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Fakespace Brings Immersive Stereo Visualization To The Desktop With New Model Of PUSH Display Priced Below $10,000 VGA-Quality Stereo Optics and Award Winning PUSH™ Platform Deliver Six Degrees Of Freedom Viewing To Users of Entry-Level And Mid-Range Workstations Mountain View, CA - October 1, 1998 - Fakespace, Inc., today announced that it has released a new model of its award winning PUSH™ Desktop Display for immersive visualization of computer-generated simulations and 3D models. At a single unit price of $9,995, the new system makes stereoscopic visualization tools more accessible for use with entry- and mid-range workstations, enabling professionals in engineering, design, scientific research and other industries using visual computing to get more value from their 3D data. The new PUSH 640 Display uses VGA-quality (640 X 480 pixels per eye) stereo optics mounted on the PUSH platform. The binocular immersive viewing system allows users to navigate with six degrees of freedom in large virtual spaces and examine virtual models from different viewpoints while seated at a desk. As an alternative to a head-mounted display (HMD), the PUSH platform provides comfortable access in typical engineering work environments because it is not worn or attached to the head. A user can easily look away from the eyepiece to refer to notes or answer a question, and can easily share the immersive viewpoint in a collaborative environment. "The Fakespace PUSH is a genuinely innovative device that provides a natural way of moving around in three-dimensional worlds," said Roy Latham, president of Computer Graphics Systems Development Corp., and publisher of Real Time Graphics. "With just a few minutes of practice, I was able to smoothly circle around while facing an object and perform other useful maneuvers that are all but impossible with conventional interface devices. It is a significant contribution to the art of making three-dimensional visualization a practical tool for engineering design." Small Footprint, Ease of Use The PUSH Desktop Display is a small footprint unit, measuring 18.5"W x 16"D x 19"H, that sits on a tabletop or desk. A user looks into it much like a binocular microscope, and controls highly accurate movement within a visualization by exerting gentle pressure on the display system's handles to easily move in any direction within a "virtual space." Optomechanical sensors in the desktop base and viewer module track these movements and synchronize them with the application software. Buttons on the handles provide vertical motion and can be programmed for additional interactive control of the virtual environment. Fakespace introduced a high-resolution (1280 x 1024), CRT-based version of the PUSH Desktop Display in August 1995, which subsequently received awards from CyberEdge Journal, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, and Computer Graphics World. With the PUSH 640, the six-degree freedom of motion and built-in high-accuracy motion tracking that distinguished the original platform is now available at approximately 40 percent of the cost of the higher resolution PUSH 1280. "Intuitive navigation through a stereoscopic model helps provide a deeper understanding of 3D data," said Mark Bolas, chairman and chief executive officer of Fakespace, Inc. "This understanding can be quantified in shortened design cycles and a reduced need for physical prototypes. At Fakespace, we’re very excited about making the power of immersive visualization available to professionals throughout engineering and design organizations, from the desktop to room size systems." A Collaborative Product Fakespace designed the PUSH 640 in collaboration with i-O Display Systems of Menlo Park, Calif., which supplies the full-color VGA optical assembly. This active-matrix thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) provides 640 x 480 pixel per eye resolution and two user-selectable fields-of-view (FOV); a 34 degree field-of-view with a 4:3 aspect ratio, or a 42 degree FOV with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Fakespace integrates the compact display package with the patented PUSH platform and its VLIB™ (Virtual Library) software, which interprets 3D model data, created in engineering and visualization applications, to create stereoscopic images and supports navigation through virtual models or visualizations. "We’re very pleased to collaborate with Fakespace to provide a practical tool that integrates their exceptional navigation system with our display technology," said John James, general manager of i-O Display Systems. "As industry leaders, we are combining efforts to make the value of immersive visualization accessible to a broader user-base." Both Fakespace and i-O Display Systems are reselling the PUSH 640 to their respective markets and customers. i-O Display Systems also offers a two-dimensional (2D) only version of the system.. Fakespace will continue to market the CRT-based PUSH, at a single unit price of $25,000. The higher resolution model is particularly well suited for applications requiring extremely precise imaging, such as visualization of geophysical data and complex product models. ### 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. About i-O Display i-O Display Systems, LLC, is a leading manufacturer of head mounted displays worldwide. Located in Menlo Park, California, i-O Display Systems designs, manufacturers and sells a variety of display systems and related products for both video and computer applications. The company's products include i-glasses™, i-glasses X2™ and the Protec™ head mounted displays. More information is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.i-glasses.com. Mechdyne Press Contact Jeff Brum Matt Schmidt |
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