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NASA Center Opens Reconfigurable Advanced Visualization Environment (RAVE) Powered By Silicon Graphics Onyx2 RAVE at NASA Glenn Part of Collaborative Immersive Environments Network Mountain View, CA - April 10, 2001 - SGI (NYSE: SGI) today announced that NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, has officially opened a new RAVETM (Reconfigurable Advanced Visualization Environment) powered by a Silicon Graphics® Onyx2® visualization system with the InfiniteReality3TM graphics subsystem. The RAVE from Fakespace Systems Inc., located in the Glenn Reconfigurable User Interface and Virtual Reality Exploration (GRUVE) laboratory, is being showcased today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and demonstrations at NASA Glenn. With the Silicon Graphics Onyx2 InfiniteReality3 system, NASA Glenn now has the computing and graphics power to explore computational fluid dynamics and structural analysis simulations in an immersive, collaborative environment. Silicon Graphics Onyx2, with its high-bandwidth ccNUMA architecture, combines supercomputing and visualization technologies to process 3D graphics, 2D imaging and video data in real time, making it an ideal solution for gaining insight in the fields of manufacturing, government, engineering, science, research and entertainment. Extending the industry-leading InfiniteRealityTM graphics architecture, InfiniteReality3 provides the most advanced capabilities for image quality and realism. "The display wall is ideal for showing large amounts of data where one can look up close at small details or step back and get the big picture," said Jay Horowitz, director of the GRUVE lab at NASA Glenn. "The panoramic view configuration is good for flight simulator-type visualization or for displaying several panels of data and video displays like a virtual control room. The CAVE, a three-sided room with 3D projection and tracking, gives one the sense of being fully immersed in a virtual reality simulation." Onyx2 InfiniteReality3 was selected by NASA for its unrivaled ability to handle high-resolution image and volumetric information with 256MB of texture memory and advanced texture mapping techniques. The texture memory capability of InfiniteReality3 is four times larger than the texture memory of the previous InfiniteReality2TM graphics at the same price. The RAVE was purchased as part of a NASA initiative that aims to enable geographically dispersed teams of engineers and scientists to collaborate in full-sensory environments. Researchers at other NASA centers will utilize broad bandwidth links between systems to share the new immersive environment with NASA Glenn in real-time, remote collaboration, allowing them to work together as if they were at the same location. NASA Glenn also foresees supporting a larger range of applications with the RAVE that could include work with local Cleveland groups and organizations in the areas of education, biomedicine and art. The RAVE system consists of three self-contained modules, that can be used as independent stereoscopic projection display systems or in a variety of groupings. Each module features an 8- foot-wide by 7.5-foot-high rigid rear-projected screen at one end of an 11-foot-deep structure containing one or more high-resolution CRT projectors. Equipped with air casters, the RAVE modules can be raised approximately one inch off the ground, and one or two people can easily roll the units into different viewing configurations. The RAVE is an extremely flexible large-scale system designed for a variety of immersive viewing modalities. When positioned to form an immersive room, angled theater-like configuration, a 24-foot flat wall, an L-shaped display or three separate display walls, it provides stereoscopic visualizations that appear to have a real dimensional presence when viewed with electronic shutter glasses. "We developed the RAVE in order to provide organizations such as NASA Glenn with the flexibility to use one display system for a broad range of projects," said Dan Wright, chief executive officer of Fakespace Systems. "The opening of the GRUVE lab demonstrates the success of our ongoing partnerships with NASA and SGI to advance the value of visualization technology for both public and commercial use." ### 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 SGI SGI provides a broad range of high-performance computing and advanced graphics solutions that enable customers to understand and conquer their toughest computing problems. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., with offices worldwide, the company is located on the Web at www.sgi.com. Mechdyne Press Contact Jeff Brum Matt Schmidt |
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