March 2009 - Photos by Michel Beaudouin-Lafon / In Situ
The room before installing WILD, with power supply and dual-DVI cables running to the cluster room next door. [DSC_2064]
The truck with the support structure for the wall, build as four independent carts. [DSC_2069]
The carts did not fit in the freight elevator, so we had to carry them. They weigh 450 pounds (200kg) each... [DSC_2077]
Each cart is made of steel with aluminum rails for holding the monitors. [DSC_2082]
Assembling the four carts into one structure. While each cart can move (they have wheels) they are attached to the wall by a rail so the power and DVI cables can be hooked up. [DSC_2090]
The final structure. We created a wall-size version of this image that we can display on the wall, giving the impression of X-ray vision through the monitors. [DSC_2092]
Preparing the structure to attach the monitors. The top and bottom row can be oriented. [DSC_2104]
Thrity-two 30-inch monitors take up a lot of room! [DSC_2101]
The stand of each monitor must be replace by a VESA mount. [DSC_2125]
The unused montor stands make a cool display. [DSC_2167]
Keeping track of the monitor power supplies. [DSC_2141]
Unpacking eighteen top-of-the line Macs generates quite a bit of excitement with the lab's geeks. [DSC_2106]
The cluster machines, ready to be installed. [DSC_2117]
The boxes take up a lot of room ... [DSC_2121]
... yes, a lot of boxes! [DSC_2137]
Each monitor is attached to the structure through a joint so that it can be precisely adjusted. [DSC_2114]
Unexpectedly, we realized that the aluminum sheet at the back of the screen was not very sturdy, making it difficult to precisely align the screens. [DSC_2123]
The contractor decided to mount all the monitors and then address the alignment. [DSC_2124]
With more than half the monitors on, the wall starts taking shape. [DSC_2127]
Seven more screens to go, but the uneveness of the displays is rather unsettling. [DSC_2134]
At least it is beautiful from the back! [DSC_2139]
After struggling for several days to align the screens, the contractor decided to revise their design. They installed four adjustable legs at the four corners of each screen so that it would be supported not only from the center but also from the corners. [DSC_2147]
The cluster is installed in a room next to the wall. After installing the sixteen machines on the rack, wiring starts. [DSC_2132]
Power supply, two DVI cables, Ethernet. Times sixteen. [DSC_2163]
The cluster is ready to go. [DSC_2164]
While the contractor was struggling with aligning the screens, we started wiring. [DSC_2153]
Each monitor has a power supply, a DVI cable, and a USB connection to control its brightness by software. In addition, because of the length of the DVI cable (20m or 60'), we need an amplifier with its power supply. [DSC_2155]
We separate power cables from the DVI and USB cables as much as possible to avoid interference. [DSC_2158]
A behind-the-scenes view showing the screen attachment and wiring. [DSC_2161]
With 8 screens left to wire, we are almost there. [DSC_2171]
The wall is not very flat, but everything is wired and ready to go. [DSC_2154]
The very first display of the wall, powered by the 16-machine cluster. [DSC_2216]
The multitouch table (from IntuiLab, a French company in Toulouse) arrives on a crate. [DSC_2145]
It is swiftly unpacked, brought to the room, and powered up. [DSC_2179]
Playing with the multitouch version of Google Earth that comes with the table. [DSC_2186]
Three-finger interaction to rotate viewing angle on Google Earth. [DSC_2189]
We could not resist opening up the table to see what's inside. On the left, the projector and it's cooling system. [DSC_2190]
Learning how to use the VICON motion capture system. It is controlled by a PC and dedicated software. [DSC_2191]
An important phase: calibration. One must walk around the space with this special device so the system can infer the postion of the cameras. [DSC_2193]
Once calibrated, the system shows a 3D view of the scene. Each green square is a camera, and the small stick figure in the center is on object being tracked. [DSC_2952]
After installing a rail above the wall, we were able to get much better accuracy when interacting close to the wall. The photo also shows the type of passive sensors (the small reflective balls) that are used by the VICON [DSC_2957]