The FLEX at JSU

Re-configurable visualization system
Fakespace Systems Inc.

As of February 2005, the RAVE has been replaced by a FLEX. Our FLEX has three 9' x 7' soft screen vertical displays and a 9' x 7' floor module screen. A single person can easily configure the FLEX viewing to a flat wall display, an immersive angle theater, or a CAVE-like walk-in environment.
Open Angle Theater Closed
Flat Wall Angle Theater CAVE-like Environment

Motion Tracking System and Input Device
Motion Tracking Systems are virtual reality interfaces that capture and record human motions using sensors. The InterSense IS-900 Motion Tracking System is a 6 degree of freedom (6-DOF)tracking system based on inertia and ultrasonic tracking. It determines the position (x, y, z)and the orientation (heading, pitch, roll) of each station (tracked device). The hardware is made up of SoniStrips, tracked devices(head tracker and wand), and the SimTracker Processor.

InterSense IS-900 SimTracker Processor



SoniStrips with SoniDisc transponders



The SoniStrips have ultrasonic SoniDisc transponders that receive addressed signals from the IS-900 Processor and transmit ultrasonic pulses in response. They are mounted from the ceiling over the FLEX.

IS-900 MiniTrax Wireless Wand with Joystick and Receiver



The MiniTrax Wand with a center-joystick is a tracked device that allows the user to interact with virtual environments. Four miniature acoustic microphones are integrated into it. During any given measurement cycle, a pair of these microphones are active and listening for the ultrasonic signals from the SoniDiscs. The MiniTrax Wand has four buttons on top and one below plus a sixth button on the joystick. The four axis analog joystick provides an easy navigation interface.

IS-900 Wireless MiniTrax Head Receiver, Head Tracker and Transmitter



IS-900 Wireless MiniTrax Transmitter and Head Tracker mounted on Stereoscopic Glasses



The MiniTrax Head Tracker is a lightweight tracking device.Two miniature acoustic receiver microphones are integrated into it. The MiniTrax Head Tracker is installed on the Stereoscopic Glasses worn by the user navigating within the virtual environment.

Stereo Viewing
CrystalEyes3 Stereoscopic Glasses and Infrared Emitter



CrystalEyes3 Stereoscopic Glasses are designed to be worn with or without prescription eyewear. Each pair of glasses includes two batteries. The infrared sensor (located in the center of the eyewear) receives infrared signals from an emitter installed next to each projector in the FLEX. Each lens is shuttered by those signals to let our brain form a single stereoscopic image of each object. The infrared emitters synchronyze the eyewears in conjunction with the left and right image sequences on the screens.




Projection
Christie Digital Systems Mirage 2000 Projectors





A Mirage 2000 Digital Light Processing (DLP) projector generates the display on each vertical screen of the FLEX. A fourth projector generates the display on the flooring surface. The four projectors are connected to the computers via an Extron Crosspoint Plus Series Switcher.

Extron Crosspoint Switcher



Sound System
DENON AVR-983 AV Surround Receiver



TANNOY TS10 Subwoofer (Front and Back Views)

  

A subwoofer is a speaker designed to reproduce very low bass frequencies, usually those below about 80 Hz.

JBL Control 25AV Speakers



Two speakers are installed in front of the FLEX and three others above it.


System Control
The FLEX can be driven by either the SGI Onyx 3200 visualization server or the Viz-Cluster to display virtual reality applications. In addition, any desktop applications can be displayed on any of the FLEX screens. An additional computer, the Utility PC is used to run the trackd server to offload I/O from the SGI Onyx 3200 or the Viz-Cluster when getting tracking and input device data. The Utility PC also allows capturing TV channels as well as playing DVD and VHS.
A Crestron Pro2 Professional Control Processor provides connectivity for communication and control of all the devices. It is accessed via a Touchpanel screen for performing diverse functions such as powering on and off the projectors, switching between the SGI Onyx 3200, the Viz-Cluster, or the Utility PC to display in the FLEX and/or on the monitors, controlling the audio, and so on.

Crestron Pro2 Control Processor



Crestron Touchpanel Screen





Page last updated June 15, 2005
monika.k.rabarison@jsums.edu

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