Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!think!bloom-beacon!mcgill-vision!iros1!iros52!martin
From: martin@iros52.iro.umontreal.ca (Daniel Martin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Inter-active systems, new market ?
Keywords: VD-I, WORM, TouchScreen, Amiga, Interactive, MultiMedia
Message-ID: <1133@mannix.iros1.UUCP>
Date: 31 Aug 89 19:17:10 GMT
References: <195156@neabbs.UUCP>
Sender: news@iros1.UUCP
Reply-To: martin@iros1.UUCP (Daniel Martin)
Organization: Universite de Montreal
Lines: 77

Disclaimer:  The project is described only to show actual Multimedia application
             on the amiga.  No publicity intended.
	     I've no connection with companies mentionned in the article.

In article <195156@neabbs.UUCP> amichel@neabbs.UUCP (MICHEL LANGEREIS) writes:
>
> ...
> 
>   Now what about touch-screens and laser disks for the Amiga, are they
>   availble ? I know there was some sort of inter-active Amiga system
>   developed once and it was called The Mandala system but never ever
>   heard a tinny little bit about it.
> 
> ...
>   And don't forget the educational market, all those kids in front of
>   Amiga's (sold by former Apple and now C-A employees :-) pointing away
>   through their things.
> 
>  -* Michel
> 
>       hp4nl!neabbs!amichel@uunet.uu.net | Just speaking for myself.
>        consider your brains like a computer...     ...and BOOT IT!

   For over 3 years now, I've worked on my master degree project called
FishEye browser, that uses among other things a Pionner LaserDisc LV6000A,
a Panasonic WORM (Write once Read Many), a CD-ROM player connected thru a
bridgeboard, a genlock (old CBM model) and a touchscreen (from MicroTouch).  
We use two A2000, equipped with 40megs HD, bridgeboard and ethernet boards,
and one old A1000.  All three have 3 Megs Ram.

   It is simply (!) a browser in multimedia documents, composed mainly of
still video painting from the Nationnal Gallery of art videodisc.  You 
touch at miniatures of the painting (digitized in ham) and the full video
picture is displayed on screen (genlock).  Current database is composed
of over 800 documents, described with over 1000 keywords (for direct access).

   The system use "context editors" that is editor specialized on a certain
medium.  For example, we have a video editor, (WORM, LaserDisc, VHS) that 
can combine any video segment (in any order, speed, etc.) from any sources
and save it in a video document.  This can then be combined with documents
created with other context editors, to form a true multimedia document.  We
use a multimedia player to present, synchronize and interact with the 
document.  The multimedia document use IFF, augmented of certain specialized
chunk.

   Interactive video, or VDI is available to any computer on the market
equipped of serial ports.  Now that multi-port cards are available (NES has one
with 8 ports) you have all peripheral available at once (we used a custom made
serial port multiplexer).

   The amiga is the machine of choice for this kind of applications.  Desirable
features are multi-tasking, genlocking, good graphics capability, low cost of
the Amiga computers, and an IFF standard.

   This project is used as a stepstone towards true intelligent tutoring, 
using the amiga as the presentation-interface machine.  As a stand alone
system, the Amiga based FishEye browser performed quite well compared to
IBM infowindow system, Sony's View and Mac Hypercards based LaserGuide.

   I should point out that MacIntosh is devoting A LOT of money to develop 
interesting new multimedia applications.  They produced recently a LaserDisc
with over 30 disk of Hypercard applications comming with it.  To see how
apple is devoted to Interactive applications, just look at CD-ROM3 book of 
MicroSoft Press "Interactive MultiMedia", edited by Sueann Ambron and 
Kristina Hooper.  Very Impressing, and no Amigas in sight.  I may say that
it won't take long to recover the video market hold by the amiga, if
bold steps are not take.


   //  Daniel Martin, Universite de Montreal, C.P 6128, Succursale A      \\
\\//                  Montreal (Quebec), CANADA, H3C 3J7                   \\//
 \/ UUCP: uunet!utai!musocs!iros1!martin  INTERNET: martin@iro.umontreal.ca \/
-- 

   //  Daniel Martin, Universite de Montreal, C.P 6128, Succursale A      \\
\\//                  Montreal (Quebec), CANADA, H3C 3J7                   \\//
 \/ UUCP: uunet!utai!musocs!iros1!martin  INTERNET: martin@iro.umontreal.ca \/