Subject: VR Grad School List (long)

From: [email-masked] (Aaron Pulkka)
Date: Mon, 28 Oct 91 09:51:09 PST

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                VIRTUAL REALITY RESEARCH DIRECTORY
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Editor:         Aaron Pulkka
Submissions:    [email-masked]
Updated:        September 12, 1991

Disclaimers:    This is a "living" document; all information within this
                directory is subject to change without notice.  There is
                no guarantee, written or implied that this information
                is entirely correct (please notify editor of errors).
                This is not an official publication of Tektronix.
                The use of contacts' addresses is a privilage, not a right,
                so be considerate.  

A complete directory entry would be in the following format.

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                INSTITUION NAME                                 (COUNTRY)
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Institution:    Department
                Institution
                Postal Address

                Phone number

Contact(s):     *** WARNING: DO NOT ABUSE CONTACTS ***
                *** Only contact person(s) listed  ***
                *** for serious communication.     ***

                Name of contact person, Title (internet address)
                
Program(s):     Degree(s) or program(s) offered

Specialties:    Description of research being performed (and by whom).

Resources:      Hardware, software, and human resources.

Prerequisites:  Defined prerequisites or desired background.

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                ALBERTA, UNIVERSITY OF                          (CANADA)
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Institution:    University of Alberta
                Computer Graphics Laboratory

Contact(s):     Mark Green, Associate Professor ([email-masked])
                (403) 492-4584

Program(s):     MSc, PhD Computer Science

Specialties:    Development of software tools to facilitate the development
                of highly interactive 3D user interfaces.  Two generations
                of software tools have been produced.  First generation:
                standard device drivers (for Polhemus digitizers, DataGloves,
                Eyephones, etc.) and an application skeleton (for quick
                prototyping); Second generation:  Mininal Reality (MR) toolkit
                (subroutine library for the development of VR applications).
                Using MR toolkit to develop performance optimization tools,
                special filtering for Polhemus digitizer, and a UIMS for VR
                applications.  Also working with Banff Centre to develop 
                interactive graphics systems that will allow an artist
                to easily develop the geometry and behavior of virtual worlds.

Resources:      Currently [as of March 7, 1991] 1 faculty member, 4 PhD and
                2 MSc students working on virtual reality related projects.

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                BRITISH COLUMBIA, UNIVERSITY OF                 (CANADA)
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                CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS                (USA)
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                CENTRAL FLORIDA, UNIVERSITY OF                  (USA)
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Institution:    Visual Systems Laboratory
                Institute for Simulation and Training
                University of Central Florida
                12424 Research Parkway, Suite 300
                Orlando, FL 32816

                phone: (407) 658 5073 / 5074
                fax:   (407) 658 5059

Contact(s):     Dr. J. Michael Moshell, Director ([email-masked])
                Curtis Lisle, Assistant Director ([email-masked])
                R. Dunn-Roberts, Visual Systems Scientist ([email-masked])
                Brian Scott Blau, Visual Systems Scientist ([email-masked])
                Jacki Morie, Visual Systems Scientist ([email-masked])

Program(s):     MS / PhD Computer Science -- based on a curriculum rich in
                courses in parallel computation, computer graphics, and
                machine vision.  Research assistantships are available for
                highly qualified candidates.  

Specialties:    * automatic generation of terrain databases from multiple 
                sources, such as satellite imagery, stereo imagery, 
                digital terrain elevations, digital feature information, maps,
                etc.
                * real-time dynamic geometric and physical modeling, such as 
                constraint based physics and dynamic terrain.
                * research into advanced display technology, including video-
                switching technology,  head-tracking technology, and head-
                mounted displays. 
                * research into networking protocols to support simulations
                distributed across heterogenous computational platforms.
                The development of the Virtual Environment Real-time Network
                (VERN) protocol has provided a generic platform for the
                development of mass-participation distributed simulations.

Resources:      The VSL is in the process of developing resources to set up
                a Virtual Environment Test Bed (VETB).  The VETB will be a
                multi-site distributed laboratory for the development and
                evaluation of new VE technology with respect to training. 
                Participants in this project include UCF's Computer Science
                Department and IST/VSL, MIT's Media Lab, Georgia Tech's
                College of Computing and Visualization Graphics and Usability
                Lab, and University of Iowa's Computer Science Department and
                Center for Simulation and Design Optimization.

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                ILLINOIS, UNIVERSITY OF                         (USA)
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Institution:    Department of Computer Science
                University of Illinois
                1304 West Springfield Avenue
                Urbana, IL  61801

                Phone: (217) 333-3527
                Fax:   (217) 333-3501

Contact(s):     Graduate Admissions ([email-masked])
                Barb Cicone, Admissions Officer ([email-masked])
                Professor Michael Faiman, Graduate Advisor ([email-masked])

Program(s):     MS / PhD Computer Science

Specialties:    Information traversal? (Greg Newby?)
                VR "engine" demo-ed at Engineering Open House (March 1991)

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                LINK|OPING UNIVERSITY                           (SWEDEN)
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                MILAN, UNIVERSITY OF                            (ITALY)
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                MASSACHUSETS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT)      (USA)   
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Institution:    Media & Robotics Lab
                Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Specialties:    Interactive cinema, future television, others
                Cross project with Air Force concerning
                mission planning (David Zeltzer?) ?

