BABYL OPTIONS: -*- rmail -*- Version: 5 Labels: Note: This is the header of an rmail file. Note: If you are seeing it in rmail, Note: it means the file has no messages in it.  1, deleted,, Mail-from: From owner-virtu-l@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU Thu Nov 23 17:26:47 1995 Received: from vmd.cso.uiuc.edu (vmd.cso.uiuc.edu [128.174.5.98]) by hitl.hitl.washington.edu (8.7.1/8.6.12) with SMTP id RAA15443 for ; Thu, 23 Nov 1995 17:26:43 -0800 (PST) Received: from VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU by vmd.cso.uiuc.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 1644; Thu, 23 Nov 95 19:27:31 CST Received: from VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@UIUCVMD) by VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 4988; Thu, 23 Nov 1995 19:27:29 -0600 Received: from VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU by VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU (LISTSERV release 1.8b) with NJE id 8437 for VIRTU-L@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU; Thu, 23 Nov 1995 19:27:22 -0600 Received: from UIUCVMD (NJE origin SMTP@UIUCVMD) by VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 4982; Thu, 23 Nov 1995 19:27:22 -0600 Received: from fridge.hitl.washington.edu by vmd.cso.uiuc.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with TCP; Thu, 23 Nov 95 19:27:21 CST Received: by fridge.hitl.washington.edu; id AA10576; Thu, 23 Nov 1995 17:26:22 -0800 Message-ID: <490nib$cn9@tkhut.sojourn.com> Date: Thu, 23 Nov 1995 02:50:51 GMT Reply-To: "Sci.Virtual-Worlds" Sender: "VR / sci.virtual-worlds" From: "Sci.Virtual-Worlds" Organization: Sojourn Systems. Lansing, MI (USA) Subject: MISC: Virtual i-O i-glasses! Group Purchase... To: Multiple recipients of list VIRTU-L *** EOOH *** Date: Thu, 23 Nov 1995 02:50:51 GMT Reply-To: "Sci.Virtual-Worlds" Sender: "VR / sci.virtual-worlds" From: "Sci.Virtual-Worlds" Organization: Sojourn Systems. Lansing, MI (USA) Subject: MISC: Virtual i-O i-glasses! Group Purchase... To: Multiple recipients of list VIRTU-L From: jgoggan@sojourn1.sojourn.com (John Goggan) Well, the group purchase of the Virtual i-O i-glasses! units is now complete -- and, in my opinion (and others since they've been mailing me about it), it went very well! All of the US buyers (but one -- who hasn't sent his payment yet) received their units last week! Some international ones are on the way still... In any case, I hadn't used the VIO unit before buying one with the group, and I want to say that I am quite happy with it. The clarity is quite nice (you pay for that a little bit in loss of "immersion" feel, but it was worth it for me). The tracker feels responsive. Long story short: I just plain really like it! Good stuff! (Plus, when you just want to kick back and relax, it makes for a very exciting game of Daytone USA on a Sega Saturn -- just tried that this weekend and had to go right out and buy the Sega steering wheel so that I could REALLY pretend to be in the driver's seat... heh... :) Others in the group have written and expressed similar reactions, so I believe that everyone is happy with their HMDs... Just wanted to let everyone know that the group purchase is now compelte -- and everything worked out well. I'm looking into more things for the future... I'll keep you updated! - John... P.S. Also, Virtual i-O has given us permission to buy more units in small quantities at the group purchase price ($725 to your door) for a limited time (which isn't determined yet). I already have at least two interested in buying soon after Thanksgiving -- so if anyone else is interested that didn't get in the first time, please let me know and I'll take care of it!  1, deleted,, Mail-from: From owner-virtu-l@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU Thu Nov 23 17:29:16 1995 Received: from vmd.cso.uiuc.edu (vmd.cso.uiuc.edu [128.174.5.98]) by hitl.hitl.washington.edu (8.7.1/8.6.12) with SMTP id RAA18561 for ; Thu, 23 Nov 1995 17:29:10 -0800 (PST) Received: from VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU by vmd.cso.uiuc.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 1656; Thu, 23 Nov 95 19:29:57 CST Received: from VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@UIUCVMD) by VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 5048; Thu, 23 Nov 1995 19:29:21 -0600 Received: from VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU by VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU (LISTSERV release 1.8b) with NJE id 8467 for VIRTU-L@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU; Thu, 23 Nov 1995 19:29:13 -0600 Received: from UIUCVMD (NJE origin SMTP@UIUCVMD) by VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 5044; Thu, 23 Nov 1995 19:29:13 -0600 Received: from fridge.hitl.washington.edu by vmd.cso.uiuc.