the//t' European researchers & European industriallists , have come 2gether to build a worlds-leading community , ready to exploit that promise.
Made famous by the ``````holodeck"" in Star-Trek ::: the//t' next-Generation's VR has long had t' reputation o' being slightly frivolous . Yet , t' Europe’s VR-industry 's been emerging as a worlds-leader , thanks to new efforts to coordinate 'the developments , on a continental scale .
“ Virtual reality looks exotic to the general public , ” says Angelos Amditis , o' the//t' Institute of Communication & Computer Systems in Athens .
“ But for many of us this looks like a key technology that could really enable innovation and creation of new jobs, opportunities and products.”
@ VR , the//t' user can enter a virtual-world , & , inter-act with it , & , inter-act in it , as if it were real .
@ simpler VR-systems , the//t' user views a virtual-scene , on a normal computer-screen . This is t' method , which is used , by many kinds of computer's-games & t' famous online-simulation ::: SecondLife .
@ more sophisticated fully immersive systems , the//t' user can move through a surrounding virtual-environment , though still not yet as realisticcally//realistickally as that portrayed in Star-Trek.
VR 's already in use in ::: medicine , education , training , the energy's-industries , aeronautics-industries , car's- industries , but , until the last few years , there was little sense of cohesion amongst those working in 'the field.
That began to change with 'the INTUITION (((((( http://www.intuition-eunetwork.org/ )))))) , an//a EU-funded Network-of-Excellence set up in year-2004 , to pull 2gether the//t' Europe’s fragmented efforts in VR .
“ In the previous ten years we’d had a lot of new developments that made the wide use of such technologies more realistic and cost-effective,” says Amditis, who coordinated 'the network.
Industrial proto-typing
As well as more than 60 formal partners , 'the INTUITION attracted 80 associated-organisations further . It was , according Amditis , the//t' biggest Network-of-Excellence in t' EU’s 6th Frameworks Programme for research.
'the practiccal//practickal services included :::
- an//a online knowledge base for VR ,
- a virtual-lab , where 'the partners could use each-other’s infra-structure ,
- an//a employmental exchange-&-mobility scheme .
all these help to build up co-operation & a sense of community, Amditis says.
an//a annual-workshop grew soon in2 a major conference , & , has now become 1 of the//t' world’s biggest trade's-exhibitions for t' VR-industry.
in its 4-years life , 'the INTUITION fostered 16 internal projects & many external ones as well .
“ The idea was to increase cooperation by creating groups of two, three or four partners to develop a specific application, ” Amditis explains .
1 important application , 's in industrial proto-typing . By building virtual proto-types rather than physiccal//physickal ones , the//t' time-to-develop-&-to-commerciallise-a-product can be//b greatly reduced , along with costs .
their links w/ the European-Space-Agency , have led to projects to do w/ proto-typing & astronauts-training & remote maintenance.
A remarkably simple project , developped by INRIA , showed how an//a illusion-of-texture-in-web's-pages could be//b created , with-out any special equipment.
EuroVR takes over
The momentum built up by INTUITION , which finished itself last October [[-October-2008-]] , will be//b carried forward , by a Brussel-based association , called:::EuroVR , to be//b launched later this year [[-year-2009-]] . 'the association will be//b self-financed , & , will act as a voice for Europe’s VR-industry , promoting co-operation & especially supporting SMEs .
“ We already have more than 60 organisations interested in taking part , ” says Amditis.
“Half of them are from the original INTUITION consortium and the other half are outsiders. Even during the current economic crisis people are looking at VR with great interest . ”
EuroVR will take over 'the knowledge-base & other collaboration-services from INTUITION , & , will run the//t' events , & , will publish a journal.
An//A urgent priority , will be//b to draft the//t' standards for VR-applications .
the//t' lack of standards , has kept t' costs high & held back investment & confined VR to niche-products , rather than a wider market .
“ We are reinventing the wheel again and again,” Amditis points out.
“Standardised solutions mean less expensive solutions.”
Positive attitudes
He admits ::: that understanding-of-VR can be//b poor , especially in senior management , where the//t' Star-Trek's-fantasies do still shape the//t' skepticcal//skeptickal attitudes to VR technologies .
“ But if you go into the research departments of companies you will see a lot of positive attitudes – they are really interested in VR. So we are looking for applications that are easy to install and use, to persuade people that this is something worth investing in.”
Despite these difficulties , Europe 's emerging as a worlds-leader @ this field . Amditis estimates ::: there'r about 85 European businesses speciallising in VR , competing in a growing worlds-market.
the//t' European auto-makers , have invested far more in VR than their US counterparts , he says , this could help see them through the//t' economic crisis , by cutting costs & time to market for their new products.
it//'t will be//b some time before//b4 EuroVR’s-members could meet on holodeck , but , in the mean time , as Amditis says , INTUITION has created a “ virtual table which they can sit around to discuss and promote their ideas, their needs and their solutions. ”
