Press Room

"The marriage of earth science and information technology, plus IT and visualization processing‹not only increases awareness of the earth¹s processes, but has shortened the distance between information and decision-making."
--Dr. Charles Kennel, Director
Scripps Institution of Oceanography

"Three large universities and four major technology companies have come together to redefine how we communicate with one another."
--Thomas Scott, Dean of Sciences
San Diego State University


Dr. Larry Smarr, Director, Cal-(IT)2 opens the dedication program.

PANORAM SYSTEMS 'TALK TO EACH' OTHER AT SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY VISUALIZATION CENTER INAUGURATION
California institutions unveil first optical network linking high-resolution visualization centers at unprecedented resolutions for earth, ocean sciences

As part of the March 4, 2002 opening dedication ceremony for a pair of new visualization centers at Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) and San Diego State University, an exciting academic and industry partnership presented the world¹s first demonstration of a new extreme bandwidth optical interconnection between two visualization facilities.


Integration & visualization of offshore and onshore topographic data

The audience was treated to a remote broadcast of a 1280 X 1024 pixel, stereographic (3D) image that was being generated on a visual supercomputer located over 20 miles away. Simultaneously, both facilities were linked by live video teleconferencing as well as electronic slide shows. All this played out on two Panoram GVR (Group Virtual Reality) systems with giant immersive curved screens, one located on a picturesque ocean bluff facility at Scripps and other across the town at San Diego State University¹s Center for Immersive Telecommunications for Global Exchange.

The ceremony, technology demonstrations and guest speaker agenda showcased a new partnership between industry and education as Cal-(IT)2 introduced the first-time optically connected, high resolution visualization collaboration between the two facilities.

Topographic data showing crater/volcano on Mars

The Panoram based visualization facilities are connected by 44 miles of optical fiber (Cox Communications, Inc.), via optical switching and image transmission technology supplied by TeraBurst Networks, Inc. The high resolution real-time stereoptical, 3D graphics were powered by an SGI® Onyx® 3400 computer.

The two-facility long distance collaboration was a significant technological milestone not only for the Cal-(IT)2 program but the entire visualization industry "to extend the power of telecommunications and information technology," said Larry Smarr, the program¹s director and longtime technology guru.

Panoram President and CEO Theo Mayer, who has served as a strategic advisor to Cal-(IT)2 since its origin, comments on the SIO/UCSD test bed and event.

"The real 'hero'technology here is TeraBurst Networks video to optical interface and switch. They have provided the technology glue to make these new capabilities real.

Panoram has deployed over 100 of these state-of-the-art visualization facilities into over 18 countries. This has had a significant impact in the collaborative interaction of experts in sectors that include oil/gas, manufacturing, government/military, and scientific computing. To date, this collaboration has been restricted to explorations within the individual facilities. With these new technologies, the power of visualization expands exponentially by interconnecting the data and the experts at various facilities!

The technical strategy is not to move the data between the facilities. The data is huge (potentially terabytes), proprietary, cumbersome and incredibly valuable. Instead, we are transmitting the images generated by the graphics super computer at each host site. This leaves the data resource being visualized at the host site ­ safe and controllable ­ while the remote site and experts can explore the data visually just as if it existed at their own site. This requires an image transmission technology such as has never existed before. Just for perspective, this bi-directional real-time transmission of 3D computer graphics is over 20 times the bandwidth of broadcast television in each direction! The 3D, holographic type images are being simultaneously sent and received over one single strand of optical fiber smaller than a hair on your head.

This type of capability is beyond the scope of any single industrial company, user or project to pull together. It involves integrating technologies, capabilities, and large infrastructures. Cal-(IT)2 brought the focus, mission, coordination and technology partners together to make this happen. It¹s a great example of academia and industry partnering on science and technology that has immediate and vital commercial and defense application. Panoram is incredibly proud of being a part of this endeavor and suitably excited about its implications. Stay tuned!"

Thomas Scott, Dean of SDSU's College of Sciences, commented. "This technology will empower researchers, urban planners and others to analyze satellite imagery, seismic hazards, bridge structures under stress and other 3D data sets and collaborate more effectively for the public good."

siovizcenter.ucsd.edu