From: ejp@world.std.com (Eric J Pierce) Subject: EVENT: BCS/VR-Group Feb. Meeting Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996 20:00:19 GMT Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA From: ejp@world.std.com (Eric J Pierce) -------------- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY -------------- THE BOSTON COMPUTER SOCIETY VIRTUAL REALITY GROUP PRESENTS Naval Virtual Environments by David Zeltzer MIT Sensory Communication Group WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 7:00 PM EST BUILDING 36, ROOM 216 MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ______________________________________________________________________ Join the Boston Computer Society Virtual Reality Group for an evening with David Zeltzer of the MIT Sensory Communications Group. The Officer of the Deck (OOD) training application has been implemented as part of the Navy-sponsored Virtual Environment Technology for Training (VETT) program. The OOD program is the first training application developed in the VETT program, and we are currently conducting our third round of human subject exeperiments to measure the training effectiveness of this program. Subjects in the experiment wear a head-mounted display (HMD) with an attached boom microphone. Subjects appear to be standing on the sail (conning tower) of a surfaced fast attack sub as it enters the channel leading into the harbor at King's Bay, Georgia. The OOD program is designed to teach basic harbor navigation skills, such as using buoys and other navigational aids, to successfully negotiate the channel. Subjects speak to a simulated helmsman using the boom mike and voice recognition software, and in turn hear confirmation of their commands -- as well as the sound of wind, waves and clanging buoys -- through the earphones on the HMD. The TRANSOM program, also funded by the U.S. Navy, is tasked with designing, implementing and evaluating VE systems for training ROV pilots. ROVs are Remotely Operated Vehicles -- robot submarines that are controlled from a surface ship using various sonar and video displays and a control console with one or two joysticks and other buttons, knobs and meters. The TRANSOM program got underway in early fall, 1995. We have implemented a simulation of an ROV that was built specifically for the TRANSOM program, and visitors will be able to navigate a sample ROV test course using a GUI-version of an ROV control console. MEETING DETAILS: --------------- Wednesday, February 14, 7:00 PM EST Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Electronics Reasearch Lab Building 36 Room 216 Directions: Building 36 which is on Vasar street. Vasar runs between Mass Ave and Main street. If your comming from Mass Ave it's (about two blocks) ie half way between Mass and Main on the Right hand side. The building has dark tinted windows and a glass entrance. By T: Get off at the Kendall Square Station on the Red Line. When you come to the surface you will be at the end of Main Street where it is more like a wide bricked pedestrian area in front of the Marriot Hotel. Walking to the end of the block toward Central square, will put the Marriot on the right. If you continue to walk straight, you will be on Vassar street. Building 36 will be the left. BCS VR Group - A Gathering of Minds for Cyberspace Development: The Group meetings are a great way to meet others who are "actually" developing Virtual Environments. Whether you have an intrest in the dicussions, would like to write code or somewhere in the middle there lots to do and talk about!!! BCS VR Group Philosophy: The purpose of the Boston Computer Society Virtual Reality Group is to provide an ongoing venue for developing virtual environments as well as a forum for bringing scientists and developers together with VR enthusiasts/potential users. Through actively exploring both the technology and its cultural implications, exposing each to the other's thoughts and ideas, and "learning from" and "sharing with" industry leaders, we can help shape the future of this medium. ====================================================================== Attention Researchers, Vendors & Others: ---------------------------------------- We have a growing membership of VR enthusiasts who would like to hear from you. Things you can do: - Put us on your mailing list, - Make a presentation at one of our meetings, - Send a video. Information received is put into our BCS monthly newsletter. Presentations need a two-month lead time for publicity. Meeting events are described in the newsletter, which goes out to several thousand BCS members. Videos are shown at each meeting. If you would like the opportunity to make contact with VR enthusiasts, contact Brenden C. Maher. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: ------------------------------ Program Director: Brenden C. Maher Speaker Requests: bmaher@world.std.com voice: (617) 621.3309