0419.1 Hot Topics

New Report on RFID Market and Technology Announced

0419.2 Story of the Issue

FastNet Futures 2004

0419.3 Applications

Pilot3D Released, complex curve and surface creation for the
AEC industry.

0419.4 Displays

U.S. Display Technology Leaders and Government Officials
Converge in Arizona to Unveil Roadmap for Bringing Flexible
Displays to Fruition

0419.5 Home Entertainment

New Panasonic Wireless Headphones Provide Optimal Sound,
Untethered Mobility

0419.6 Visualization

Fakespace Delivers First Reconfigurable Visualization System
Utilizing Two Kings Of Stereoscopic Technology

MAK Technologies Moves

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0419.1 Hot Topics

***New Report on RFID Market and Technology Announced

Information Gatekeepers, Inc.
May 27, 2004

Information Gatekeepers, Inc. announced the availability of a new report "Radio Frequency ID Market & Techology Assessment Study."

RFID is taking its place as the leading solution for automated product identification. While wireless technologies have made such a success in telecommunications, the unbeatable benefits of using radio waves for the basic identification tasks have not been utilized.

Many business and technology drivers forecast booming for RFID. The lifestyles in the modern society expect full automation of the simple and repeated everyday tasks. The manufacturing and delivery chain of goods up to the end users makes an ideal application platform for radio frequency identification. In the almost endless number of checking points for the high volume goods and materials, the demand for faultlessness and high quality cannot be reached cost efficiently in any other means.

The applications of the new RFID methods are limited only by our imagination. To take an example, in the supermarkets barcodes are used now for the product and price information transfer. With the barcode solution, each item must be handled individually by the cashier. With RFID tags on all product items, the customers could choose the method of payment with their radio terminals and just walk through the gate without stopping.

The semiconductor and other electronic components technology is a driving force to this development. The RFID reader/programmer can be manufactured in high volumes at the cost of tens of dollars and the RFID tag at the cost of tens of cents a piece.

Standardization is a key issue for the success of RFID. As in any start-up phase of a new global business, proprietary company standards and standards based on vendor alliances emerge first. This is the case for RFID products now. More universal standards will emerge later.

When estimating the overall markets for RFID, the business analyst faces "classical" questions. What is the critical price for the market to accept the new product solution and where the first investments are made to get the train moving? The price level of RFID has now crossed the edge for the phase 2 use, for the internal needs of the manufacturers, distributors and retail companies. The phase 3 will include the RFID tag on the end user products.

After the initial build-up steps of the RFID automated production and distribution systems, new high value business segments will emerge. The RFID basic hardware and software platforms will allow for developing the overall business chain. Integrated value added software, together with consulting, will be major new RFID business segments.

In the first part of the study, IGI estimates the RFID business growth based on the market segments and on the vendor products to fulfil the market requirements. From these segments, the report sums up the estimates for the global and area markets. The second part of the study includes an extensive analysis of RFID technologies, applications and vendors. Additionally, one active long range RFID system is tested. Detailed measurement results are included.

The report is now available on IGI's web site

http://igigroup.com/st/pages/RFIDstudy1.html

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0419.2 Story of the Issue

***FastNet Futures 2004, March 29 – March 31, 2004

Santa Clara, CA
John Latta
4th Wave

Dave Burnstein has done another excellent job with FastNet Futures. He brings some of the best together and lets them talk. As a result there are many rich insights. As usual at the WAVE Report we are on the continual lookout for the market dynamics. In particular, what are the applications thzt will drive Broadband Adoption? FastNet Futures provided another reality check that this is neither obvious nor coming soon.

Realities of Broadband Home Market Sink In

This marks the first time that we have heard executives in the broadband industries openly discuss the problems that lie ahead. These include:

Increasing bandwidth availability does not solve the lack of
broadband applications;

Triple play is a bolt on which aggregates services for a
customer but does little to enhance the value of broadband
services;

FTTH is a long ways in the future and, in the current
environment, it is unlikely to get capital; and

The incumbent carriers are in a difficult environment
seeking to raise ARPU while the market is forcing pricing in
the opposite direction.

