Examples of CaveUT Implementations

BNAVE


CaveUT was originally developed on the BNAVE, a PC-based CAVE-like display the Medical Virtual Reality Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh.

To the right is a picture of the BNAVE showing DM-Suntemple, a virtual world that comes prepackaged with UT. The screens are at an 80.5-degree angle to each other, and we are looking straight into the corner. (The image looks bent because the camera taking this picture could not be placed in the ideal viewing location; the image does not appear bent to someone standing in the correct position before the screens.)

The BNAVE consists of three walls arraigned in a "U" around the viewer. A fourth projection surface has been added to the floor.

Each wall is a rear-projection screen. Onto each of the three screens is rear-projected projected the SVGA output of a dedicated PC.

Mini Cave at VISIC Lab

DM-Antauls
DM-Serpentine
Physical Setup


These three images show CaveUT in the "Mini Cave" at the VISIC Lab at the University of Pittsburgh. The mini-cave is a three-screen affair small enough that all the computers required to run will it fit on a desktop. Its basic design is much like the BNAVE or any other generic PC-based cave. The first image shows a virtual world called DM-Antauls. The second shows a virtual world called DM-Serpentine. The last shows the physical setup of the computers running the mini-cave.

The VISC Lab also built a complete V-Cave (see below) for more immersive applications.



The Portable V-Cave


Illustrated here is the portable V-Cave, which was demonstrated at CHI 2002 and will be shown at the Ultra Unreal and HFES 46th meeting events.

This setup uses tripod-mounted projectors to project onto screens stretched from a collapsible frame made from PVC pipe. The basic configuration is much as same as in Figure Two.

More screens can be added to this arrangement; the only limits are the Unreal Tournament 2003 limitation of thirty-one screens, and the limits on the fabrication skills and patience of the people putting together the CaveUT setup.

The screens can be front or rear projected, or can include some of each. The only requirement is that a user in the ideal viewing location should not be in the way of any projectors.
 

Earth Theater


The Earth Theater (left) at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History has a CaveUT installation. The theater has a fully digital display composed of five curved front-projected screens spanning 210 degrees horizontal and 30 degrees vertical. Five standard video projectors, each driven by a PC running windows, produce the Unreal Tournament display. As you would expect, each of the five projector PCs is running a spectator, which provides the appropriate view from a single player on a sixth PC.

Interestingly, the careful design of the theater makes off-axis projection unnecessary. However, the curved screens require a spherical correction of the image, otherwise we get those wedge-shaped overlaps you can see in the image if you look closely. Willem de Jonge are just now working on a spherical correction to the OpenGL code.

On the right is a Schematic of the Earth Theater. The screen is a section of a sphere, 210 degrees horizontal by 30 deg vertical. In the figure, the screen is depicted in a transparent white in front of the seats.

CLARTE


CLARTE (www.clarte.asso.fr) is a European research center specializing in immersive displays for virtual reality and advanced perhipherals for VR. They are using CaveUT in their SAScube a fully equipped four-walled CAVE-style display.

Their programmer and main contact for their CaveUT project is Marc LeRenard. He has already added stereographic (3D) imaging to the CaveUT and will soon add real-time head and hand tracking.

For more information see: www.alterne.info/techn_platform.html and http://www.alterne.info/cons_clarte.html

Last updated January 16, 2004.
URL: http://www.planetjeff.net/ut/CaveUT.html
This page is copyright © 2004 by Jeffrey Jacobson.
See this web site's copyright notice for information
on duplicating or distributing this page or its contents.