3D Research and Application

Cutting-edge 3D technology is changing the way Hollywood makes movies - but away from the world of showbiz this technology is also having an impact on everyday life. Surgeons are now able to perform life-saving operations across continents, and floating telepresence blimps may soon change the way we communicate online.

 
Ever since James Cameron's multi-billion dollar film Avatar stunned¹ audiences around the world, it's clear that 3D technology is here to stay. A number of innovative² companies are now moving the technology forward even further.

A US company, Organic Motion, has created a real-time, marker-less motion capture system. The technology can capture actors' movements in large spaces without them having to attach any kind of restrictive mapping devices to their bodies.

Andrew Tschesnok, CEO of Organic Motion says anyone can step into the system and be tracked without going through the tedious process of putting on suits.

"So, for instance, the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle, we helped out with the Avatar exhibit. So, James Cameron set up a system where people can just walk in, and become Na'vi. They walk around, and there's even a scene where you touch the plants; they all disappear like in that one scene where the monster comes out. So it's really cool, because someone off the street can come in and experience that type of technology."

Elsewhere, Disney Research has devised a way of beaming 3D images into virtually any type of space. The invention could change the way we display photographs, artwork and more; making them vibrant³ parts of our homes, offices and living spaces.

The French have mastered the art of making crepes. By teaching others to mix, grill⁴ and flip⁵ pancakes in a virtual world, however, scientists from France's National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control are hoping to offer much more than cooking lessons.

By interacting with fluids - butter, maple⁶ syrup⁷ and caramel - technology known as haptics and force feedback allows people using the device to actually feel as if they were cooking in real life.

It's an entertaining way of experiencing this cutting-edge technology, but Gabriel Cirio from France's National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control says it has a number of practical applications.

"We can foresee this kind of technology in medical simulators, like for surgery, virtual surgery where you need blood, you need bodily fluids, and so you can feel the force feedback coming from this interaction; to train surgeons. Also for industrial manipulation, where you need to train people to manipulate dangerous fluids or expensive fluids, so you have this training part, you use virtual stuff, which doesn't cost."

A team of Japanese scientists have created a floating telepresence blimp that could revolutionize the way we communicate online.

When most of use Skype, and other similar programs, we usually use our laptops or hand-held devices. The way of the future, however, may be to project our facial images onto floating devices.

Hiraoki Tobita from Sony Computer Science Laboratories in Japan explains:

"As you may know, Talking Head is a device which uses a similar approach to the one we have created; utilizing⁸ a robotic approach. The device moves on the ground, and facial images dynamically change. But our device floats in the air, so many obstacles are avoided. That's completely different from the traditional approach."

Hiraoki Tobita says their team spent years designing the blimps and mini gondolas⁹, which feature built-in cameras and motors that enable the devices to fly.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.

1 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

2 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

3 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

4 grill   

n.烤架，铁格子，烤肉；v.烧，烤，严加盘问

参考例句：

• Put it under the grill for a minute to brown the top.放在烤架下烤一分钟把上面烤成金黄色。
• I'll grill you some mutton.我来给你烤一些羊肉吃。

5 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

6 maple   

n.槭树，枫树，槭木

参考例句：

• Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

7 syrup   

n.糖浆，糖水

参考例句：

• I skimmed the foam from the boiling syrup.我撇去了煮沸糖浆上的泡沫。
• Tinned fruit usually has a lot of syrup with it.罐头水果通常都有许多糖浆。

8 utilizing   

v.利用，使用( utilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Utilizing an assembler to produce a machine-language program. 用汇编程序产生机器语言的过程。 来自辞典例句
• The study and use of devices utilizing properties of materials near absolute zero in temperature. 对材料在接近绝对零度时的特性进行研究和利用的学科。 来自辞典例句

9 gondolas   

n.狭长小船( gondola的名词复数 )；货架（一般指商店，例如化妆品店）；吊船工作台

参考例句：

• When the G-Force is in motion, the gondolas turn as well. 当“惊呼狂叫”开始旋转时，平底船也同时旋转。 来自互联网
• Moreton Engineering &Equipment Co. Ltd. -Services include sales tower crane, gondolas, material hoist construction equipment. 山明模型工作室-制作建筑模型，包括售楼模型、规划模型、比赛模型等。 来自互联网