Spring 2008 Research Highlight Schedule

Thursdays 4:30-5:30pm, Duke Immersive Visualization Environment, CIEMAS 1617A

January 31st - Analyzing Protein Structures: a comparison of single-screen and surround methods.

David Richardson

February 7th - Demonstration of Model construction in Maya

Wayne Godwin and Holton Thompson

When needing directions, do you look to an illustrated map view of the world or a satellite image? Even on google maps, the illustrated view is more useful since it highlights important routes, and contains added information on top of the true imaged earth. Wayne Godwin, Art Professor at ECU and Holton Thompson, 3D Artist at Duke will discuss why we need the ability to create artistically generated models for some virtual reality projects in addition to mathematically generated environments and techniques. They will demonstrate the process of creating and/or modifying 3D models in Maya and their transformation into the DiVE.

February 14th - Functional Morphology of the Primate Inner Ear

Mike Malinzak

Reconstructing locomotor patterns from fossils is crucial for understanding the origins of primates and evolutionary transitions in various primate groups. Recent studies suggest that the semicircular canals of the inner ear provide evidence about locomotion. The canals sense rotational head accelerations and drive reflexes essential for normal movement. Because bony features of canal morphology influence canal sensitivity, this system can be studied in osteologic specimens and fossils. Variation in canal morphology in living and, by inference, extinct primates has been attributed to interspecific differences in locomotor behavior. However, the manner in which movement selects for canal morphology is debated. To refine proposed links between canal structure and locomotor function, I am comparing rotational head accelerations to morphologic predictors of canal sensitivity in an extant primate sample. Canal morphology is studied using cranial CT scans. The DiVE and supporting software are useful for measuring and conveying important aspects of semicircular canal anatomy and function.

February 21st - General Open House

Renee Brown and Steve Feller

This DiVE tour will showcase a variety of applications, depending on the interest of people who attend. Interesting experiences include Visions of the Underworld vignettes where students created scenes from classical literature such as the Aeneid. We can also show the roller coaster, walk through a protien or human brain, or show the Roman Colloseum, to name a few.

February 28th - Solomon's Temple

Anathea Portier-Young and Ryan Marr presenting

The Solomon Temple project was envisioned by Dr. Thea Portier-Young, Professor of the Old Testament at Duke Divinity School. The project involves a virtual reality experience of the reconstructed Temple of Solomon which dates back to the 10^th Century B.C. In the virtual world of Solomon’s Temple, you explore various chambers, climb stairs, ramps and ascend for an aerial view of the entire structure. Solomon’s Temple is used as a helpful reference point for Dr. Portier-Young’s Old Testament class. It allows the students to have a better understanding of more standard class material such as readings and lectures. The virtual temple experience helps students to appreciate the otherness of the biblical world, how they might come to appreciate the significance of the sacred space and symbolization, and how the detailed descriptions of the temple (and tabernacle) spaces might themselves serve as a virtual temple for diaspora Jews.

April 10th - Patent Network Visualization

Presented by David Zielinski

We will demonstrate our application "Redgraph", a generic virtual reality visualization and exploration program for network data, based on Resource Description Framework (RDF), one of the primary data formats underlying the Semantic Web. Redgraph allows users to interactively “extrude” a 2D network into the third dimension. This extrusion allows the user to re-cluster and re-position the nodes, which helps users better understand the structure and relationships in the dataset. For this demonstration we will view a dataset consisting of companies, patents, inventors, and the relationships between them.