Technology is its Own Engine

Speed sells or at least the hope is that it will. There were talks on:

Telephone line bonding;

VDSL;

DSM; and

MIMO Vectored Transmission.

These are technologies to

The improve the utilization of the twisted copper
distribution plant,

Increase range, or

Increase the bandwidth.

Underlying all of these presentations is a stress on either the use of the existing DSL infrastructure or the payback time of an investment. One spoke of payback in only a few months, which we regard a measure of the difficult environment that the carriers are in.

Part of the competitive equation is cable competition in the US. As the cable companies see to raise the bandwidth of their offering, the telephone providers are seeking to have a like response. Again, it is best to look to Asia for the competitive dynamics that is driving the deployment of higher rates.

Much has been written about the rapid ramp in Asia for high-speed service. For example, in Korea $11b has been invested for VDSL upgrades. The speed ramp was fast: 13Mb/s (6/02); 20Mb/s (3/03) to 50Mb/s (1/04).

It is estimated there are 1.5m VDSL lines installed in Korea. In Japan the rate went from 1Mb/s to 45Mb/s in 3 years. It is estimated that 100Mb/s will be reached, as a service offering over copper, in the next 12 months. A key factor in Japan is that the loop distance is only 300m.

The ILECs are faced with a problem at the core of their business. For the first full year since the 1930's the cash cow of the business, installed phone lines, fell in 2002. It is estimated that those lines used for just phone service could fall from a peak of 180m lines in 2001 to only 40m by 2010. On the other hand the demand for VDSL could rise to 85m lines by 2014.

The most interesting element in this parade of presentations is that no one described an end game for higher bandwidth. If anything it was observed that the higher penetration in Korea and Japan has its own set of problems when there is not a value element in the bandwidth demand. Alcatel sheepishly said that given the consumer desire for content they might like to take to transmitted holograms.

Here is a summary of those presentations that we found most interesting.

Siemens – Efficient Networks – Network Complexity is a Business

Patrick Fitzgerald, VP of Marketing, Siemens Subscriber Networks, a.k.a. Efficient Networks, had interesting comments.

We are now entering the 3rd phase of broadband deployment. In this phase the carriers must deliver more value to the
customers. This means increased functionality and more value added services to end-users.

"Bolted on Convergence," that is video via satellite, Internet and voice, with some offering cellular voice, is
NOT a long-term strategy to maintain happy customers for the ILECs.

One of the problems consumers face is the proliferation of devices that use the network in the home and the complexity this brings. Examples of this include home security, virus protection, content filtering and the wireless issues.

Siemens described the concept of "Converged Customer Care." The tag lines used were: Speed Kills, the consumers need air bags and the service providers need to provide the equivalent of OnStar.

The WAVE Report spoke with Patrick.

Complexity is a solution proposition.

Bolt on services is not a long-term proposition. At SBC, which has a satellite video offering, customers are leaving
cable because the hate the service from the cable companies. In spite of offering satellite video, this is not a long
term offering by the ILECs, they must do more.

We have installed software for home networks called Tango. Over 15m copies have been sold. This is one element of our competitive offering.

Three of the US ILECs recently released an RPF for a high end set top box for DSL. The problem is that consumer CPE for broadband is free and it is unclear how these STBs will be sold.

The movement of CE into the home which is wireless is a real problem. Incompatibility between wireless products is an issue.

"I would hate to be a carrier in today's environment. They have nothing to offer outside of the services. It is good to
only have to sell hardware [at Siemens]."

China is not a Piece of Cake

Shin-Jou Fang, CEO of Trendchip Technologies, from Taiwan, gave an interesting talk. His company went into business 5/01 and now has 90 employees with 20 in China. They claim to be only Asian DSL chip company. Its primary target market is China.

The catch phrase is "The DSL action is in Asia." Yet, there was a healthy dose of reality. Some of the statistics cited today included.

It is estimated that China will have 75m DSL lines by 2008

Huawei is #2 in the DSL port market. It has 18% of the DSL ports and 11% of the revenues. This share is due almost
exclusively to the role of the China market. The #2 position is compared to #1, Alcatel with 35% of the ports and 44% of the revenue.

