INSTITUTE FOR THE VISUALIZATION OF HISTORY
151 Bridges Road • Williamstown MA 01267-2232 USA v/f: 413-458-1788 • email: [email protected] • http://www.vizin.org
"When people don't know history, they have a poor sense of their country and community, and most of all, the relative importance of [current] events" ("History Tells us to be Afraid,” by Mark Lane, article circulated by Cox Newspapers May 2002).
About the Institute
EXPERTISE
The INSTITUTE builds and expands upon the pioneering work of Learning Sites, Inc., in the field of virtual heritage. Learning Sites® is a recognized leader in designing and building innovative products using archaeological and other historical material. The INSTITUTE’s staff brings a wide range of expertise and many years experience to each project.
LEARNING SITES was an "official collaborator" for the first Festival on Virtual Archaeology, organized by the Computer Applications in Archaeology Society of Spain and the Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona, in preparation for the Computer Applications in Archaeology World Conference, 1998. One of LEARNING SITES’ educational packages was voted one of the top 10 VRML-based virtual worlds on the Internet by Silicon Graphics Incorporated, and Simon & Schuster selected one of LEARNING SITES’ virtual worlds as the only virtual world to appear on its premier online educational Web site. LEARNING SITES re-creations have appeared on television, in movies, and in online and paper publications around the world.
VIZIN is a registered trademark of the Institute for the Visualization of History, Inc. The Institute’s Professional Expertise Includes: archaeology (diverse styles, periods, and cultures). architectural history (broad range of styles, periods, and construction techniques). art history (wide range of periods, techniques, and genres). thesaurus construction and information technology (vocabulary standards, search and retrieval methodology). K-12 instructional package design and development. Editorial and publishing.
The Institute’s Technical Expertise Includes: Virtual reality programming, using Virtual Reality Markup Language (VRML) and high-end packages (such as Sense8's WorldToolKit). Our head VR programmer has been designing educational virtual worlds since 1982. 3D modeling, using computer-aided design packages (such as AutoCAD and DataCAD) and graphics packages (such as 3DStudioMax, TrueSpace, Poser, and PhotoModeler). We create detailed and highly accurate computer models of architecture, artifacts, and people. High-resolution renderings, using graphic design and rendering packages (such as 3DStudioMax and Adobe Photoshop). We render photorealistic images and accurately textured virtual worlds. Animation. We can generate real-time virtual worlds, Windows-based (.avi) video files, and true video output. Interactive programming for various virtual reality hardware systems--those using keyboards, spaceballs, remote tracking devices, sensors, or head-mounted displays, each of which offers a different degree of immersion and interaction. Document and image maintenance services, including in-house document conversions from raster to vector in preparation for computer modeling, scanning of images or documents, and performing image correction, enhancement, and special effects. Web design, HyperText Markup Language (HTML), C++, Flash, Java, and JavaScript programming. Photography. We can provide high-resolution professional digital images for all situations from still-lifes, to living history scenes, to QTVR panoramas. File output for most media, including CD, laser disk, video cassette, and various types of diskettes. We can import and export any of the common electronic file formats and can transmit files over the Internet or via ftp. Full range of hardware systems experience, with computer platforms ranging from desktop PCs to Intergraphs and high-end SGI workstations.
VIZIN is a registered trademark of the Institute for the Visualization of History, Inc. PROJECTS AND CLIENTELLE
Recent Projects
History of Jerusalem, Israel Kyrenia shipwreck, Cyprus Battle Monument at Actium, Greece Tantura shipwrecks, Israel Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge (USA) Citadel of Mycenae, Greece Mashkan-Shapir, Iraq
Recent Clients
University of South Florida Jewish Family and Life Old Sturbridge Village Texas A&M University The Dalton School Dickinson College Learning Sites, Inc. (with whom we have partnered to extend their premier library of digital worlds for use by a wider educational audience)
SELECTED WRITINGS ABOUT VIRTUAL HERITAGE FEATURING THE WORK OF LEARNING SITES OR THE INSTITUTE
Davis, Ben, 1997. "The Future of the Past," Scientific American, August. (also-- http://www.sciam.com/0897issue/0897review1.html).
Littman, Marlyn Kemper, 1996. "Enhancing Instruction through Virtual Reality," Technology and Education: catalyst for educational change, v.1, pp. 31-33, papers from the 13th International conference on Technology and Education, ICTE: Grand Prairie, Texas.
May, John, 1997. "The Future of History: virtual archaeology," The Daily Telegraph of London, October 14, pp.8-9.
Roehl, Bernie, 1997. "Virtual Archaeology: bringing new life to ancient worlds," Innovation3 v.40, pp.28-35. Sanders, Donald H., 2002, "Virtual Archaeology and Museums: where are the exhibits?” in Niccolucci, Franco, ed. Virtual Archaeology; proceedings of the VAST Euroconference, Arezzo, 24-25 November, 2000, ArcheoPress, Oxford (British Archaeological Reports, International Series #1075).
VIZIN is a registered trademark of the Institute for the Visualization of History, Inc. -----. 2001, "Persuade or Perish: moving virtual heritage beyond pretty pictures of the past," pp.236- 245 in Hal Thwaites and Lon Addison, eds., Enhanced Realities: augmented and unplugged -- Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia, 25-27 October, 2001, IEEE Computer Society: Los Alamitos, California. -----. 2000, "CAD, Virtual Reality, and Cultural Heritage Preservation," TIES Magazine, Jan/Feb., pp.6- 10. -----. 2000, with Juan Barcelo and Maurizio Forte, Virtual Reality in Archaeology, British Archaeological Reports # International Series #843, Archaeopress: Oxford. -----. 1999, “Virtual Worlds for Archaeological Research and Education,” in L. Dingwall, S. Exon, V. Gaffney, S. Laflin, and M. van Leusen, Archaeology in the Age of the Internet - CAA97; Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology 25th Anniversary Conference. University of Birmingham. April 1997, British Archaeological Reports #S750, Archaeopress: Oxford.
