Conceived, designed and installed by systems integrator Immersion, the system uses projectiondesign F12 1080 DLP projectors and INFITEC stereo 3D hardware. Each projector is built into a custom-made rear-projection housing so that they are physically 'locked' into position. The projectors fire directly onto a vertically mounted, 2m wide Stewart rigid rear-pro screen, and onto a custom-built mirror and horizontal Stewart 'table' screen setup.
The result is a seamless 'L-shaped' projection surface that gives viewers a greatly enhanced three-dimensional impression of whatever image is being displayed. This in itself is a notable achievement, but the project is unusual in other ways.
Gabriel Soubies, Professional Services Manager, Immersion, explains, "As well as the 3D stereoscopy, the system features tracking cameras from NaturalPoint, a 6D 35-45 Virtuose haptic arm from Haption, and software from Techviz which creates stereoscopic images from the various design platforms used by ENISE - this could be CAD software such as Solidworks or Catia, or any other design software.
"As far as we know, this is the only 'L-shaped' immersive display system to make use of INFITEC stereoscopy, and we are the very first company in France to incorporate Natural Point tracking into a professional system - something we could only achieve after extensive technical tests.
"The criteria for this project were very strict and there was no way that we could use 'ordinary' projectors. We contacted several manufacturers, explained our specific requirements and waited to see what kind of solutions they could offer. We chose projectiondesign for a number of reasons: they make the best single-chip DLP projectors we have ever tested; they have long experience of working with INFITEC technology; and they are willing to customise their projectors to meet the needs of a particular project. A valuable set of assets with our unique and often complex solutions.
"In the end, they supplied us with projectors that were modified to fit our requirements and colour-calibrated using projectiondesign's unique RealColor technology, without any compromise in the quality and ruggedness we have come to expect from the company."
projectiondesign's Thierry Ollivier, who recently relocated to a new office in Bordeaux to be closer to the French market, comments, "The work of Immersion is typical of the value projectiondesign can add to projects when manufacturers and integrators collaborate closely. The ENISE installation really pushes the boundaries of what can be done with interactive, immersive, virtual reality displays, and we are sure that it is only a foretaste of what is to come, not just in France but elsewhere too."
(Jim Evans)