The position of NA as the demand agent for DSL ports is fading. In 4Q03 51% of the ports went to Asia, while 29% to
EMEA and only 16% to NA.

Due to its rapid growth, China has become the most important DSL market.

Today China is #1 in three DSL statistics:

#1 in total DSL Lines
#2 newly added DSL Lines
#3 in phone lines

DSL penetration is only 5%. If it reaches 20% another 32m DSL lines will get added

20% penetration, in terms of population, represents a critical milestone in broadband penetration. When this
happened in Japan the DSL IC vendors suffered.

China represents a unique opportunity in that the DSP penetration is low, 5.1%/100 population while the number of
phone lines installed exceeds that of the US.

But what is missing from this assessment is the low per capita income. This is only $1,126/ year while the US and
Japan are at $38,000 per year.

If China adds 10m lines in 2004, as some estimate, then in 2 years the country will saturate at the 20% level.

The top 10 DSL countries have per capita incomes > $10,000. In these countries the DSL pricing is affordable. This
implies much in terms of the product that includes convergence with voice and video.

However, these assumptions may not hold in China:

It is unlikely that the Triple Play will work in China. SPs will not provide video or voice due to law and
cannibalization of the business.

There are only single PC homes in China – thus the notion of bandwidth sharing does not apply.

The trend of adding features to the DSL modem ASIC will not work in China. We do not need WLAN or MPEG support. This has the impact of driving the ASP of the chip up. Our view at Trendchip is that we must implement simpler chips that are Simple, Economical and Practical for Everyone.

We see the price of the DSL chip approaching that of the chip in a 56k modem. That is our goal.

The bottom line is that China does not need nor can it afford DSL as defined in the US or Europe. Localization of the technology to China is key to its success.

The WAVE Report asked how much this analysis would change if it was restricted to just the high-income areas, i.e., in the southern provinces? Basically the 20% penetration represents the adoption of broadband in those areas at a higher rate due to the higher income levels in these areas.

The Network Bandwidth Problem – Here Comes Grid

Wintegra presented an interesting chart on the downstream bandwidths required by the newer DSL technologies. Examples include:

A 64 line DSLAM card will require 1.28Gb/s of downstream bandwidth for ADSL2+

A 64 line DSLAM card will require 3.2Gb/s of downstream bandwidth for VDSL.

Note that there are 64m DSL lines installed today. As the data rates continue to climb, especially in NA and Europe, it could well be that only a grid like infrastructure can manage this.

100Mb/s Arrives but has Nowhere to Go
GDSL (Gigabit) Proposed

Two demos were shown by Ikanos and Metalink Broadband that supported 100Mb/s downstream and 36Mb/s upstream of actual payload. Both stated that these systems would be installed in Japan in 3 – 4 months. Later a session was held asking what applications would use 100Mb/s? The responses were incoherent. For example, it was suggested that such high-speed connections would enable pirated movie sharing because the movie could move between sites at faster than real time.

1Gb/sec on the Horizon

John Cioffi, Professor, Stanford University, presented an overview of DSL technology to improve performance and reach. John showed that one bottleneck for higher performance is distance. Using fiber to the pedestal and 4 line pairs it is possible to achieve 1Gb/s up to 300m. (Note that this is the distance being quoted for the 100Mb/s service in Japan above.)

Build it and They Will Come - Maybe

We heard that:

100Mb/s DSL is here now;

100Mb/s performance in cable is being held back by the gross spectrum inefficiency of analog televisions but in spite of this, 100Mb/s is readily achievable;

2.6Gb/s data service, symmetrical, is possible with the HFC plant and

1Gb/s is possible with DSL using a fiber to the pedestal
approach.

The argument was made that bandwidth alone will drive usage and innovation. Unfortunately the era of invest first and seek customers later has passed. Cable has invested $84b improving its infrastructure. In the discussion on high-speed cable it was readily admitted that there are no incentives to significantly raise cable bandwidth. The only factor that will drive this is competition. Given the current economic climate, the cable MSOs will not invest in any upgrades unless forced to do so.

Content is Not King – Going Against the Grain

Andrew Odlyzko, Digital Technology Center, University of Minnesota, bashed many of the notions prevalent about bandwidth consumption. Andrew argued that:

Content is not king;

Value of Broadband is Misunderstood and

Real-Time Streaming Multimedia will not dominate.

