Contact Information: For more information: Jeff Brum Mechdyne Corporation 519-664-0036, ext. 221 Matt Schmidt FS Communications 650-691-1488
Mechdyne Enables Virtual Reality 'Mission to Mars' to Take Flight in New Visualization Center at Washington University St. Louis
CAVE(TM) Display in Fossett Laboratory for Virtual Planetary Exploration Brings High-Resolution, Immersive Imagery of NASA Data to Earth
| Source: Mechdyne Corp.
MARSHALLTOWN, IA--(Marketwire - March 3, 2008) - Mechdyne Corporation today announced that
it has installed an immersive CAVE™ display system as the focal point of
the new Fossett Laboratory for Virtual Planetary Exploration at Washington
University St. Louis (WUSTL). As a teaching and research facility of the
Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, the Laboratory will provide 3D
imaging capability for visualization of data collected by national and
international space exploration programs. One highlight of the Fossett
Laboratory's work in 2008 will be immersive visualizations of imagery
gathered as part of the ongoing Mars Exploration Program.
The new CAVE system supports stereoscopic projection on three walls and the
floor (each 7.5' h x 10' w) to create a surround screen environment.
Mechdyne integrated its Beacon™ projection technology along with a
wireless motion tracking system and virtual wand that allows scientists to
easily 'fly' through visualizations. Mechdyne also provided its CAVELib
software and Conduit for ArcGIS, which is used to 3D-enable data to create
a fully immersive, virtual reality experience in the CAVE.
"The CAVE system installed in the Fossett Laboratory brings a unique
capability to faculty, students and guest researchers working to interpret
data from man's exploration of planetary bodies throughout the solar
system," said Professor Raymond Arvidson, chair of the Department of Earth
and Planetary Sciences at WUSTL. "We can effectively transport groups of
people to the surface of other planets and create experiences that will
illuminate and enhance understanding of the geology and geophysics both of
other planets and our own home."
The Laboratory, which was funded through a gift from noted adventurer and
WUSTL alumnus Steve Fossett, is an important addition to the Earth &
Planetary Sciences facilities at WUSTL. The Lab includes the CAVE system,
housed in a purpose-built room, along with a graphics computing cluster
based on HP quad-processor servers and NVidia graphics.
Washington University is home to the Geosciences Node
(http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/) of the NASA Planetary Data System
(http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/), with responsibility for management of data
related to the study of the surfaces and interiors of terrestrial planetary
bodies. For the Mars visualizations, researchers at the Fossett Laboratory
will draw on data from such missions as Mars Global Surveyor, 2001 Mars
Odyssey, the Mars Exploration Rovers, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and
Phoenix. WUSTL houses more than 10 TB (Terabytes) of data collected in
various NASA missions, including hyperspectral imagery gathered by orbital
systems and landers. The facility also has access to visual imagery from
other PDS nodes, which will be combined with spectral data to provide data
rich imagery.
"Tools such as the CAVE are necessary not only to help us better understand
the data we are collecting but also to help draw the best and brightest new
students to the field of planetary sciences," said Keith Bennett, Deputy
Manager for Operations of the PDS Geosciences Node. "This may be the
first planetary geosciences facility in the world with a dedicated 'virtual
reality' imaging center, giving us the potential to perform
first-of-its-kind work in data integration and analysis. During the next
few months, we will be evaluating techniques for working with the data to
get the most out of the unique capability of the visualization
environment."
About Mechdyne Corporation
Mechdyne Corporation is the world's largest company dedicated to consulting
and development of immersive, networked and collaborative visualization
systems. The company addresses complex projects where an in-depth
understanding of user requirements leads to the development of products and
customized solutions involving elements of visual, software and support
systems. Mechdyne's product divisions provide advanced display technology,
audio/visual systems design, and implementation services, as well as
immersive and interactive software development and support. Headquartered
in Marshalltown, Iowa, Mechdyne's customers include leading government
laboratories, military research programs, energy companies and a variety of
'edutainment,' manufacturing, and other users of visualization technology.
More information is available at www.mechdyne.com.