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From: gbnewby@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Gregory B. Newby)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: datasuit- need information
Message-ID: <1991May6.210517.22357@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 6 May 91 20:30:17 GMT
References: <1991Apr19.213539.24941@milton.u.washington.edu>
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In article <1991Apr19.213539.24941@milton.u.washington.edu> robertl@skat.usc.
edu (Robert Letterman) writes:

>I am looking for information on a so called datasuit.  From what I
>understand it can be worn by a person and that their movements can be
>recorded by a computer.  I am interested in whether this suit could be
>used to control a 3D model for computer animation purposes.

(I didn't see a response to this, so here's mine.  Was out of town
 for a bit, so I apologize if someone already answered.)

The DataSuit is invented by VPL, the DataGlove people.  I spoke to 
one of their systems engineers in New York at a demonstration of VPL's
DataGlove + EyePhone system (runs with twin Iris workstations, a MacII
fx, and included 3D sound!).

The DataSuit evidently doesn't really work that well, and requires way
too much CPU power to be feasible right now.  VPL was _not_ selling
it, and I'm not sure if anyone besides them has one (North Carolina
at Chapel Hill might.  Does Seattle, O Moderating One?).

So, the basic answer is:  The DataSuit is made by VPL, but is not
currently being sold by them (as of about 2 months ago, anyway).
  It works the same as the DataGlove:  a lycra bodysuit, with many
fiber optic pickups, generating lots of data on body position.  I
seem to remember seeing a picture that included Polhemous trackers
on each hand, each foot, and the head (or EyePhones).
  The data the Suit generates is apparantly quite rich, giving 
relative body position for many parts of the body.  How this
would translate in to your application I'm not sure...

-- Greg Newby
School of Information Studies           gbnewby@rodan.acs.syr.edu
Syracuse University                     gbnewby@sunrise.bitnet
                "Curiouser and curiouser"  - Alice