|
Virtual lab now a reality
 Clemson
has moved virtual reality out of the realm of fiction into
real laboratories and applications. Funded by a $1.3 million
grant from the Los Angeles-based W. M. Keck Foundation, Clemson
and the University of Southern California have banded together
to create a virtual reality “collaboratory” where
researchers will design next-generation polymers.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
In the W. M. Keck
Virtual Reality Lab, visualizations produced on the
display wall can be steered remotely, and simultaneously
viewed by researchers in other locations. |
|
Clemson’s
Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films (CAEFF)
has partnered with the University of Southern California’s
Integrated Media Systems Center (IMSC). CAEFF will provide
expertise in fiber and film processing and simulation, while
the California center will provide expertise in creating
collaborative virtual environments. The Clemson facility
is called the W. M. Keck Virtual Reality Lab.
One
of the most striking features of the new lab is the 14-foot
display wall. The display wall is capable of displaying a
resolution of 6144x3072 pixels on a 14' screen at 30 frames
per second, in full color - far higher than normal computer
screens or projection systems.
Visualization
of structures at the molecular level will provide new insights
into polymer design, allowing new materials to be created
with a variety of desirable properties, such as strength,
fire resistance, conductivity, etc. Through this novel simulation,
new materials can be created, field-tested, and refined for
final application long before the first batch of chemicals
are ever mixed in the research and development lab.
“Clearly,
we are on a path of discovery that will change the way American
industry develops new products,” said Dan Edie, director
of the CAEFF. The internationally-recognized center is the
driving fore behind the new lab.
|
