space station
Originally uploaded by spacejockeys.
Dennis Gregoris and Frank Teti from MD Robotics were kind enough to respond to my pleas for an insider International Space Station polo like the ones that they wore onstage at [email protected]! (Thanks, guys!!) As Dennis and Frank know, their demo of the Instant Scene Modeler (iSM) was my out-and-out favorite of the conference. (N.B. excluding, of course, my own stage time presenting Mission Research GiftWorks.) It was especially interesting given that MDA Space Missions is better known for developing complex robotics, such as the space shuttle's Canadarm, or the Mobile Servicing System for the International Space Station.
The iSM, according to MDR, is "a unique 3D stereo camera and image processing system that creates calibrated photo-realistic 3D models of any environment. Users can image a scene by filming it as if one were videotaping a room. The software automatically determines how the camera is moving and combines successive pairs of images into one overall 3D model. The resultant 3D model can be exported to drawing and animation packages." The boys were able to do their image capture and processing live, using just a laptop, while easily beating the six-minute deadline. They set up a murder scene, and by shooting from just one side of the stage, created a complete 3D visual.
I haven't checked in with these guys since the conference, but I can
see this technology vastly decreasing the cost of motion graphics
design, avatar modeling, etc. The crime scene modeling demo was cool,
but what about packaged games, virtual worlds, film, or other special
effects? I'd be curious to hear about any practical application or use
that's happened since the show. Did local police departments and CSIs
get there first, or did EA start using it to film actual sporting
scenes? Or worse, is this technology still buried under aerospace
paperwork?
PS Yes, there's some time lag for my response
here...hence my shameless promotion of the receipt of said shirt. I
promised Frank and Dennis a photo. :)
Tags: christine herron christine.net space jockeys demo mda instant scene modeler ism md robotics technology
