Press Release

This HaiVision Systems press release (pdf) reports their MAKO-HD video encoder/decoder technology has been used to transmit live surgical stereoscopic 3D high definition 1080i video from Intuitive Surgical’s daVinci S robotic surgical system. From the press release: "Orchestrated by Capital Health's Centre for the Advancement of Minimally Invasive Surgery and BEAM Regional Telehealth, attendees at the CUA meeting at the Shaw Conference Center are witnessing a comparison between robotic and traditional approaches to a urology procedure (radical prostatectomy).

This ThomasNet press release reports WorldViz releases the PPT-H high-end tracking system based on intelligent cameras and the new PPT Studio 2008 software which is the first immersive Virtual Reality tracking system that expands up to 32 cameras. From the press release: "The PPT-H high-end tracking system based on intelligent cameras and new PPT Studio 2008 software is the first immersive Virtual Reality tracking system that expands up to 32 cameras.

This Mechdyne press release reports the Texas Learning & Computation Center (TLC2) contracted with Mechdyne Corporation to design and build a 34-seat visualization theatre with 8 Megapixel (MP) stereographic projection. From the press release: "The new theater provides all of the academic departments of the University of Houston, as well as partners from the community and industry, with the ability to collaboratively view and work with complex data and computer generated imagery.

From OpenSceneGraph website: "PERTHSHIRE, Scotland - 25th April 2008 - OpenSceneGraph Professional Services announces the release of OpenSceneGraph 2.4, the industry's leading open-source scene graph technology, designed to accelerate application development and improve 3D graphics performance. OpenSceneGraph 2.4 written entirely in Standard C++ and built upon OpenGL, offers developers working in the visual simulation, game development, virtual reality, scientific visualization and modeling markets - a real-time visualization tool which eclipses commercial scene graph toolkits in functionality, stability and performance. OpenSceneGraph 2.4 runs on all Microsoft Windows platforms, Apple OS/X, GNU/Linux, IRIX, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX and FreeBSD operating systems.

This press release announces the ICATCHER Mini 3D virtual-reality portable projection system made by EON Reality was named Discreet Hardware Product of the Year by the AeA Orange County/Inland Empire during the 15th Annual AeA High-Tech Innovation Awards on April 29. From the press release: ""We are pleased and honored to be recognized for our innovations that truly allow users to experience more,” said Mats Johansson, president and chief executive officer, EON Reality. “Whether in the classroom or in the boardroom, EON ICATCHER Mini users are immersed in a digital environment where they become participants rather than mere observers.”

Visualization Library is an open source C++ middleware for 2D/3D graphics applications based on the industry standard OpenGL 2.1, designed to develop professional applications for the Windows XP, Windows Vista and Linux/X11 operating systems. Visualization Library alpha 1 supports advanced features like OpenGL Shading Language, Frame Buffer Objects, Multiple Render Targets, Vertex and Pixel Buffer Objects, KdTree/AABB frustum culling, multilingual Unicode-based text engine, advanced texturing, DDS cubemaps, mipmaps, compressed textures and much more.

Visualization Library can be especially useful in 3D/2D scientific visualization, virtual reality, augmented reality, visual simulation, data visualization, presentations, multimedia applications, special effects, 3d/2d games.

A stereoscopy.com article reports TDVision Systems unveils TDVCodec, the worlds first 2D and MPEG compatible stereoscopic format that maintains 2D and MPEG compatibility with legacy systems at the 2008 National Association of Broadcasters show (NAB) in Las Vegas, NV. From the article: "Video streams encoded in TDVCodec format are viewable in all existing 2D set top boxes, DVD/Blu-ray(TM) players and presented on 2D televisions with no loss in color, resolution or frame rate. The same digital video stream can also be reproduced using TDVReady devices and PCs with TDVision's Dejaview software and visualized in true 3D stereoscopic displays such as 3D Ready DLP televisions (Samsung(TM) & Mitsubishi(TM)) or by using the portable and immersive TDVisor from TDVision.

A stereoscopy.com article reports 21st Century 3D announced a new addition to its line up of digital stereoscopic motion picture cameras. From the article: "At a time when 3D production is booming and major studios are calling for more live action 3D camera equipment, the 3DP2 arrives as a new live action 3D camera system that shoots high definition stereoscopic images directly to solid-state memory. The 3DP2 is 21st Century 3D's first system to be developed in the beam splitter configuration. Utilizing an optical beam splitting glass element, two cameras are mounted perpendicular to one another on either side of the glass. This arrangement allows for a variable interocular spacing, ranging from 0" – 4". The operator can dynamically adjust the 3DP2's depth settings during a shot to vary the intensity of the 3D effect.

A stereoscopy.com article reports eight F20 sx DLP® projectors from projectiondesign with built-in Infitec(tm) filters are used in an immersive and interactive 3D stereoscopic computer aided virtual environment (CAVE) visualisation system named Four Space 110. From the article: "Operational since February 2008, the system was designed by Frankfurt-based systems integrator 3Dims GmbH and is situated at the Human Machine Communication Centre at the Munich University of Technology in Germany.

This press release reports InterSense announced its custom configured, IS-900 wireless motion tracking system has been integrated into Psyche, a six-sided immersive display being used in the Cyberpsychology Lab at the Université du Québec en Outaouais. From the press release: "Psyche is used for research focused on validating the clinical effectiveness of virtual therapeutic environments and of telepsychotherapy for certain mental disorders, including anxiety disorders and sexually deviant behavior.