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with TCP; Thu, 23 Nov 95 19:29:11 CST Received: by fridge.hitl.washington.edu; id AA11950; Thu, 23 Nov 1995 17:28:12 -0800 Message-ID: <199511230808.TAA11801@mozart.ph.unimelb.EDU.AU> Date: Thu, 23 Nov 1995 19:08:05 +1100 Reply-To: "Sci.Virtual-Worlds" Sender: "VR / sci.virtual-worlds" From: "Sci.Virtual-Worlds" Subject: APPS: Visit to Integra Australia To: Multiple recipients of list VIRTU-L *** EOOH *** Date: Thu, 23 Nov 1995 19:08:05 +1100 Reply-To: "Sci.Virtual-Worlds" Sender: "VR / sci.virtual-worlds" From: "Sci.Virtual-Worlds" Subject: APPS: Visit to Integra Australia To: Multiple recipients of list VIRTU-L From: John Costella While over here in Adelaide I thought I'd take the time to chase down the folks at Integra Pty Ltd, one of Australia's few established commercial entities distributing, consulting and developing applications for virtual worlds technology. Since I didn't have much to report on when I was Australasian co-moderator of the now-defunct sci.virtual-worlds.apps :-(, I thought I'd atone for my sins by reviewing my visit to Integra for those that are interested. Visit to Integra Australia Pty Ltd ================================== Let me begin by saying that Integra belongs to the small class of VR companies (some others of which participate here in sci-vw) that are truly application-driven, rather than gadget-driven. This seems to have come from the MD's experience with the Department of Defence. The company itself was founded six years ago, to provide consultancy services to DoD and the Defence and Science Technology Organisation at Salisbury. It won a major software support contract (5 years) in conjuction with two major Australian companies (BHP and AWA) for over-the- horizon radar, and has since won further contracts with Telstra (telephone) and GEC Marconi, as well as the DoD. So they don't sound like a VR company, right? Well, the consultancy business is definitely paying the bills. But about four years ago they decided they'd need something of a more long-term basis for their existence, so they began to do their homework on the development of software, in the areas of visualisation and medical systems. Still doesn't quite sound like fair dinkum VR, right? Well another Mission of theirs is to establish themselves as *The* VR company in Australia. Let there be no doubt here---you walk into their office and you see Virtual Reality posted right there on the wall. They are not shirking from the bad press (and the trivialisation) that the term "VR" has achieved in this country. They're telling their clients that VR is a serious technology, plain and simple. Let me back up a step, though, to before I walked into their office. That morning, I had rung Integra's phone number, and asked for Alan Yates (the convenor of the AusiVR 94 conference). The secretary pushed the wrong button, and I heard her tell someone that "John someone from Melbourne is calling". Hardly a good introduction! But without any idea who on earth I was, Alan Yates did indeed talk to me. It turns out he is the MD of Integra. I didn't find that out until we had been talking for twenty minutes. He is a thoroughly friendly, but wise, chap; doesn't waste words, but doesn't consider people to be a waste of his time. And he invited me down to visit them---that afternoon, in fact. I must admit I was a little sceptical. People who have that much time to talk, and that much flexibility, often do not have any work! But in any case I jumped on the bus that goes north of Adelaide. About 10 km out, the suburbs thin away, and there are wide stretches of fields. In the middle of this is a place called Technology Park, built about 10 years ago, and (I believe) now taking on the status as the "Multi-Function Polis" debated heavily in this country last decade. One of the first buildings built there is Innovation house. I seem to remember it as being fairly rectangular on the outside, but it seems to be circular on the inside, with lots of tinted glass, and aquamarine paintwork. Fits in well in a high-tech park. When I finally figured out how to get into their reception area (a little high-tech for me :-), any fears of finding a vague group of people, diddling around with gadgets, with no real work to do, evaporated. Real work was going on. I felt like I was back at IBM selling mainframes to industrial clients. Except that this time I had nothing to sell! After a few minutes, Alan greeted me, and took me to an informal conference room. He brought in Jeremy Graham, their senior software engineer and principal techie for VR systems development. (They have a staff of 15, four subcontractors.) As we talked, what struck me most was how their true belief and enthusiasm for virtual worlds technology was blended with a maturity and wisdom for commercial and practical realities that is rare in this young field. (Listening to Bob Jacobson here on sci-vw is a similar experience.) They deal with real clients, and seek solutions to real problems. They do not attempt to foist virtual worlds technology into areas that ain't broke to begin with. In fact, they actively *discourage* clients from using, say, HMD's, if a different technology would be more appropriate and effective. How can this possibly help VR? Well I must explain that Australians are a very cynical bunch of people, on the whole. And the trivialisation of VR means that it is not taken seriously. (For example: I heard that the world-famous craniofacial unit at the Women's and Children's Hospital, here in Adelaide, was using virtual worlds technology. I called their principal techie last week, and he laughed openly. "Virtual Reality---isn't that flying around and stuff? " Yet he considered the advanced visualisation equipment they were using to be "serious".) So in this country, hype means little. You will be shunned and ridiculed, unless you tell it like it really is. And so Integra tell it like it is. They have done