What matters most is:

Volume;
Transaction time (round trip interaction)
Reach and
Price.

His view was a part of a thread here that personal media will increasingly have a role in the value of broadband. When this happens our present views of broadcast media are dated.

Threats to the Open Internet

Dan Gillmor of the San Jose Mercury News looked at the directions of the Internet and the impacts on consumers. Some of his points spurred discussion.

Hollywood hates and fears the movement of consumers into the role of producers of information and entertainment. Enabling tools cited include GarageBand and iMovie.

We are seeing the end of "end to end" Internet service. Examples include:

Asymmetric broadband services;

Hollywood is seeking to ban P2P including the recent bill which if passed would have the FBI investigate IP
thefts;

Government interference with the Internet to construct geographic zones such as what happened with Yahoo in France;

Cisco "QOS" in its routers allows carriers to restrict flows; and

Restrictions on broadband use by the carriers and cable companies.

Pac Bell will stop service when the symmetry is 15 down to 1 up and Comcast will cancel subscriber when usage is too great (level not defined.)

GASP – Globally Accepted Service Principles – Jeff Pulver Pushing Again

Jeff Pulver is passionate about these beliefs. He pushed the agenda at the FCC on VoIP. In the opening keynote Jeff described his experiences in Washington with the FCC and Capitol Hill. This exposure highlighted the risks to the Internet. In response, Jeff has proposed an independent group, similar to GAAP for the accounting profession, to support Internet access. This has close parallels with FCC Chairman Powell's Four Internet Freedoms. At VON the first meeting of GASP was held to help develop a MoU, Memorandum of Understanding. This will be global not-of-profit and important to watch.

Does the Lack of Content Diversity Threaten the Open Internet?

At FastNet Futures we have heard more about threats to the open Internet than in prior conferences. A keynote by Jonathan Taplin, Professor, Annenberg School for Communications, USC, was a scathing indictment on the impact of media consolidation. He was formerly Chairman and CEO of Intertainer which was a VoD movie service on the Internet that has since ceased operations. Intertainer sued Time Warner, Sony and Vivendi Universal for anti-trust violations that are alleged to have taken place to protect a competing service, MovieLink, known earlier as Moviefly. More.

Jonathan Taplin began by contrasting the diversity of media content, from radio to film to television, in 1974 to what exists today. His premise is that media consolidation has extracted a major toll on the range and quality of media available to the public. To support his argument he cited:

Clear Channel has eliminated radio diversity with its consolidation of 1,200 radio stations;

The six major studios control 98% of the film screens that create films for the lowest common denominator;

He described television as being 300 channels with nothing on.

Media is now consolidated in the hands of: Viacom, News Corp, Walt Disney, GE, Time Warner and Sony.

The US has had a history against such consolidation. There have been 17 antitrust suits, from 1914 to 1980, brought to preserve the separation of production and exhibition, and the government has won all of these. Yet, the consolidation of the production and media industries has moved rapidly. This was under Mark Fowler, FCC Chairman during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan. This included the end of the Fairness Doctrine, the end of the Fin-Syn Rules that supported separation of production from distribution and an increase in the caps of media ownership. The result is that over the last 4 years the following has happened:

66% of the Independent newspaper owners have been eliminated;

40% of the Independent radio station owners have been eliminated;

43% of the Independent TV stations have been eliminated; and

73% of the Independent record labels have been eliminated.

Further.

The amount of shows for television that are produced by the networks for their own broadcast has risen from 16% to 78%.

A premise, Jonathan suggests, is that large scale does not foster creativity but kills it. Three examples he cited are the media, software and pharmaceuticals. Where there is no creativity markets head to "creative destruction." Two examples in such a state are cable networks and cell phone companies. In the case of the cable companies Big Cable is seeking to make "Broadband their Walled Garden."

Cable is forcing on consumers bundles with content the public does not want. While cable systems push 100+ channels the average consumer only watches 17 while the forced bundles have 4X than amount. According to Jonathan 80% of the cable subscribers would not want ESPN if given the option.

