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Mechdyne and SGI Complete Reconfigurable Visualization Solution for Industrial Technology Centre MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa - June 12, 2002 - Mechdyne Corporation, of Marshalltown, Iowa – along with SGI (NYSE: SGI), of Mountain View, California – has announced the completion of an immersive visualization system powered by an SGI® Onyx® 3200 supercomputer for the Industrial Technology Centre (ITC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. A $1.5 million venture funded by the federal and provincial governments, the system will be the focal point of ITC's new public Virtual Reality Center, created to give Manitoba industry a competitive edge through the use of visualization technology to improve product design and lower costs. ITC, a special operating agency of Manitoba Industry, Trade and Mines, provides services to support economic development in Manitoba. In order to help innovators break new ground and evaluate existing products, ITC's technical staff is routinely involved in new product design and development as well as mechanical testing processes. Using this Mechdyne visualization system, ITC staff will assist industry, researchers and inventors in the design, simulation and testing of a new product before it is physically built. ITC staff and Winnipeg-area businesses will be able to design, view and interact with lifesize, accurately scaled three-dimensional images, thereby eliminating the need for costly physical prototypes and resulting in more time-efficient and cost-effective design, review and testing processes. The system, an MD Flex™, features two flat-screen vertical projection walls. One wall is in a fixed position and one is moveable to enable the system to be configured as an "Lshaped" system, a double-wide flat display or at any angle in between. The system was designed and integrated to make possible the easy addition of an additional wall and a floor projection surface, should ITC decide to upgrade the system in the future. An SGI® Onyx® 3200 visualization system with InfiniteReality3® series graphics powers the system, sending the graphics and images to two CRT projectors, which in turn rearproject high-fidelity 2D or 3D images onto the screens. Rear projection allows the users to approach and interact with the images without casting shadows. In order to further increase system versatility and return on investment, the system features a variety of auxiliary equipment, including a two-channel audio system, an additional LCD projector to enhance A/V presentations, and wireless microphones to facilitate presentations and audience interaction. A wireless control system enables complete control of the system's many components from one touch pad. "I see immersive visualization as another platform technology that will revolutionize the way engineering, architecture and other applications are conducted," said Trevor Cornell, chief operating officer at ITC. "The potential is huge, but it's still cost-prohibitive for most businesses. Our Mechdyne system will allow smaller businesses the opportunity to use cutting-edge technology that they would not be able to afford on their own." "Mechdyne's success stems from our revolutionary off-the-shelf product line combined with our willingness and ability to custom design and engineer an immersive visualization system for any specific customer and their unique needs," said John Bethel, Mechdyne's Director of Business Development. "This MD Flex™ system was built to enable ITC and its clientele to utilize and experiment with a wide range of virtual reality applications. However, it was built in such a way that it could easily be upgraded to a full four-channel MD Flex™ system, and ITC has already expressed interest in doing that in the near future. We are pleased that we were able to meet ITC's needs in this very unique situation." ### 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 Celebrating its 20th year, SGI, also known as Silicon Graphics, Inc., is the world's leader in high-performance computing, visualization and the management of complex data. SGI® products, services and solutions enable its technical and creative customers to gain strategic and competitive advantages in their core businesses. Whether being used to design and build safer cars and airplanes, discover new medications and oil reserves, predict the weather, entertain us with thrilling movie special effects or provide missioncritical support for government and defense, SGI systems and expertise are empowering a world of innovation and discovery. The company, located on the Web at www.sgi.com, is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., and has offices worldwide. Mechdyne Press Contact Jeff Brum Matt Schmidt |
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