Two faculties of the Pennsylvania State University, - one of the oldest and largest national universities in the USA, -"Penn State's Information Technology "(ITS) and "the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture ", jointly have developed Cave applications. Its purpose is to fascilitate the effective use of virtual reality (VR) techniques in design, construction and other disciplins. The aim is to develop low cost, easy to use and easy to administer VR systems to fascilitate its deployment. The University – founded in 1855 - has visualized their cave applications with the special software "BS Contact Stereo ", developed by Bitmanagement for stereoscopic rendition. Bitmanagement Software GmbH, Berg near Munich, Germany, is manufacturer of interactive and Internet ready 3D visualization software, which meets completely the high requirements for stereoscopic rendition - in particular without special eyeglasses.
The two projects run under the designation of "The Immersive Environments Lab "(IEL), and "Immersive Construction Lab "(ICon). IEL could be roughly explained as "a virtual environment addressing the human senses", where designs can be studied for completely different ranges with special visualization techniques, for example the 3D stereoscopic rendition. Watchers can thus let designs sink in themselve and then judge the design. ICon however is focusing - apart from simplification the use of VR-technologies - on employment in development departments in the AEC industry, architecture, engineering and construction.
Cave systems are visualization systems with two, three or more ceiling high projection walls, which obtain a realistic three-dimensional impression. The stereoscopic effect is generated by two projectors in each wall. And in most cases state of the art stereoscopic technology does not postuate special active eyeglasses. Each single wall is synchronized with all others, whereby the position of the watching person is covered by a tracking system, so that the watchers point of view is adapted to his or her respective location and accordingly to his or her moves. By the immersive perception – the stereoscopic 3D view - product can be analyzed virtually, but with visible depth effect.
Cave applications can be used not only in the ranges mentioned, but also in the medicine research. Here for example cave applications support scientists in the human heart search, enzyme search or exploration of the human DNA, all by a specific 3D stereoscopic representation. In the training and education field cave solutions can combine transfer of knowledge by simulation of learning objects with first practical experiences and thus intensify the learning success.
Penn State, will host the 7th "International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality", (CONVR) at Penn State University, University park, Pa, from October 22 to 23, 2007. Penn State will also demonstrate the visualization software from Bitmanagement at the conference.
Link 1 IEL http://www.engr.psu.edu/... --------àfacilities, Link 2 Icon http://www.engr.psu.edu/..., Link 3 CONVR http://www.engr.psu.edu/convr