Please read our Entertainment Newsletters below:

 Newsletter 2005 10 (185.23 KB)

If you wish to be added to our mailing list to receive these newsletters, please send your details to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Please read our Engineering Newsletters:

 Engineering Newsletter 2007 11.pdf (70.02 KB)

 Engineering Newsletter 2006 06.pdf (175.18 KB)

 Newsletter 2005 10 (202.87 KB)

If you wish to be added to our mailing list to receive these newsletters, please send your details to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Please read our Defence Newsletters:

 Newsletter 2006 05 (169.45 KB)

 Newsletter 2005 11 (186.90 KB)

If you wish to be added to our mailing list to receive these newsletters, please send your details to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Please read our Academic newsletters below:

NEW:  Academic Newsletter 2007 11.pdf (99.52 KB)

ARCHIVE:

 Academic Newsletter 2006 10.pdf (292.58 KB)

 Newsletter 2006 06 (163.08 KB)

 Newsletter 2006 02 (157.32 KB)

 Newsletter 2005 10 (159.88 KB)

 Newsletter 2005 06&07 (182.56 KB)

 Newsletter 2005 05 (184.11 KB)

If you wish to be added to our mailing list to receive these newsletters, please send your details to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

  Click here to download and read the BAPOmag June 2005 article "FastSCAN Cobra attracts interest at BAPO Conference". (203.17 KB PDF)
 

 Click to download and read the Feb.-Mar. 2006 MTandSN article "Adding to Fidelity". (803.94 KB)

3D System Helps Geologists to Develop Interpretations and Test Hypotheses

LAST YEAR, the British Geological Survey (BGS) installed a Virtalis StereoWorks visualisation system at its Keyworth HQ. Following the success of that system, an almost identical one has been installed at BGS, Edinburgh, enabling geologists based there to explore their geological data in full stereo 3D.

VIRTALIS, Europe’s leading Advanced Visualisation Company, has been appointed as the UK reseller for WorldViz hardware and software.

Peter Schlueer, president of WorldViz, commented: “Expert integrators and companies with a wealth of experience, like Virtalis, drive the development of our products.  Virtalis was the obvious choice for us in the UK.  Their varied applications and customer base will help us to see where the market for Virtual Reality (VR) is going.”

VIRTALIS has become a partner of leading high-performance computing, visualisation and storage company, Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI).

Andrew Connell, technical director at Virtalis commented: “SGI's focus is on providing technology that will enable and support the most significant scientific and creative breakthroughs of the 21st century. Their name is synonymous with large-scale visualisation. SGI’s established Irix operating system offers scalable commodity graphics. The Company’s new Prism range is the world’s first Linux-based, interactive visualisation system and is expected to be adopted in fields as diverse as brain surgery, oil exploration, global climate analysis and providing technologies for security and defence.”

Type45 hi-res.jpg (425.25 KB)

All the training courses being developed by VEGA will feature a VR element, courtesy of Virtalis, especially the Executive Acquaint and the Warship Familiarisation Courses. They will be available as both computer-based training for private study and as computer-aided instruction for lecturers to present to groups of Naval personnel. When complete, the courses will be shared across the MoD’s training network, allowing Royal Navy trainers to develop their own courses from the core material. Using their own kRender software, Virtalis will be developing a 3D virtual tour of the whole ship, from pre-existing digital designs, and a detailed 3D virtual model of critical areas with interactive features for both familiarisation and job training.

Prof. David Fleming, dean at the School, explained: “This passive stereo projection system is highly complex, but its interface is very simple. This facet was very important to us when we were deciding what we wanted last year. Our system has a wireless control panel and it links together the different hardware seamlessly, removing the technological barrier we might otherwise encounter. We intend to have a long-term relationship with Virtalis. As recognised experts, we will look to them to keep both our knowledge and our facility up to scratch.”

BUILDING on the success of Virtalis’ Virtual Reality Helicopter Voice Marshalling Trainer, upgrades for which were delivered to the RAF last year, the company has now developed an easily administered, portable variant. It is aimed at the world defence community, those involved in air transportation, coastguards and air sea rescue.

Andrew Connell, Virtalis technical director, explained: “By using a low cost, standard PC, which works from a single graphics card, we have created an off the shelf product which takes only ten minutes to set up. We have been able to harness developments in computing power so it offers advances in graphics quality, performance and user interfaces. The rest of the system consists of a head-mounted display, a tracking system, 2 LCD panels and a joystick. Like our bespoke RAF system, it features three marshalling environments, sea, land and coastline, though in recognition of the variety of helicopters in use around the world, it can feature different models. It is simple to customise, so that new local terrain can be easily generated. The basic system, complete with a year’s support, will cost a shade under £100,000. Tailored systems for different helicopters and/or familiar landscapes will cost a bit more”.

BAE Systems is at the forefront of companies bringing simulation and Virtual Reality (VR) visualisation technologies into the design environment.  For more than a decade, specialist company, Virtalis has supported BAE Systems Submarines in its exploration of this field.  The company has designed and built two VR suites for BAE Systems and continues to supply ongoing consultancy.

John Martin, consultant engineer at BAE Systems Submarines, commented: “VR visualisation technologies are not treated as a specialist technology, but rather have been implemented as an everyday tool.  More people from different disciplines are getting involved earlier in the design’s evolution.  Since installation, the VR visualisation technologies have been extensively used on a daily basis by design and build teams on warship and submarine contracts including: LPD’s (Landing Platform Dock), Type 45 Destroyer, Future Carrier, fleet auxiliary oil tankers and nuclear submarines.  The system has also been used on ship concept design studies (aircraft carriers, surface warships and submarines) as a means of addressing key design issues, introducing simulation-based design technologies and reviewing design solution options with the customer.  It has contributed to the introduction of concurrent design and to the synchronisation of an integrated design and build plan.