INDUSTRY

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- SGI (NYSE: SGI) today announced that Tokyo-based Japan Science and Technology Corp. (JST) has chosen an SGI(TM) Reality Center(TM) facility for the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. The state-of-the-art museum opens in Tokyo on Tuesday, July 10. Featuring a large, semicircular screen, the Reality Center display, which focuses on the human brain, will allow participants to learn about new research into the mind's capabilities by virtually walking through various layers of the brain. The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation will deliver the latest information about science and technology research while entertaining young and old alike. Visitors will experience cutting-edge science and technology research through experimental exhibits and interchange with scientists and engineers. The SGI Reality Center will be one of the main exhibits within this eight-story, 355,000-square-foot museum. This immersive, 3D visualization environment seats 40 participants in a theater setting with a 120-degree cylindrical screen. It features the latest InfiniteReality3(TM) graphics subsystem in the Silicon Graphics(R) Onyx(R) family (a 64-bit R12000-processor Silicon Graphics(R) Onyx2(R) system with three graphics pipes), projected on three Barco high-precision projectors. The computer graphics system consists of eight CPUs and four GB memory. Tokyo-based Toppan Printing Co. Ltd. has been instrumental in developing the system, while the company's Toppan Media Center is responsible for integration. Toppan Printing Co. Ltd.'s wide successes in the design, development and administration of virtual reality theaters include the Tokyo University Production Engineering Laboratory at Roppongi, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, a Reality Center facility in its headquarters and a virtual walk-through at the Tokyo National Museum of a temple that was constructed 1,200 years ago. "To convey cutting-edge scientific technologies accurately and readily, we need to rely heavily on the power of real-time graphics," explained Hitoshi Saito, JST assistant director of New Business (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation). "SGI is playing an increasingly larger role in helping science centers change the paradigm of what information they present and how they present it," added Afshad Mistri, director, SGI Scientific Education and Arts. "For the first time ever, the general public in Tokyo will have the ability to explore the human brain in ways that parallel brain mapping research that is being conducted in many parts of the world. These real-world examples, combined with the total immersion and unprecedented realism offered by SGI Reality Center solutions, allow a new level of interactive education." The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation is a core facility within the Tokyo Academic Park, a joint project of the Ministries of Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology and of Economy, Trade and Industry. The Silicon Graphics Onyx2 graphics system, which is equipped with high-bandwidth ccNUMA architecture, fuses supercomputing and visualization technology to make real-time processing of 3D graphics/2D graphics imaging and video data possible. It is an ideal visualization solution for various fields, including manufacturing, engineering, science, technology, research development and entertainment. The Silicon Graphics Onyx family makes it possible to set up a system flexibly according to need, from deskside to multirack systems. Like the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, science centers, planetariums and museums around the world are creating unique experiences by offering high-resolution imagery and interactive capabilities in their theaters. Content can be quickly updated in response to new discoveries or the latest news, creating a compelling and educational experience that keeps visitors returning again and again. For further details about SGI's involvement with science centers, visit http://www.sgi.com/solutions/sciences/museums/index.html.