. . .

Virtual Environment Technology Laboratory:

From: bowen@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov (R. Bowen Loftin)

Subject: Shared VR Demonstration Houston, TX --

From 0815 to 0845 on 20 September 1995, the first demonstration of astronauts using a shared virtual environment across the Atlantic took place.

Astronaut Bernard Harris (at the NASA/Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas) shared a virtual environment with Astronaut Ulf Merbold (at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics in Darmstadt, Germany). The environment consisted of the Space Shuttle payload bay and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The two astronauts cooperated in performing the major activities associated with the changeout of the Solar Array Drive Electronics (SADE) of the HST. The activities included the real-time hand-off of the replacement SADE in exchange for the original SADE. At the conclusion of the task the two astronauts shook hands and waved good-bye.

This demonstration was accomplished by generating duplicate graphical environments at each site and exchanging state change data (for example, the movement of one astronaut's hand) via a commercial ISDN line connecting the two sites. NASA-developed software was used to render the graphics and communications software developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics was used for the exchange of state data. Voice communication was accomplished over a commercial telephone line.

Performance was judged acceptable by both astronauts (latencies were less than 200 milliseconds, round trip) and only about 20% of the available bandwidth (total bandwidth = 128 kilobits per second) was required. This suggests that inexpensive commercial communications channels can be used for this type of shared virtual environment and that at least three sites could be supported with the typical ISDN bandwidth.

After the demonstration both astronauts expressed strong support for this method of training in cooperative task performance and in using this approach for procedures and timeline development.

Among others viewing the demonstration in Darmstadt was Klaus Damian, Head of Astronauts Support and Training Division, European Astronaut Centre, European Space Agency and Professor Jose L. Encarnacao of the Technical University of Darmstadt.

The NASA/Johnson Space Center development team was led by Dr. R. Bowen Loftin (University of Houston) and consisted of Chris Culbert and Alice Aman (JSC Information Systems Directorate); Mark Voss and Tim Saito (LinCom Corporation); and Illiana Molina, Steve Potter, and Ken Cofer (JSC Space Flight Training Division). Torsten Froelich (Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics) spent three months at JSC to support communications development; Dr. Wolfgang Felger was the coordinator for the Institute in Germany.

Additional information can be obtained from Dr. R. Bowen Loftin (713-483-8070; bowen@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov).

Shortly following this demonstration the NASA Virtual Reality Facilities were moved to the University of Houston's proposed Industrial Park in the recently evacuated Schlumberger Research Facilities on I-45, between Cullen and Telephone Road in Houston, Texas. These facilities have become the physical site and systems basis for the Virtual Environment Technology Laboratory (VETL).

Walden 3-D, Inc.

In 1988, H. Roice Nelson, Jr., founded Walden 3-D, Inc. as a corporate entity within which to pursue long-term goals. This entity was founded with the vision to continue to make a difference. Over the years Walden 3-D has assisted in the founding of:

• Advanced Structures, Inc. (by the mechanical engineers that built Biosphere 2);
• China Cattle Corporation (to raise cattle in Gan Xu Province, People's Republic of China);
• Dynamic Oil and Gas Corporation (to explore for and exploit replenishing hydrocarbon reservoirs);
• HyperMedia Corporation (UNIX hypermedia software, Best Practices, Activity Modeling of the exploration component of the ideal oil & gas company, and the Knowledge Backbone); and
• The Global Basin Research Network (GBRN).

Walden 3-D projects to date include:

• Conceptual design for building a 2,500 people prototype 21st century community at Barker, TX , Sep1989
• The First LYNK Teleconference, 28Dec90
• Supporting Dr. Carolyn Sumner's creation of "Astronomy of the Ancient Americas," Houston Museum of Natural Science, Planetarium Show, Houston, TX, 03Jan92-29May92, by surveying and mapping the ruins at Monte Alban, Mexico
• The GBRN Presentation: Replenishing Hydrocarbon Reserves, 11Jan93
• A plan for The Economic Development of Colorado County, Texas, 21May93
• 2-D and 3-D seismic sub-salt interpretation for BHP Petroleum Americas participation in the offshore Louisiana lease sale (purchased 70 blocks), Jan95-May95
• Integrating a 2-D seismic section with two 3-D seismic surveys to get approval for a toxic waste depository in proposed solution caverns in a salt dome in South Texas, Sep95-Nov95
• Proposal to outsource a geotechnical consortium for VETL

Virtual Environment Consortium,
tracing orthogonal research (VECtor):

Based on a meeting at the University of Houston on 10Nov95 this living document was begun. Those attending the meeting were:

• Dr. Arthur Vailas, Vice-Provost of Research and Graduate Studies
• Dr. John Bear, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences
• Dr. R. Bowen Loftin, Director of VETL
• Pat Hyde, Administrator of VETL
• H. Roice Nelson, Jr., Founder of Walden 3-D, Inc.

The request from the meeting was to propose:

• the structure for an outsourced consortium
• the relationship with The University of Houston
• roles and functions of participants
• a maketing plan
• a financial plan

A follow-up meeting was held between Dr. Bear and Roice Nelson on Thursday, 14 December 1995. As requested in that meeting a few pages were developed to describe the relationship between participating parties in preparation for a meeting with Dr. Vailas on Wednesday, 20 December 1995.

The above is the status as of 16Dec95.

return to Walden 3-D, Inc. Home Page