From: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu (Robert Jacobson) Subject: Re: W Industries Introduces First Working VR Entertainment Unit. Date: 13 Jan 91 03:59:34 GMT Organization: Human Interface Technology Lab, Univ. of Wash., Seattle More on W Industries... W Industries is offering a multi-component Virtual Reality system, as they characterize it, capable of producing entertainment experiences at relatively low cost. A W Industries unit, according to the company's brochure, costs approximately 20,000 pounds, or about $35,000 at current exchange rates. The three system components are the VISETTE, a head worn visor system; the ANIMETTE simulation software; and EXPALITY, a multimedia computer system. W Industries, by the way, has trademarked the term VIRTUALITY and uses it extensively in its promotional material. I doubt this will hold up in the U.S., where I, among others, have been discussing "virtuality" in scientific papers and elsewhere for at least the last year. The Virtuality system includes both sight and sound stimuli, with 65K colors, dynamic self-shadowing, and 32 bit resolution from 50mm to 200,000km (I presume this means the size of the objects as they appear in the Visette; sound offers frequencies from 10Hz to 14KHz, 25 second duration. The network operates at 10Mbytes in 1510 bite packets, accommodating up to 16 users. The computer system is apparently proprietary (though built of standard components), displaying 30K polygons independently, transformed, clipped, and shaded (assuming 50% back faced removed; the update rate is 50MHz. There are four visual channels. The system is currently operable at 230V. The Visette weighs 2.9Kg (what's that, about eight pounds?). It uses stereo think film transistors, with 102K pixels; field of view is 90-120 degrees. Optics include mirror aluminized acrylic lenses, 40mm diameter, 12.5D Plano convex, with Panavision 220 diffusion media filters. Earphones are quadrophonic, two sets of 44mm and 30mm dynamic speakers. There are two models of Virtuality. The first is a sitdown version that looks like the body of a small jet fighter in videogame configuration. I/O devices are two joysticks and various mode selection buttons. The second version of is a standup model. "Experiences" are selected by buttons on a console. The systems are being debuted at the Imagina Television Festival in Monaco, this month, as well as in England. The experiences that are being demonstrated are apparently loaded into a CD-ROM and then accessed by the control system. Waldren founded W Industries after an early, active design career, in 1987. It became part of a "multinational UK group with operations in the US and Japan" in 1989. Looking over the materials, what we have here is an intriguing display system running prepared worlds for limited interaction with the user. For more information, here is W Industries addresses and phones: Dr. John Waldren Managing Director 26-28 Chancery Street Leicester LE1 5WD England (44) (533) 542 127 (44) (533) 548 222 (fax) I would welcome performance reports from any of our British, French, or Monocan (!) participants who have enjoyed a W Industries experience, as it is difficult to fully appreciate this technology from merely reading the brochures. Waldren seems to have designed a useful low- to medium-range virtual worlds system that could become a valuable part of a more comprehensive ensemble. Is this impression well-founded? Also, if anyone has information on the "multinational UK group" behind W Industries (this information is not disclosed in the brochure), that might be useful in determining the strategic value of the W Industries virtual worlds system. Bob Jacobson Moderator