-----. 1997. "Archaeological Virtual Worlds for Public Education," Computers in the Social Sciences Journal, vol. 5 #3. (also--http://cssjournal.com/sanders.html)
Sanders, Donald H. & Eben Gay, 1997. "Exploring the Past" HyperNexus v.7 #3, pp.29-31.
----- 1997. "Virtual Reality and the Internet in the Service of Education: the premise and the promise," EduPort Newsletter, v.2, #1. (also--http://ianrwww.unl.edu/eduport/EDU97FEB.HTM)
----- 1996. "VRML-Based Public Education: an example and a vision," VRML Site Magazine (online at http://www.vrmlsite.com/dec96/spot2.html).
Youngblut, Christine, 1998. Educational Uses of Virtual Reality Technology. Institute for Defense Analysis: Alexandria, VA (IDA Document D-2128). (also-- http://www.hitl.washington.edu/scivw/youngblut-edvr/D2128.pdf)
PROFILES OF PRINCIPALS
Donald Sanders, President, the Institute for the Visualization of History, Inc. and Learning Sites, Inc.
Donald Sanders is president of Learning Sites, Inc., the longest-running company devoted to virtual heritage, and one who pioneered the technology for archaeology in 1994. He is trained and educated as an archaeologist, architectural historian, and architect (holding an MA and PhD from Columbia University, Department of Art History and Archaeology; and a BArch from Case Western Reserve University, School of Architecture). His special interest is the application of nontraditional methods (including advanced computer graphics, virtual reality, and behavioral science techniques) to the study and presentation of architecture of the past, pushing the boundaries of conventional archaeological interpretation with the goal of understanding the behavior of ancient peoples.
Widely published, Sanders has written on such topics as the historiography of the study of architecture by historians and archaeologists; alternative approaches (including those from semiotics, environment- behavior studies, ethnoarchaeology, and human geography) to the study of architecture in archaeological contexts; and the use of computer-aided techniques for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information about ancient architecture for research and education.
VIZIN is a registered trademark of the Institute for the Visualization of History, Inc. Sanders has been invited as featured keynote speaker at numerous international conferences, including, most recently: EU-sponsored events in Greece, the Virtual Systems and MultiMedia conference in Japan, and virtual archaeology conferences in Italy.
Eben Gay, Chief Programmer, Learning Sites, Inc.; President, ERG Engineering
Eben Gay has been building virtual worlds since 1982 and is experienced in virtual world construction, user interface design, object-oriented software design, real-time optimization, hardware interfacing, and project management. He has built worlds for museum exhibitions, classrooms, and tradeshow displays across the United States, from the Computer Museum in Boston to TEPIA in Japan. Gay is active in the Boston Computer Society's Virtual Reality Group and in the development of VRML for the Internet. He has designed and written a VR programming language to facilitate building virtual worlds, provided expertise to create ground-breaking VR applications, trained teachers who have integrated VR into curricula, and garnered experience in building VR applications on everything from a PC running DOS to an SGI Onyx.
During his 13 years with Digital Equipment Corporation (5 as Principal Engineer), Gay designed DEC RTI, an X-windows based iconic data flow language for creating real-time applications. He was project leader and lead developer of the 12-person team for the initial release. In 1992 Eben Gay started the VR consulting company, ERG Engineering, Inc., in order to be able to build virtual worlds full time. As chief programmer for LEARNING SITES, Inc. Gay has created exacting virtual restorations of archaeological sites integrated with detailed multimedia databases about the sites to create unique learning environments.
Eben Gay is a leader in the field of VR programming and some of his most recent work includes: Virtual Cell Biology — NSF-funded study of VR as an effective teaching tool for informal science education. Exhibited at Boston Computer Museum, SIGGRAPH '94, and at the TEPIA Center, Tokyo. Stroke Rehabilitation with VR — Initial concept study for using VR environments with EMG muscle sensors for stroke rehabilitation. Network Racer — A group of networked VR systems that implemented a race across a virtual global network as part of a networking exhibit at The Computer Museum in Boston. NorthWater World — Virtual reality out-of-body art piece produced with The BCS VR Group. Natrona County School District, WY — Helped plan pilot VR project for school district; trained the teachers in VR world building.
Eben Gay holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Boston University.
Geoffrey Kornfeld is a computer graphics artist, involved with computer graphics since 1991, first as a CAD draftsman and teacher, then as a 3D animation and visualization specialist. He spent two years at Massachusetts College of Art studying ancient art extensively, receiving honors for his computer animation projects. Kornfeld is an expert with 3DStudioMax, Adobe Photoshop, and HTML programming and currently expanding his knowledge of Maya, VRay and other similar packages.
VIZIN is a registered trademark of the Institute for the Visualization of History, Inc. Richard C. Morse received his degree in architecture from Roger Williams University, where he also studied art history. He has worked as an architect and 3D modeler, taught CAD and 3D design, and has worked in CAD software development in the United States and Germany. Morse is the co-author of The Official DataCAD User's Guide.
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VIZIN is a registered trademark of the Institute for the Visualization of History, Inc.