their homework on VR. They go to all the major conferences (not trivial from this side of the planet), even demonstrated in a little booth at one of the SIGGRAPH's, and organised the first Aussie VR conference. (That was a bit disappointing, but they have learnt; look for a repeat in probably '97.) A lot of Integra's software development is built on top of established VR products. But in many cases they simply sell it as a "3-d visualisation tool", to avoid the stigma of "VR=Nintendo". The application solves a particular problem of the client, full stop. They then say, "Hey, would you like to see that in stereo?" and the client says, "Wow, can you really do that?" And then they say, "How would you like a three-dimensional tracking device?" and the client grabs one of them too. And then after the client is happily enjoying a massive increase in productivity, they let them know that they are using Virtual Reality. And the message sinks in. I know that this approach may seem philosophically wrong to some members of this group. But being an Aussie, I must agree that the end justifies the means. Let me explain a little how Integra have developed their software applications. They started off using Sense8's WorldToolKit, but then realised it didn't have a lot of functionality that they wanted. So they built their own product, *on top of* WTK, called Reality+, which added a lot of the things they wanted (GUI, sound, behaviours, etc.) And they used this to build specific applications. They showed me an orthodontics package, in which all the teeth are overlaid on x-rays, rotated, moved, put in their right spot (I'm no medico so the long medical words on the screen meant nothing). And the orthodontist is happy. And so are they, since they are selling it to more orthodontists. They tell me the app took seven days to create using their Reality+ thing on top of WTK. (No type there---one week.) Of course, Sense8 were also working on enhancements, and the latest release effectively includes a lot of the features that the first release didn't. Integra's approach is remarkably mature: if Reality+ is made redundant by other packages, so be it. It has served its purpose. How many software developers manage to avoid a semi-religious attachment to their own creations? :-) This same maturity is reflected in other areas. They have ported many of their applications between different platforms. But instead of trying to re-invent the wheel, they have built their apps to be relatively modular, so they can sit on various rendering engines, with various input and output devices. Their lab consists of machines from various platforms (Sparc, SGI, E&S, multiple PCs with accelerators), and they have access to Fujitsu and Convex supercomputers. As to their applications, they are strong in Medical and Defence apps. They have a radiological data viewer, endoscopic / colonoscopic system, orthopaedic viewer. I didn't find out much about their Defence apps (for obvious reasons!), except for a "swim-through" of a frigate on the sea. (Hmm, those texture-mapped waves had some strange polygonal edges, but it wasn't bad for a Pentium. :-) They have others in the works; I must admit I forgot some of them. One was an educational product using VR to teach about real gravitational effects (yes our honourable VR in Ed contributor Veronica is chasing it up :-). Let me also say that they seem to have secured quite a substantial number of Australian distributorships for a range of VR products. (Toni, maybe this is good for the FAQ?) Let me summarise them (source / product): Sense8 (WorldToolKit, World Up software) Colt (Phoenics-VR software) Criterion (Renderware software) StereoGraphics (CrystalEyes shutter glasses) General Reality (CyberEye HMD) Virtual Research (VR4, Eyegen3 HMD's) Crystal River (Alphatron, Acoustetron II sound) Polhemus (Ultratrak, Isotrak, Fastrak and 3d digitiser) Note: They do not claim to be the *sole* Australian distributors for all of these products, but in some cases they are. So I guess I need to tell you what their contact info is: Integra (Australia) Pty Pld, Innovation House, First Avenue, Technology Park, South Australia 5095, Australia. Ph: +61 8 260-8972, +61 8 260-8973 Mobile: 018-844-428 Fax: +61 8 349-6566 They also have a branch office in Silicon Valley: InTrek Systems, 39055 Hastings Street, Suite 204, Freemont, CA 94538, U. S. A. Tel: (510) 790-1133, (510) 790-1285 Fax: (510) 790-1170 But let me also say that their Managing Director, Alan Yates, *does* answer his e-mail :-) and is a friendly bloke, so try alan@integra.com.au Guess that's all to say about them right now. Hope I've not been too boring. John Costella 23 November 1995 Disclaimer: I don't have any affiliation with Integra; the only thing they gave me was a can of Coke. :-) Disclaimer 2: I don't have any affiliation with Coke either; in fact I prefer Pepsi-Max. :-) [NOTE: Commercial postings are offered on this newsgroup as a public service. Their appearance here does not indicate endorsement by the moderators or by the USENET or its administrators.] ==================================================================== Dr John P. Costella School of Physics, The University of Melbourne jpc@physics.unimelb.edu.au http://www.ph.unimelb.edu.au/~jpc Tel: +61 3 9344-5435 AH: +61 3 9768-9268 Fax: +61 3 9347-4783 ====================================================================