News Stories

Tactile Behavioral Illusion System (3D Expo, Japan)

12.23.2010

At 3D Expo 2010, Waseda University’s Takashi Kawai Lab exhibited a system for creating tactile sensations that aren’t actually delivered, by using visual behavioral stimuli.

“To create an illusion, first, the hand is actually given a tactile stimulus. In time with that, a video showing receipt of the tactile stimulus is presented. Then the stimulus to the hand is stopped, the motion is stopped. But on screen, the object giving the stimulus continues to move. So user feels that the tactile stimulus, which should have ceased, is still acting, due to the visual stimulus.”

This system is expected to have applications in a variety of fields, as it opens up the possibility of presenting tactile stimuli through visual stimuli.

“We hope to be able to simplify previous haptic systems, and also to create sensations that weren’t possible before by using the visual sense. This system could be used in games. For example, by adding a small component to a mobile game device, you could develop applications with something moving above the hand. We also think it might be possible to use tactile sensations for giving directions in guidance and navigation systems. Another application might be rehabilitation, if it’s possible to create the sensation that the hands are moving.”

From now on, the research group plans to investigate whether tactile behavioral illusions can be created in other parts of the body.

Full story here: http://www.diginfo.tv/2010/12/22/10-0262-f-en.php

iPhone App: 3D Camera

12.21.2010

Juicy Bits today released a free update to 3D Camera for iPhone and iPod touch to take advantage of iOS 4 and the Retina display. 3D Camera is an app that makes it easy to create 3D photos and share them with friends on Facebook and Twitter. 3D Camera earned 4.5 mice (out of 5) from Macworld and is frequently among the top 100 photography apps worldwide.

To create a 3D image, left and right photos are captured using the built-in camera. An enhanced camera overlay includes three different alignment modes and a “ghost” feature to easily align the two images. If the left and right photos have already been taken, they can be selected from the iPhone photo album.

Next, the two images are repositioned to control the apparent depth of the final 3D photo. Moving the right image to the right causes it to recede back into the screen, while moving it to the left causes it to “pop out.” The two images can also be sent wirelessly to 3D Camera Studio for iPad. 3D Camera creates color and grey anaglyph images that are viewed using common red/cyan 3D glasses, stereogram images that are viewed without glasses (parallel and cross-eyed), and “wigglegram” images that produce a simulated 3D effect.

The final 3D photo can be saved to the iPhone photo album for later use, sent to a friend via e-mail, or sent to Facebook and Twitter. Many custom settings are available to control the size, quality, and method used to produce the final 3D image. A “More” button provides access to a short, online video tour and additional documentation.

See the feature list and more details about this App here: http://prmac.com/release-id-19728.htm

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Specification for Naming VFX Image Sequences Released

ETC’s VFX Working Group has published a specification for best practices naming image sequences such as plates and comps. File naming is an essential tool for organizing the multitude of frames that are inputs and outputs from the VFX process. Prior to the publication of this specification, each organization had its own naming scheme, requiring custom processes for each partner, which often resulted in confusion and miscommunication.

The new ETC@USC specification focuses primarily on sequences of individual images. The initial use case was VFX plates, typically delivered as OpenEXR or DPX files. However, the team soon realized that the same naming conventions can apply to virtually any image sequence. Consequently, the specification was written to handle a wide array of assets and use cases.

To ensure all requirements are represented, the working group included over 2 dozen participants representing studios, VFX houses, tool creators, creatives and others.  The ETC@USC also worked closely with MovieLabs to ensure that the specification could be integrated as part of their 2030 Vision.

A key design criteria for this specification is compatibility with existing practices.  Chair of the VFX working group, Horst Sarubin of Universal Pictures, said: “Our studio is committed to being at the forefront of designing best industry practices to modernize and simplify workflows, and we believe this white paper succeeded in building a new foundation for tools to transfer files in the most efficient manner.”

This specification is compatible with other initiatives such as the Visual Effects Society (VES) Transfer Specifications. “We wanted to make it as seamless as possible for everyone to adopt this specification,” said working group co-chair and ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver. “To ensure all perspectives were represented we created a team of industry experts familiar with the handling of these materials and collaborated with a number of industry groups.”

“Collaboration between MovieLabs and important industry groups like the ETC is critical to implementing the 2030 Vision,” said Craig Seidel, SVP of MovieLabs. “This specification is a key step in defining the foundations for better software-defined workflows. We look forward to continued partnership with the ETC on implementing other critical elements of the 2030 Vision.”

The specification is available online for anyone to use.

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