IEEE Visualization '97
KEYNOTE SESSION
Global Tele-Immersion
(Crescent ABC)
Speaker: Thomas A. DeFanti, Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of
Illinois at Chicago
Advances in computer visualization, virtual reality, high-performance computing
and networking technology have opened up the possibility for entirely new modes
of interaction and collaboration. The basic hardware technology exists for
constructing shared interactive virtual reality simulations in which physical
entities such as people,scientific instruments and machines can interact with
synthetic entities, such as scientific simulations and agents acting as virtual
people or teachers. Tele-Immersive applications are those virtual reality
simulations that couple many sites and users located at geographically
distributed locations.
Our prototypical tele-immersive environment consists of a collection of
CAVE-like virtual reality displays in which user position in a shared virtual
space is determined via one or more trackers attached to the user. Multichannel
audio or haptic devices provide additional sensory feedback. Although the
required computing and visualization technology are available on a stand-alone
basis, fundamentally interactive modes of collaboration call for the
interconnection of appropriate computers, visualization devices, information
sources and people by high-speed networks. The current national and
international networks are not sophisticated enough to allow teleimmersion as a
vehicle for collaboration, science or education.
This talk will discuss many of the considerations for networking and virtual
reality, particularly over national and international distances.
Biography:
Tom DeFanti is an internationally recognized expert in computer
graphics. In the 24 years he has been at University of Illinois at Chicago -
Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL), Dr. DeFanti has amassed a number of
credits, including: use of EVL hardware and software for the computer animation
produced for the first "Star Wars" movie; early involvement in video game
technology long before video games became popular; contributor and co-editor of
the 1987 National Science Foundation-sponsored report "Visualization in
Scientific Computing"; recipient of the 1988 ACM Outstanding Contribution
Award; an appointment in 1989 to the Illinois Governor's Science Advisory
Board; University Scholar for 1989-1992; appointed an ACM Fellow in 1994;
appointed one of several USA technical advisors to the G7 GIBN activity in
1995; appointed to the Internet 2 Advisory Committee in 1997; and, recognition
along with EVL co-director Daniel J. Sandin for conceiving the CAVE virtual
reality theater in 1991.
He has also been active in the ACM SIGGRAPH organization and in the ACM/IEEE
Supercomputing (SC) conference. Current and past activities include: secretary
of SIGGRAPH (1977-1981); co-chair of the SIGGRAPH 79 conference; chair of
SIGGRAPH (1981-1985); past chair of SIGGRAPH(1985-1989); editor of the
"SIGGRAPH Video Review" video publication, which he founded in 1979; and,
member of the SIGGRAPH 92 and SIGGRAPH94 conference committees. He was
information architect on the SC'95 conference committee, responsible for the
I-WAY and GII Testbed activities and is a member of the SC'97 Program
Committee. He is one of the Co-PI's of the National Computational Science
Alliance (NCSA).