Leeds, researchers are working on a project called ‘ImREAL’ to bridge the real-world and virtual-world for training environments.  Hoping to avoid inevitable budget cuts that tend to slaughter training programs in every line of work, a virtual-world training program could be more inexpensive, and they’ve found even more effective than the real thing.

The €4 million research project involves an interdisciplinary team of computer scientists, psychologists, business and social scientists, experts in adult learning and two SMEs who produce training software, from across Europe. Radically new intelligent technologies for learning will be developed by adopting the latest advances in computerized learning tools such as Semantic Web, context modelling, and dialogic interaction. Technical implementation will be grounded in sound socio-pedagogical theories, such as ‘activity’ theory, andragogy, and self-regulated learning.

via Virtual training gets real! – University of Leeds.

Science research, training, virtual environment

projectiondesign and Motek Medical have collaborated in creation of the CAREN, Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment.  The CAREN combines three edge-blended F125′s from projectiondesign to create a 180-degree panoramic image in front of the pateint, and combines it with a motion captures system and tradmill to create a virtual world that responds to the patient’s movements.

“The projectors need to fulfil a number of requirements. First of all you need high resolution to ensure an accurate image. Then you need a high refresh rate, because motion is a key part of CAREN and the image has to remain natural without any artefacts. You also need consistent colour because, when you are combining the images from three projectors together to form a seamless environment, you can’t afford to have any deviation in colour between them. Finally, in many of these projects, space is limited, so you need the option of wide-angle lenses to minimize the distance between the projectors and the cylindrical screen.

“I’m delighted to say that the projectiondesign F12 projectors fulfilled all these criteria, and the end users in both installations are extremely happy with the results they are getting from their systems.”

It’s like the next generation of the CAVE.

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Science biomed, motek, projectiondesign, rehabilitation, virtual environment

You weren’t cool or old enough to be present at the historic fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989?  How about now via virtual time travel in Twinity?

Walk through one of the open-air wall museum gateways at the Brandenburg Gate, Potsdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie, and four other locations in Twinity and step back in time to 1989. From the Brandenburg Gate to Checkpoint Charlie – a 2 km, interactive stretch of the Berlin Wall including the infamous death strip will appear before your eyes.

Background information on the history of the GDR, from the building of the wall to German reunification, can be found at key points along the way.

Twinity.com | The Berlin Wall In Twinity

Graphics history, secondlife, twinity, virtual environment, virtual worlds

Manpower inc, a company specializing in employment services, will be hosting an hourlong discussion entitled “The Evolution of the Virtual Workforce” this Tuesday in Second Life.  They’ve got Don Tapscott, author of Wikinomics, and Amanda Van Nuys, Linden Lab Executive Director, scheduled to speak along with several other big names.

“Since we established our presence in Second Life two years ago, social networks have completely evolved the labor market,” said Manpower Inc. Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres. “Now, every social network has some underlying current related to job searching or career development. We are seeing the emergence of a flexible new model for virtual work, led by entrepreneurial, tech-savvy individuals who dictate when, where and how they work. We are focused on what motivates and interests this new breed of workers, giving us the ability to create practical solutions that help our clients attract, engage and retain winning talent.”

via Manpower Convenes Avatar Thought Leaders – Hypergrid Business.

Graphics, Science conference, manpower, secondlife, virtual environment

A beta project named “ScienceSim”, aimed at building 3D technologies for visualizing 3D information on the web, will be operating a virtual world for Supercomputing09.  Based on the open source package OpenSim, it’s effectively a Second-Life world for discussion of topics related to SC09.

Full instructions for connecting are available on their website.

ScienceSim » start.

Science conference, opensim, sciencesim, secondlife, supercomputing, virtual environment

If you’re near Kolkata City in India sometime in the near future, you might want to check out the Science City Bypass address.  They are in the process of installing an immersive “edutainment” system to create immersive environment recreations of such spectacles as Mt Everest, the moon, and the Amazon Rainforest.

It is in this hall that the 3D Immersive Visualization Facility will be installed. “This is a technology that makes a virtual situation feel real. For instance in the Mt Everest programme the situation around you will be set in such a mode that you will actually feel you are standing on top of the world s tallest peak “

via Trip to the moon at Science City – Kolkata – Cities – The Times of India.

Hardware education, edutainment, immersive, india, virtual environment

Another interesting tech-demo coming out of E3 is from Peter Molyneux’s “Milo”.  Combining the horsepower of the Xbox 360 with their new Project Natal motion tracking system, they’ve developed a “Virtual Person” that you can interact with.  Peter Molyneux has long had a reputation for pushing the barrier on games, with Black and White and again with Fable, but this is a whole new arena he’s entered.

More than a game, it’s a social experiment.  What is necessary to make the world seem real to a viewer?  What is Real?  Obviously Milo is not truly intelligent or self aware, but what tricks can be used to make the user think Milo is self-aware?  I suspect that there will be a slew of psychological papers published about this, if it ever makes it to market.

See a video of Milo after the break.  Also, you can see some of the neat tricks they play with the motion tracking, such as the User’s reflection in the water during interacting with it.

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Graphics, Hardware, Science artificial intelligence, e3, microsoft, milo, virtual environment, virtual reality, xbox360

Purdue has created a virtual clean-room with a system like a Mechdyne CAVE for training pharmacists on the real-world environments they’ll be maneuvering.  The system is part of Purdue’s Envision Center of Data Perceptualization.

The simulator runs in a multiwall immersive environment at the Envision Center and will work on wall-sized panels and portable display systems, too. The equipment employs 3-D glasses and a wireless controller something like a Nintendo Wii’s to put users in the middle of the virtual world being projected and allow them to navigate and manipulate it. Head-tracking capability adjusts the view as a user looks around, or “walks” through, the environment, which is detailed down to the labels on the medicine bottles. The software also has been modified to run on desktop and laptop computers.

Video of the environment after the break.

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Science biomed, purdue, virtual environment