Date: Thu, 2 Nov 1995 18:58:04 -0000
Subject: ANNOUNCE: Ford's VR and Visual Engineering Lab Opens
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds


From: Pierre duPont <dupontp@DIVISION.CO.UK>

Ford Inaugurates Virtual Reality and Advanced Visual Engineering Lab

Division's dVISE and dVS Software Selected for VR Application Development

Detroit, MI, October 30, 1995 -- Ford Motor Company has announced the
opening of a major new facility for developing tools and applications
in virtual reality (VR) and advanced visual engineering, and has
selected dVISE and dVS virtual reality software from Division
Inc. (Chapel Hill, N.C.) for this new generation of engineering tools
and applications . This new lab will develop tools for a variety of
engineering design and evaluation applications, including vehicle
packaging studies, design verification and a "walk-up VR station" for
designers to evaluate future generations of Ford vehicles.

dVISE is Division's interactive virtual world authoring tool that
enables users to create sophisticated virtual worlds without
programming.  dVISE is compatible with design models from the most
popular CAD/CAM and modeling software packages, which simplifies the
work required to create virtual prototypes.  dVS is the underlying run
time environment for dVISE, which takes advantage of multi-processor
and distributed computing environments, allowing multiple, remote VR
users in the same virtual environment.

dVISE will be used with Ford's existing VR peripherals, including a
Fakespace BOOM and PUSH glove, Ascension 'Flock of Birds', and Virtual
Technologies CyberGlove.

Ford will use Division's software for "human/vehicle interaction"
projects.  For example, VR will be used with proposed car dashboard
configurations to verify instrument accessibility and driver
visibility.  In another project, immersed users can load proposed car
trunk designs with virtual luggage to determine the ease of loading a
particular trunk configuration and the amount of luggage that it will
fit under normal conditions.

Ford has been exploring virtual reality since 1991.  The selection of
dVISE and dVS represents the first real-world application of VR by the
Advanced Vehicle Systems Division.  Ford's initial purchase includes
three software licenses of Division's new dVISE 3.0 and dVS 3.0 VR
software.  The software will run on several Silicon Graphics systems,
including two Onyx RealityEngine2 systems and an Indigo2 Extreme
workstation.

Division Inc. develops and markets virtual reality systems for
professional applications.  The company has U.S. headquarters in
Chapel Hill, N.C.  Division also has U.S. offices in San Diego,
Calif., Redwood City, Calif., and Detroit, Mich., as well as offices
and distributors worldwide.  In addition to Ford, Division customers
include McDonnell Douglas, NASA, Nynex, DoD, Glaxo, Matsushita, GEC,
British Telecom, GTE and Sandia National Labs.

 ###

For more information:

                Bob Cramblitt                                  Pierre duPont
                Cramblitt & Company                    Division Ltd
                +1 919-481-4599                         +44 1454 615554
                Cramblitt@cup.portal.com        dupontp@division.co.uk

Photographs are available.
See http://www.division.com for other information.
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Pierre duPont, Marketing Director          dupontp@division.co.uk
Division Limited, Bristol UK, phone: +44 1454-615554 fax: -615532