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Virtual Reality Exhibit Gives You Animal Senses

by Warren Riddle on August 15, 2009 at 06:04 PM


The 36th annual Siggraph conference, which celebrates "computer graphics and interactive techniques," hit New Orleans last week with exhibits ranging from animation workshops to displays of 'emerging technologies' like the Pull-Navi ear-navigator. One of the more intriguing exhibits, presented by Texas A&M University's (A&M) visualization department, featured a "deep immersion," virtual-reality demonstration, through which people could experience the visceral life of an animal.

Surround sound and a semicircle of five large projection screens allowed guests to vicariously experience a bird's ultraviolet vision, a whale's ultra-low-frequency hearing, and various other animals' senses. Carol LaFayette, the A&M team leader, said the group hopes to expand the exhibit in the future and plans to create methods of mimicking mysterious and wholly unfamiliar senses, such as a shark's "ability to sense electric fields."

Unfortunately, Siggraph's 2009 run ended August 7th, but if you're still in New Orleans and want to experience pure animalism, overwhelming sensory overload, and primitive instincts (for free!), just take a walk down to Bourbon Street. [From: The BBC and NOLA.com]

Tags: animals, deep immmersion, DeepImmmersion, SIGGRAPH, top, virtual reality, VirtualReality

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