As a result, there is a 500-channel train wreck, as he calls it. In linear media, i.e., cable, the costs of production has risen dramatically with very little additional revenue. This is a Supply/Demand disaster. While on the Interactive side it is just the opposite that is a Demand/Supply disaster. There is a 200% growth in the number of broadband subscribers but the major content owners are very slow to deliver content for the medium.

It is Jonathan's premise that rather than put the niche programming on cable this should be put on a server for distribution over broadband. This should be available over the Internet when I want it. But to market this there must be network neutrality – that is no Walled Gardens.

We are at a crossroads. Cable companies to upgrade their networks have spent billions and this only reinforces the role of the Walled Garden. Yet, what is needed is an open Internet with no restrictions on access. Jonathan even went so far as to embrace the restoration of FCC regulation of cable rates. This would allow for the a la carte pricing of cable services and put more flexibility in the hands of consumers.

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0419.3 Applications

***Pilot3D Released, complex curve and surface creation for the AEC industry.

Jamestown, Rhode Island

New Wave Systems announced the release of Pilot3D for the AEC industry. Pilot 3D is a B-Spline and NURBs modeling application for developing complex curves and surfaces. It has been used for over 20 years for ship design, where speed and accuracy are essential. This new release brings a modeling application to the architectural design industry that is simple to learn and use, yet offers the benefits of sophisticated curve and surfacing technology. Its intended use is in the design of any surface that employs curves or arcs such as domes, curved, or multi-curved walls and surfaces. Priced at $645, Pilot3D is positioned to be easily affordable for all architects and designers.

Curves and Surfaces:

In the world of design, creating complex curves typically requires highly sophisticated and costly surface modeling applications. Pilot3D is a high-performance 3D modeling program utilizing relational trimmed NURB curve and surfacing technology, but it is different. The difference is that Pilot3D has a simple to learn user interface that translates complex software into easy-to-use technology. And, it is priced to bring complete detailed control over complex surfaces to every architectural design professional.

Pilot3D allows the user to create surfaces in several ways. Start with a complete surface or start with a curve and then sweep or extrude the curve into a surface. After the surface is created, Pilot3D offers unique tools to push or pull points on the surface, all the while dynamically smoothing and shaping the surface. Unique use of dynamic geometric relationships (like bonded surface edges) makes job of surface design and modification much easier than with other programs. It lets the user make design changes without having to start over. Detailed shape and smoothness of the surface can also be controlled using edit points that lie ON the curves and surfaces.

Pilot3D also allows for fine-tuning shape control and displays dynamic curvature curves so that the exact shape desired can be created. Unique tools in Pilot3D allow user to define surface trimming curves that can be directly edited. This cannot be done in any other software at any price. Sophisticated plate and surface development and expansion is based on a finite element technique that calculates strain and can unwrap surfaces with compound curvature. With this, Pilot3D lets you design shapes that can be built out of flat material like plywood, aluminum and steel.

Features in Pilot3D

Use simple 2D or 3D shapes to begin design process, or more complicated constraints based design

Point entities can be used as “tick marks” or place-holders for creating complex curve and surface shapes

Full set of surface, curve and polyline tools for detailed shaping

Pilot3D provides detailed construction cross-sections

Analyze curved surfaces for feasibility to insure you can develop out of plywood, aluminum, steel, or some other sheet material

Tools let you subdivide larger surfaces into smaller construction pieces

Output construction templates and CNC cutting, not just shape design

Display any planar cut or any surface-surface intersection dynamically, while you are editing the shapes

Use raw point, polyline, curve or mesh data to create 3D NURB surfaces for reverse engineering

Coarse and fine-tune shaping commands let you overlay our unique curvature curve that tells you how smooth the curve is

You can change any edit point without separating the surfaces, letting you transfer the results to a solid modeling program with no problems with "leaky" edges

Product Specifications:

Pilot3D easily connects with any other CAD program to provide powerful development of curves and surfaces. It is currently not available in a network configuration. Pilot3D is based on 20 years development of New Wave System’s acclaimed ProSurf 3 program for design and construction of complex boat and ship hulls. Pilot 3D can be viewed and downloaded for evaluation at

http://www.pilot3d.com/download.htm

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0419.4 Displays

***U.S. Display Technology Leaders and Government Officials Converge in Arizona to Unveil Roadmap for Bringing Flexible Displays to Fruition