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                NORTH CAROLINA, UNIVERSITY OF                   (USA)
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Institution:    Department of Computer Science
                University of North Carolina
                Campus Box 3175, Sitterson Hall
                Chapel Hill, NC  27599-3175

Contact(s):     Admissions and Graduate Studies ([email-masked])
                (919) 962-1900
                General Department Information ([email-masked])
                (919) 962-1700

Program(s):     MS / PhD in Computer Science

Specialties:    Advanced Technology for Portable Personal Visualization.
                Interactive Graphics for Molecular Studies.
                VISTAnet: A Very High Bandwidth Prototype Network for
                Interactive 3D Medical Imaging.
                Dynamic True 3D Display.
                Supercomputing Power for Interactive Visualization.
                
Resources:      Specialized image-generating systems include the unique
                UNC-CH Pixel-Planes 4 and Pixel-Planes 5 machines; a Silicon
                Graphics display computer; a Pixar Image Computer; an 
                Evans and Sutherland Picture System; Adage/Ikonas display
                systems; and a vaarifocal mirror for 3D display.  Interaction
                devices include Argonne remote manipulators, a voice
                recognition system, Polhemus 3D tracking systems, treadmill
                and bicycle, joysticks, mice, data tablets, and other 
                manual input devices.  The (Graphics and Image) laboratory
                has extensive facilities for recording, editing, and producing
                high-quality video.

Prerequisites:  Substantial background in both mathematics and computer
                science.  A baccalaureate degree with an average grade
                of at least B.  A minimum of 80th percentile on the verbal
                and 90th percentile on the quantitative and analytical
                sections of the GRE is expected.

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                PENNSYLVANIA, UNIVERSITY OF                     (USA)
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                ROYAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY                   (SWEDEN)
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                SAN FRANCISCO ART INSTITUTE                     (USA)
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                SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY                          (UK) 
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                STANFORD UNIVERSITY                             (USA)
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                SUSSEX UNIVERSITY                               (USA)
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                SYRACRUSE UNIVERSITY                            (USA)
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Institution:    Virtual Reality Laboratory
                Syracuse University

Contact(s):     Greg Newby ([email-masked])

Specialties:    We've started working in the areas of robotics, military
                intelligence, information retrieval, 3D sculpting, and
                geographic imaging.  Another project on the drawing board is
                to hook the VR equipment into the parallel machines located
                across campus in NPAC (the Northeast Parallel Architectures
                Center) -- perhaps to the Connection Machine...  There is
                great potential for faculty and student involvement in
                projects.

                For the future, I hope to work with faculty and students
                intested in education, sensory research, scientific
                visualization, and other areas, in addition to computer
                scientists, engineers, and other more traditional participants
                in VR research.  I am personally interested in exploring the
                ergonomics of VR, and also in identifying the issues for
                multi- user virtual environments.

Resources:      Right now (June 5, 1991) the lab equipment includes a
                DataGlove (version 1) with a Polhemus tracker, several
                PowerGloves and serial converter boxes, and some LCD shutter
                glasses.  We're hoping to have some VPL EyePhones soon.
                Located in the Advanced Graphics Research Laboratory at SU,
                the VR lab makes use of Silicon Graphics IRIS workstations,
                also Sun and Dec workstations.  Amigas, Macs, PCs, and so
                forth are all in abundant supply, in addition to connections
                to campus and off- campus mainframe resources.

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                TOKYO TECHNINAL UNIVERSITY                      (JAPAN) 
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                TOKYO UNIVERSITY                                (JAPAN)
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                TORONTO, UNIVERSITY OF                          (CANADA)
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Institution:    Computer Science Department
                University of Toronto
                        
Contact(s):     Computer Science                (416) 978-6025
                Graduate Studies Admission      (416) 978-5369
                General Information             (416) 978-2011

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                TSUKUBA UNIVERSITY                              (JAPAN)
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                VIRGINIA, UNIVERSITY OF                         (USA)
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Institution:    Computer Science Department
                University of Virginia

Program(s):     MS or Ph.D. in computer science

Specialties:    basic research in human perception
                development of architectures and toolkits to support
                        real-time, immersive interfaces
                working with partners in other dept.s to 
                        develop demonstration applications

Resources:      2 SGI VGXs
                many SUNS
                several Polhemus, Bird, and ultrisound trackers
                12 grad & undergrad students
                researchers from CS, EE, and psychology

Prerequisites:  Computer Science preferred, implementation skills
                        (e.g. programming) is required
                EE is great.  

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                WASHINGTON, UNIVERSITY OF                       (USA)
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Institution:    Human Interface Technology Laboratory
                Washington Technology Center
                300 Fluke Hall, University of Washington
                FU 20, Seattle, WA  98195

                Phone:  (206) 543-5075
                Fax:    (206) 543-5380

Contact(s):     Robert Jacobson ([email-masked])

Program(s):     MS, PhD in Engineering or Computer Science

Specialties:    Virtual Environment Operating System (VEOS); Retinal Display;
                Sci.virtual-worlds; Virtual Classroom; Many projects with
                industrial partners.

Resources:      Industrial Consortium (including Boeing, US West, Tektronix,
                and many more); Two Silicon Graphics display computers;
                VPL eyephones; VPL dataglove; DEC workstations; Mac II
                computers; NeXT workstations; The Bird and Polhemus 3D
                tracking systems; spaceball; voice recognition system; and
                more. 

What the? ls
au.vr                rpi.2                unc.vr
columbia.vr          rpi.lab              unc.vr.reply
hit.address          rpi.vr               virginia.vr
ZZ