3D Images You Can Touch!

A new technology has been unveiled by Japanese firm, NTT Comware, which will allow a user to “feel” 3D images projecting from a computer screen.

Without any need for awkward 3D glasses, users could feel a far-away object as if it were right in front of them, NTT said. “You would be able to take the hand, or gently pat the head, of your beloved grandchild who lives far away from you,” said engineer Shiro Ozawa. If a person linked to the system moves, his or her three-dimensional image also moves in realtime . The user would feel as if they were being pulled along if the image moves while grasping your hand.

How it works?
The technology depends on real-time rendering and transfer of photos, such as those of your hand when simulating a handshake. Using two cameras, the device films the hand from multiple angles. The glove worn by the user grabs the precise size and position, for optimum accuracy. This data is used to render a 3D image of the hand on the display screen. The screen used is NTT’s 3D Display – developed in 2005 – which allows users to view three-dimensional images without wearing special 3D glasses.

Once the image is displayed, it sends the data back across to the glove, which processes it to provide a feeling of actual touch. So, when the user grasps the hand, the sensors on the glove pick up that data and transfer it to the image displayed, which reacts accordingly. All this, done in real time, gives a feeling of real tactile movement.

The future
Normally, a lot of museum artifacts, such as dinosaur fossils or rare paintings, are stored at a great distance. But with this new technology, the dead could also be “resurrected” by the system and museum visitors could “touch” precious exhibits sealed in showcases, the firm said.

Another target for the technology is virtual classrooms, where students could feel and touch objects which are placed at a great distance, offering a new depth to the learning experience.

The future according to 3DWalkthroughs.com:
A user will be fully immersed in a 3D Walkthrough or 3D Floor Plan and have the ability to grab a beer from the refrigerator, pop a DVD into the home theater system and meld into the couch. OK,we might have to wait a while for this one

Something to consider…

An article in today’s NY Times highlights the growing concern of detailed mapping technology getting into the wrong hands. On the heels of the foiled terrorist plot at JFK Airport and the fact that the terrorists admitted to doing research on Google Earth, many officials are getting nervous about the improper use of this quickly improving technology.

As 3dwalkthroughs.com has been predicting, it is only a matter of time before the technology incorporates very detailed 3D Walkthroughs and 3D Floor Plans into the searchable data. If not properly governed, this data could significantly increase the threat created by giving public access to this information.

While we strongly believe these tools can be a valuable asset to emergency first responders, it cannot be denied that they could also be used for the wrong reasons. As a New York based company we take these security issues extremely seriously and think that the more detailed information should only be accessible by the proper authorities. We applaud state comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, and his efforts to address this issue NOW, before it is too late.

The Full NY Time Article Can Be Found HERE

There.com signs deal with CMG for band appearances in virtual nightclubs

Makena Technologies is announcing today that it has cut a deal with Capitol Music Group to bring music artists into the There.com virtual world.

The company will create a warehouse-like virtual nightclub that has a video wall on one side where visitors can view actual videos of the bands. For anyone that wants to chat with the various bands there will be a paid for VIP section that will allow for such privledges.

Bands such as Yellowcard, Korn, the Beastie Boys, and Lily Allen will interact in the form of Avatars that are built to represent the real band members.

Like Second Life, There.com is free, but it does charge $4.95 a month for premium service, which includes voice communication over the Internet.

3dwalkthroughs.com predicts this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the influx of various media formats into virtual platforms. As the ability to integrate custom 3d walkthroughs and 3d renderings becomes easier, the experience in the various virtual worlds will become more and more realistic.

Virtual Sales Office (iTheater Video Glasses)

Imagine creating a virtual sales office using only your video Ipod. A company in Japan, Mikimoto, has made this fantasy a reality with the release of their iTheater Video glasses. The 78g light video glasses create a 50 inch image seen from 2.5m. Besides connecting to the iPod photo and iPod video, any other video source can be connected to the Mikimoto Beans iTheater glasses.

A vision from 3dwalkthroughs.com: A real estate agent or new property sales representative downloads a presentation which consists of 3D Walkthroughs, 3D Renderings and 3D Floor Plans to their iPod or laptop computer. They make an appointment to meet with a client where they sit them down in a quiet room and hook them up with the iTheater Video Glasses. The immersive experience effectively sells the property and allows the sales agent to close the deal.

Clearly there would be many more steps in the process, but with direction of today’s housing market it will be these type of innovative ideas that will help make one property stand out from another.

The 3D Flickr?

French software company Dassault Systemes has launched 3DVIA, a platform that will enable users to access, share and collaborate on three-dimensional services online.

The new platform seeks to become the Flickr of 3D content.
“Imagine a world where everyone can leverage the power of 3D, in which we can create, share, and experience life in 3D online, enabling us to join efforts to improve our living spaces and the products we use daily,” says Bernard Charlès, president and CEO, Dassault Systèmes. “DS and its partners will develop 3DVIA to lead the way in this area, enabling anyone with access to a computer and the Internet to use innovative, fun-to-use 3D services online.”

3dwalkthroughs.com will continue to experiment with 3DVIA and looks forward to collaborating with other professionals on 3D Walkthroughs, 3D Renderings, and 3D Floor Plans.