ASU-Led Flexible Display Center Begins Ramp to Equip Tomorrow's Army With Cutting-Edge Flexible Display Technology

TEMPE, Ariz.
May 17, 2004

More than 75 representatives for leading display technology companies, government officials and academia converged at Arizona State University's Research Park last week to kick off the largest-ever initiative focused on flexible display technology research, development and prototype manufacturing. This university-industry-government collaboration is chartered with accelerating the development of flexible display technology, as well as promoting the growth of the U.S.-based flexible display industry. This collaboration is being realized through the Flexible Display Center (FDC).

Created this past February, the FDC will spearhead the Army's quest to equip the soldier with conformal and flexible displays that are lightweight, rugged, low power and low cost-enhancing his/her performance on the battlefield through improved situational awareness and operational effectiveness. During last week's summit, top industry, government and academia partners came together to engage in in-depth discussions on numerous advancements and technology hurdles that must be addressed in order to speed manufacturing of flexible display technologies.

According to FDC Director, Greg Raupp, much progress was made during this two-day forum that engaged most major U.S. display industry companies, as well as display technology users and system integrators

Flexible display technology will soon be integrated in a wide variety of applications, from command centers and rollable maps to vehicle platforms and display-embedded uniforms -- and will revolutionize the way in which information is disseminated. In addition to military uses, flexible display technology promises to assist U.S. display companies by creating future commercial applications such as automotive, portable information devices, mobile phones, tablet PCs, PDAs and more. As such, the FDC is also chartered with providing a foundation to facilitate corporate alliances that encourage information disclosure necessary to help accelerate the manufacturing of flexible display technologies for the commercial market.

The FDC brings together the intellectual horsepower, technological know-how and financial resources of the U.S. Army, ASU and industry partners to achieve this mission. The FDC is headquartered out of ASU's state-of-the-art 250,000 square-foot multi-functional display manufacturing R&D facility at ASU's Research Park. This expansive facility features 43,500 square feet of advanced cleanroom space and extensive wet and dry labs. Within this space, the Center will create one-of-a-kind, low-volume prototype manufacturing pilot lines and integrated R&D laboratories to enable collaborative and intensive technology development and integration. Within the first year, the FDC will have a fully operational 6-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) and a state-of-the-art organic light emitting diode (OLED) R&D laboratory and supporting characterization labs.

Initial technology targets are reflective and emissive full-color, 4-inch diagonal active matrix QVGA displays on conformal plastic substrates. Longer-term targets will be fully flexible/rollable display prototypes/demonstrators with higher performance, quality, capability and form factor (size). To demonstrate form factor scale-up, the Center will install and qualify a "Gen II" TFT pilot line processing 470 x 370 mm rectangular plates in the third year of operation.

About the Flexible Display Center

Headquartered at Arizona State University's Science and Technology Park in Tempe, Ariz., the Flexible Display Center is a collaborative effort between university, industry and government affiliates dedicated to the research and development of flexible display technology. The Center, which was established in February 2004, will further the Army's Flexible Display Initiative (FDI), working to create flexible display products for military applications. In joint efforts with industry affiliates, the Center will also drive the acceleration of commercial applications. More information about the Flexible Display Center can be found at

http://www.asu.edu/research

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0419.5 Home Entertainment

***New Panasonic Wireless Headphones Provide Optimal Sound and Untethered Mobility

SECAUCUS, NJ
May 19, 2004

Bringing dynamic home theater sound to the private listening environment, Panasonic introduces the new RP-WF930 Wireless Headphones with Surround Sound Control.

Panasonic asserts that the full effects of home theater can be enjoyed anytime day or night without disturbing family or neighbors and without getting tangled in wires. Operating on multiple channels in the 900MHz frequency-band, these wireless headphones achieve optimal sound by continually and automatically locating and locking onto the strongest signal and the clearest channel. The result is clean and clear audio when watching the latest blockbuster movie or listening to a favorite audio CD or radio station.

