Spherical Displays: New Ways to Do 3-D.

• Author: Baker, A. Duffy
• Position: New computer by Elumens Company - Evaluation

Elumens, a Cary, N.C.-based company, has developed a computer workstation, the VisionStation, that facilitates three-dimensional design. Elumens has incorporated TruTheta imaging technology, which consists of a 180-degree, infinite-focus lens, spherical-projection software algorithms and a hemispherical projection screen.

The goal of Elumens' founders was to create a system that did not require bulky heargear. They also wanted to have one 180-degree display instead of a series of multiple displays that broke the continuity of the image.

The workstations currently are installed at NASA centers throughout the country. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Ohio, has them installed in its centrifuge lab, and the Army's Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command has one of the station's larger counterparts, the VisionDome, with a four to five meter screen that can accommodate 10 to 35 people for visual presentations. The VisionStation itself is available with screens from one and a half to three meters and is designed to accommodate two to five people.

Digital designs can be downloaded to...