About 3DVIA:

3DVIA is Dassault Systèmes’ brand for online 3D lifelike experiences. It establishes 3D as a universal media for consumer and professional communities, and allows anyone to imagine, play, and experience products and services used in our daily lives. Once perfected in the virtual world, these can be delivered in the physical world. The Virtools product line is part of 3DVIA. For more information about 3DVIA, go to: www.3dvia.com.

Tracie Beer Designs

3Dwalkthroughs.com and Launchsight Solutions will work together to create a new website for the well known NYC interior design company Tracie Beer Designs.

We will impart elements such as flash animations,3dwalkthroughs, 3D Renderings and 3D Floor Plans to create an impressive showcase for her creations.

Validating the Need For Cutting Edge Marketing Materials

A discussion yesterday morning with one of our builder clients coupled with an article in today’s NY Times illustrates the growing new home inventory crisis and subsequent predicament may new home builders are finding themselves in.

3dwalkthroughs.com believes the use of 3D walkthroughs, 3D floor plans, and 3D renderings will continue to increase as new home builders seek to find the most impressive pre/post construction marketing materials to help reduce their inventories.

June 23, 2007
Off the Charts
Homes Sell. Homes Don’t Sell. Builders Still Build.
By FLOYD NORRIS
THE American housing market, as measured by home-building activity, is falling at the most rapid rate in decades, underscoring the pain felt by builders who were far too optimistic about the state of the market.

Even with the plunge, however, starts have been very high relative to the number of homes that builders are trying to sell, a fact that could indicate the weakness will last while builders seek to sell homes they have already built.
The full NY Times article can be found HERE>

iMOUT By Autodesk Releases Web App For Urban Warfre and Emergency First Responders

iMOUT combines CAD, GIS, BIM (building information modeling) and 3D visualization technologies in a Web Application that is to be used for Urban Warfare Training as well as emergency first responders.

The application released by Autodesk allows for seamless integration between the exterior and interior environments. One of the cool features of the application is that it allows the user to remove walls to skeletal structures and other building features that could be important during an emergency situation or combat situation.

3dwalkthroughs.com predicts these mash-up applications will only continue to improve in direct relation to the realistic quality of the renderings, floor plans, and 3d walkthroughs.

Insight Media and US Display Consortium release study on 3D displays market

An interesting article from Insight Media describes the projected growth in the use of 3D technologies, specifically as it relates to the consumer market.

As with all other technologies, as they become more affordable, it can be assumed that a large number of consumer based applications will be launched into the market.
3dwalkthroughs.com strives to be a pioneer in the 3D explosion.

Insight Media - June 21, 2007

2007 is shaping up to be an exciting year for 3D technologies, according to Insight Media. The display industry analysts, with support from the US Display Consortium, released a comprehensive report on 3D display technologies, applications and markets, in conjunction with the Projection Summit held this week in Anaheim, CA, USA. While conventional wisdom sees 3D displays as niche market products, recent advances in 3D display technologies have given them image quality equal to the best LCD monitors and TVs and at price premiums that are in the range professionals and consumers have shown a willingness to pay.

The study indicates that key pieces of the 3D puzzle are falling into place and resulting in the adoption of 3D systems in several key market segments.

3D displays come in a wide variety of sizes from cellphone-sized to projectors capable of filling a giant cinema screen. These improved, moderate-cost technologies will first move into existing markets for 3D displays and enable the development of new, broader markets in the future.

Currently, 3D cinema is one of the most exciting areas of activity, but growth in consumer monitors and cellphone 3D displays are just around the corner too. Professional applications will also expand for stereoscopic 3D, holographic 3D and maybe even volumetric 3D displays. Digital Signage, data visualization and immersive environments top the list here.

“Throughout this report Insight Media has cut through the hype and wild forecasts that have been common in 3D systems throughout its 150+ year history,” said Matthew Brennesholtz, one of Insight Media’s principle analysts on the report. “We have strived to produce a report that comes to reasonable conclusions and forecasts based on the facts, markets and technologies. This is different from many previous studies of 3D technology that were often written by enthusiasts and contained wildly inflated predictions.”

About this study

The Insight Media 400-page report, “3D Technology and Markets; A Study of All Aspects of Electronic 3D Systems, Applications and Markets” coauthored by Matthew Brennesholtz and Art Berman, Ph.D., documents the current state of the 3D industry including displays, image sources, formats, standards, applications and markets. There is an in-depth evaluation of the current and forecast market, including industry revenue forecasts through 2011. These forecasts are broken down by display technology, display size and application category. Forecasts are also provided for specific markets, both in terms of unit sales and revenue streams.

In addition to display-specific material, the 3D Technology and Markets report contains an in-depth discussion of related technologies including ones for image generation, formats and standards. Special attention is paid to 3D video formats that are backward compatible with the existing 2D video infrastructure. The report also includes a list of 650+ companies, universities, consortia and standards bodies involved in 3D systems, with profiles on 26 of them.

3D Animation Used in 9/11 Study

The World Trade Center Towers attack was the subject of a two-year Purdue University study. The study created a 3D simulation of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the findings support the U.S. government’s findings into why the towers fell, reports the AP.

Excerpt from Purdue News:
The simulation could be used to better understand which elements in the building’s structural core were affected, how they responded to the initial shock of the aircraft collision, and how the tower later collapsed from the ensuing fire fed by an estimated 10,000 gallons of jet fuel, said Mete Sozen, the Kettelhut Distinguished Professor of Structural Engineering in Purdue’s School of Civil Engineering.

Read the Full Article Here

See the full simulation at the bottom of this page