Elevating private listening to a higher level, the new RP-WF930 headphones feature:

* Wireless Operation: Provides the freedom of untethered mobility.
* Long-Range Transmission: Roam up to 200 ft. from the headphones' recharging base while still maintaining a clear signal.
* Long Battery Life: Up to 20 hours of continuous listening
* Convenient Recharging Stand: Place the headphones in the recharging stand (included) to easily and quickly recharge the built-in Ni-MH battery.
* Surround Sound Control: Take advantage of today's surround sound sources.

The new wireless model also features 20Hz - 20kHz frequency response, a 40mm drive unit and FM modulation.

The new Panasonic RP-WF930 900MHz Wireless Headphones will be available in May 2004.

http://www.panasonic.com

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0419.6 Visualization

***Fakespace Delivers First Reconfigurable Visualization System Utilizing Two Kings Of Stereoscopic Technology

Immersive Environment Provides Passive and Active Stereo For Real-Life Simulation And Scientific Research

Marshalltown, Iowa
May 18, 2004

Fakespace Systems Inc. announced completion of the world’s first reconfigurable immersive visualization system that includes the use of both active and passive stereoscopic technology. Designed specifically to meet the requirements for Purdue University’s new Envision Center for Data Perceptualization, the custom solution was developed utilizing Fakespace’s reconfigurable FLEX™ platform. In addition to the custom FLEX display, the Envision Center also includes a dual channel PowerWall™ from Fakespace.

The Envision Center is a 5,600-square-foot theater that can seat up to fifty people for review of large-scale, tera-byte sized computer-generated models. The FLEX environment enables design, engineering and research teams to collaborate on a broad range of projects including simulation of interplanetary exploration, storm system analysis, and virtual walk-throughs of building models prior to their construction. For general usage, the FLEX will be positioned in a thirty foot wide flat theater for large group viewing and interaction. For applications requiring a fully immersive experience, the FLEX can be electronically or manually moved to an enclosed CAVE-like environment which includes projection on the floor.

The benefits of having both active and passive stereoscopic technologies inherent in the system serve to enhance the flexibility of the reconfigurable solution. Active stereo technology produces the highest quality stereoscopic viewing in an enclosed space. So, when the FLEX is configured as an enclosed room (CAVE®), using active stereo eliminates problems such as brightness shifts and reduced stereo quality that can occur with angled screens and floor projection. For applications requiring the use of a large flat wall display, passive stereo provides an exceptionally comfortable 3D experience using lightweight polarized glasses instead of the more costly and bulky shutter glasses used for active stereo viewing.

To meet all expectations of quality and usability, the FLEX incorporates digital projection technology, producing 4000 ANSI lumen brightness. The projector inherently generates slightly different images for the left and right eyes with refresh rates fast enough for active stereo. For passive stereo, an electronic polarizing shutter is placed in front of the projection lens rather than at the users’ glasses to filter left and right eye images. Fakespace specified a combination of screen and other technologies that will produce bright, high quality three-dimensional visualizations regardless of which viewing mode is selected.

For the Envision Center, Fakespace also integrated a wireless motion tracking system to enable precise movement and data manipulation, providing the sensation of complete immersion within the data sets. The image generators include both an Onyx4™ and a Tezro™ workstation from SGI.

Until now, no re-configurable solution was able to offer both active and passive stereoscopic technology within the same system.

Purdue’s Envision Center is a complete interdisciplinary, high-performance visualization facility which blends computer science, engineering, perception technology, and art to offer faculty access to emerging tools.

The Center serves the entire Purdue community for projects that range from analyzing the flow of the Earth’s mantle to using motion capture technology to produce a live dance performance that incorporate 3D and 2D imagery and sound. Already the center is involved with more than a dozen researchers overseeing projects using its virtual reality theater. Other areas of the complex offer Access Grid connectivity and space for haptics research.

For further information about the Envision Center, go to

http://www.itap.purdue.edu/envision

For more information on immersive visualization and solutions from Fakespace Systems, visit

http://www.fakespace.com

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***MAK Technologies Moves

MÄK has a new address (effective Monday, May 24)

MÄK Technologies
10 Fawcett Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

All other contact information remains the same.
Please update your records.

http://www.mak.com

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