The Envision Center“Data Perceptualization at

Purdue University”

Jeanne Corcoran, OTD, OTR/LOctober 6th, 2011

What is the Envision Center at Purdue?

The mission of Envision Center for Data Perceptualization is to serve, support, and collaborate with faculty, students, and industry to be a leader in scientific visualization, and human computer interaction, through learning, discovery, and engagement.

http://www.envision.purdue.edu/flv/video.html?../videos/intro.flv

The Vision for the Center…………..• An exploration of computer graphics, advanced visualization, and human computer interface technologies.

•The Center aims to develop practical application and create a collaborative perceptualization science.

•Focus is on research, development, integration, and evaluation of high-end technologies.

•The motivation is that the center provides the ideal framework for exploring new ideas, discovering new knowledge, and communicating research results through

• collaborative virtual reality (VR) environments, • advanced scientific visualization,• interfaces to high-performance computing systems, • related human performance issues.

The Center’s PurposeThe first purpose is to use computer graphics to create or discover the idea itself through the special properties of visual perception; that is, using vision to think and solve fundamental problems in all disciplines.

The second purpose is to communicate an existing idea using computer graphics. After the idea is created or discovered computer graphics can be used to effectively communicate it to others. The visualization facilities will support both the discovery and communication of new ideas.

Humans Versus Perceptual ToolsIn the real-world, humans have the natural ability to perceive several things effectively through a combination of multiple sensory modes (such as visual, spatial, aural, verbal, tactile, etc.). Humans have an innate capability to seamlessly communicate, perceive, and interact (called multimodal interaction) with others and the environment using these modes.

To provide natural and intuitive interface to the researcher, other sensory modes such as 3-dimensional (3D) 6 degrees-of-freedom (DOF) input trackers (for spatial tracking of hand and head position & orientation), gloves (for fingers gesture recognition), voice recognition (for speech input), & synthesized speech/sound output (for acoustic feedback), will be included and interfaced with visualization displays. These will assist researchers to interact - easily, naturally, and effectively - with complex data sets and to perceive new ideas that are possible these tools.

Project Funding for The Envision CenterThe Center opened in April 2004 and is a corner stone of an approved $1.7M National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for Major Research Instrumentation. The proposal was a collaborative venture between the public and private sector, with NSF contributing $862,000, Purdue $730,326 for equipment and $2,000,000 for facility construction Corporate partners (IBM and Intel)

with in-kind donations worth $327,467.

What happens at the Envision Center?

Proposals are Submitted from any Department on the Purdue CampusMajority are Grant Funded ProjectsResearch Involves faculty, students both undergraduate & graduate and with institutions and the business sectorInvolves understanding the process and use of 3D animationOver 20 short courses in placeUndergraduate & Graduate CurriculumMany Simulated Learning Opportunities

Envision Center Projects

http://www.envision.purdue.edu/projects_details.html

Hardware Resources

FLEX Virtual Reality Theater Motion Capture Tiled Wall Display Access Grid Haptics

Software Resources Adobe Photoshop CS2Alias MayaAutodesk 3D Studio MaxAVS Express 6.2 OpenSceneGraphVRJuggler

Three Envision Center Projects

The Vulcan ProjectThe Virtual Pharmacy Clean RoomThe Proposed New City of Istanbul

Project 1-The Vulcan Project (CO2 Emissions in US From Fossil Fuel)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJpj8UUMTaI&feature=email

Project 2-Virtual Pharmacy Clean Room

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JavxLCpwN3Ehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T569ho0ZyMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=wNOlTUuzII0

Project 3-Proposed New City -Istanbul

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2008a/080109SozenAnimation.html

What does this Mean for Salem State University?

What projects are possible?What are the limitations?

Reference

The Envision Center (2011). Purdue University. Retrieved October 4, 2011 from http://www.envision.purdue.edu/