T_Vision

T_Vision is a broad band application research project.  It provides a
distributed virtual globe as a multimedia interface to visualize any kind
of data related to a geographic region.  The virtual globe is modeled from
high resolution spatial data and textured with high resolution satellite
images.

A T_Vision database and real-time rendering system has been developed to
handle this huge amount of data.  A Terravision specific conzept of seamless links
between different levels of detail allows the continuous zooming from a
global view down to recognizable features of only a few centimeters in
size.  On the virtual globe any kind of geographically related data can be
visually incorporated (e.g. biological, sociological, economical...).

The T_Vision project is based on the concept of a transparent and
world-wide broad band networked topography and surface data bank.  Because
of the impossibility of locally storing and maintaining the huge amount of
high resolution data necessary for such a visualization application, the
system automatically establishes an ATM connection to the Server which
provides the most up to date and highest resolution data required for the
current field of view (and visualization layer).  This data is integrated
unobtrusively into the users system on the fly.

For the navigation around the virtual globe a special T_Vision use
interface in form of a large real globe, the "earthtracker", was
developed..  Thereby the user has full control over which information to
view, at what time and at which location.

An ATM T_Vision test-network between Tokyo and Berlin was successfully
established in October 1994.  A third node in Sunnyvale (USA) will be added
this year.

Contact:

Gerd Grueneis
ART+COM e.V.
Budapesterstr.  44
Germany
fon:    .49.30.254173
fax:    .49.30.25417555
WEB:    http://www.artcom.de/projects/terra/
<gruen@artcom.de>


Gerd Grueneis, Project Management
Pavel Mayer, Ideas, Visual Database and High Speed Networking
Joachim Sauter, Design and Concepts
Axel Schmidt, Ideas, Advanced Realtime Rendering and Simulation

Special Thanks:
Hans Hueber, Hero Ischibashi, Joerg Jacobs, Rolf Kruse, Uli Lipka, Dirk
Luesebrink, Gert Monath, Dieter Sachse, Erick Schmitz, Andreas Schneider,
Christoph Stratmann, Susi Traeger, Henrik Tramberend and the rest of
ART+COM.  T_Vision is funded by DeteBerkon, Berlin and supported byu
Wethernews Inc. Tokyo