Partnership With University of Illinois, Original CAVE Developer Integrates
Digital Stereo Projection Technology to Deliver Super Bright CAVE and Upgrade
Kits
LOS ANGELES, SIGGRAPH, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Fakespace Systems Inc., a
world leader in immersive visualization systems, today announced the
commercial availability of a digital version of the CAVE(R), and an upgrade
kit to enhance existing immersive room environments with digital projection
technology. The digital CAVE, available exclusively from Fakespace Systems,
provides extremely bright, colorful, sharp and stable imagery, significantly
expanding its power and flexibility for engineers, designers and researchers
using visualization for enhanced collaboration and better understanding of
complex volumetric data.
Fakespace Systems also announced that it has contracted to deliver a
digital CAVE to Delta Search Labs, a privately funded research and development
foundation focused on advances in the use of high-performance computing and
visualization. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Delta Search Labs works in
alliance with leading university researchers and commercial partners in the
aerospace, automotive, biotechnology, informational technology, and
petrochemical industries. The digital CAVE, scheduled for installation in
September, will be used for visualization in dynamic collision simulation,
computational fluid dynamics, biotechnology and other applications, and will
serve as a test bed for new I/O devices that simplify ways in which engineers
and scientists interact with data in real-time.
"We're excited to work with a digital CAVE," said Kamal Jaffrey, Delta
Search Labs chief executive officer. "The CAVE will allow our staff to
analyze, interpret, and interact with computational results in new, more
powerful ways."
Developed at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) at University
of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), with input from Fakespace Systems, the digital
CAVE incorporates new screen and reflective materials, and a new corner design
that makes seams almost imperceptible. The digital stereo projection is based
on either 5,000 lumen or 2,000 lumen DLP(R) projectors, providing an immersive
environment that is up to six times brighter than previously available CAVEs.
"The images projected in the digital CAVE are truly stunning," said
Tom DeFanti co-director of the Electronic Visualization Lab at UIC. "Even
those of us involved in the development have been amazed at the clarity and
brightness of this new system. We are gratified to transfer this new
technology to our longtime commercialization partner, Fakespace Systems, and
its worldwide customers."
Originally invented in 1991 at UIC, the CAVE, which stands for Cave
Automatic Virtual Environment, is recognized as the most significant display
system developed for immersive design and research applications. Fakespace
Systems has had the exclusive rights to manufacture and market the CAVE since
1995.
The digital CAVE, which is available with either 8-ft. x 10-ft. walls or
10-ft. x 12-ft. walls, uses the world's first DLP-based active stereo
projector (the Mirage(TM) series from Christie Digital). Earlier model CAVEs
are either 8-ft. x 8-ft. or 10-ft. x 10-ft. and are based on Marquee(TM)
8500 CRT projectors from Christie Digital, which provides just 225 ANSI lumen
brightness.
"We're very pleased to be the first to offer the advantages of digital
projection technology in an immersive room environment," said Jim Angelillo,
vice president, strategic relationships for Fakespace Systems. "As a major
evolution of the original CAVE, its exceptional clarity and rich colors
provide an even more convincing sense of presence for work with virtual models
and environments."
Fakespace Systems also offers upgrade kits to convert CAVE and other
CAVE-like immersive environments to "super-bright" digital displays. For more
information, including pricing, please contact Fakespace Systems.
About Fakespace Systems
Fakespace Systems provides products and services for better insight,
communications and collaboration in automotive, manufacturing, military,
aerospace, geophysical exploration, and scientific research organizations. The
company designs and manufactures immersive displays and interactive devices,
and integrates complete visualization solutions providing Better Ways to
Create and Communicate(TM). Fakespace Systems, a business unit of Electrohome
Limited (Toronto: ELL.X, ELL.Y), is headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario,
Canada. The company has U.S. offices in Novi, Michigan; Alameda and San Diego,
California; Columbus, Ohio; Rockville, Maryland; and a European office based
in Leicestershire, England. More information on Fakespace Systems Inc. is
available at http://www.fakespacesystems.com .
NOTE: The phrase "Better Ways to Create and Communicate," is a trademark
of Fakespace Systems Inc. CAVE(R) is a registered trademark of the University
of Illinois Board of Trustees. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
SOURCE Fakespace Systems Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.fakespacesystems.com
CONTACT:
Jeff Brum of Fakespace Systems Inc.,
+1-519-749-3144, or jbrum@fakespacesystems.com; or Wendy Lewis,
wendy@fscomm.com, or Miranda Brady, both of FS Communications,
+1-650-691-1488, for Fakespace Systems Inc.
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