VISUALIZATION

Visualization specialist Barco announced that its Modular Virtual Environment MOVE is now operational at the CETMA research center (Centro di Progettazione, Design e Tecnologie dei Materiali) in Brindisi, Italy. For main contractor 3D SRL (Kaitech Group), MoVE proved the ideal solution to meet the demanding requirements, as it allows fast and easy modulation to various configurations for stereoscopic visualization. The CETMA virtual reality center provides optimal added value to a wide range of customers active in industrial research, engineering, ergonomics and even production and distribution. The MoVE at CETMA is an all-in-one solution consisting of three modules which can be reconfigured from a huge flat real-scale screen for project review (CADWall) to an L-shaped position for three dimensional insight in materials and products, to a virtual theater with side wings under an angle of 45 degrees for large team collaboration, and finally to a cube-like environment (I-Space) completely immersing the users in a virtual reality. Each module is powered by two Barco SIM5 single-chip DLP projectors to deliver impressive passive stereoscopic images on a matching screen of 3.2m by 2.4m per module. Both wing modules can be easily moved to any desired position, always forming a single stereoscopic environment with almost invisible seams. The Barco optimized Infitec+ high quality color filtering splits the color spectrum to each eye for a ghost-free stereo separation without requiring electronic stereo glasses, so that larger teams can use the VR center and analyze projects with full freedom of motion. When stereoscopic visualization is not required, the system can be switched to mono reproduction. A new application domain for the CETMA virtual center turned out to be the reconstruction of an archeological site in virtual reality to preserve the, until now lost, local Italian elements of its cultural patrimony. The versatility of the Barco MoVE enables different groups to participate and engage in research and development. Barco’s MoVE is the key tool in collaborative, immersive visualization at CETMA.