He continued: "Over the last five years, the standards, data structures and procedures for 3D modelling have been set by the DGSM project.  The next phase should prove to be very exciting, as the stereo viewing will help us to see what we understand about the earth, not just academics, who should be able to move between data and vision in a single step, but also lay people too.”

Virtalis Solution and System Specification

This StereoWorks configuration consists of a single large screen onto which stereo images are rear projected by a Christie Mirage S+4K.  This was the first projector installation of its type in Europe and it is capable of extremely high resolution and brightness, boasting one and a half mega pixels.  We integrated the entire room’s control system into a wireless touch panel, so that light and sound are all controlled from a single point.  It seats 18 people, but, as it also features a wireless IS-900 tracking system from Intersense, two to three people are able to interact immersively with their models.

The Future

Soon, teams from the BGS will be able to use the Virtalis system for video conferencing and as part of the special university Access Grid that allows academics to share their latest findings nationally and internationally.  Virtalis is currently installing a second identical system at BGS's Edinburgh site.

Once the different modelling environments have been loaded onto the system, work will continue to bring the already well known, “Britain Beneath Our Feet”, to a higher level of sophistication. This 3D model contains detailed data about the subsurface of the whole country.  With space at a premium, not just in this country, but around the world, a fuller appreciation of what lies underground is becoming ever more important.

British Geological Survey Web Site:      www.bgs.ac.uk