Virtalis launched the Virtalis Visionary Framework, a technology created to get more value from PC clustering over the summer. Although the Visionary Cluster can act on its own, it has also been harnessed to PTC’s high-end visualisation software, DIVISION MockUp, as it has at the Fraunhofer IFF. When working in tandem in this way, Virtalis’ “MockUp on a PC Cluster” allows the manipulation of large and complex data models. As the new Visionary system requires off the shelf PCs, rather than the traditional supercomputer often expected of 3D visualisation, both purchase and maintenance costs are exceedingly low.

Steffen Masik, a scientist at Fraunhofer IFF, explained: “This has been a flagship project for us, involving the construction of a new, futuristic building to hold the laser projection system. The circular aluminium screen is 16m by 6.5m. 30 people can be accommodated and they experience superb images generated by six laser projectors, each providing a 75^o view, with the overlapping edges of the image being soft blended. The sharpness is excellent and the colours produced represent about two thirds of the human ability to see colours, compared with one third for most projectors.”

The laser projection system of the VDTC is perceived to be such a valuable tool for the entire region that it has already be given the name of “Elbedom”, as it serves a part of Germany through which the eponymous river flows. Scientists at the Fraunhofer-Institute expect Elbedom to be booked almost constantly as a development tool for companies around the region who will use it to create virtual products and processes. Large corporations, such as Airbus have expressed an interest in using the new facility, as have numerous SMEs. Fraunhofer is also working with local universities to make the VDTC available for research. On the macroscopic level, it is expected that the system will be utilised for visualisations of weather, space and other complex systems. On the microscopic level, it is thought the system will prove invaluable for medical, material and natural science visualisations. Local politicians and planners have been quick to spot the potential of the VDTC for architecture and landscape visualisations.

Steffen takes up the story: “We have just opened Elbedom to the public. The response has been fantastic. 2,000 turned up to try out the system during the first Open Day. Workers saw how it could be used for training and senior executives were able to understand products that do not yet exist that had previously been the exclusive province of engineers. Naturally, all grasped the entertainment potential of the system, for 360^o games or as a planetarium. We showed our own applications alongside ones from Virtalis. Almost without exception, people were very surprised and excited by the level of realism. In fact, quite a few were convinced they had been moving, owing to the scale of the images within their field of vision.”

Fraunhofer Web Site:   www.iff.fraunhofer.de and www.vdtc.de

Download hi-res pictures:
 Users review a virtual environment powered by Virtalis' MockUp on a PC Cluster (187.06 KB) 
 The new VDTC building at the Fraunhofer IFF (270.92 KB) 
 Visualisation offers real benefits for communication and understanding (363.48 KB) 

Logos for the Fraunhofer and the VDTC are available at  http://www.vdtc.de/English/MediaService5/index.jsp.htm