[AG-TECH] Strange question

[Jay Beavers]

We've experimented with using 640x480 1394 cameras on a whiteboard and
we got satisfactory results using M-JPEG compression at medium quality,
though we're limited to a small (~4'x4') writing area.  We're trying to
do the same with a newer 1024x768 1394 camera, but we're still waiting
on acceptable drivers to be provided.  I don't have an ETA on the newer
drivers and they've been 'any month now' for about six months.

We've also looked at Mimio and SmartBoard which are commercially
available products that capture whiteboard strokes via pressure or audio
location of the pen, and while they're better than nothing, they weren't
good enough in my opinion.

And we're sponsoring a research project at a major university to use
Tablet PCs with custom software and projectors to function as a hand
held wireless device.


I figure one of these things will pan out ;-)  We're going to try one of
them this spring semester in a distributed classroom trial at another
major university, we might try more than one depending on what's ready
by then.

 - jcb

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Coffin [mailto:tcoffin at ncsa.uiuc.edu] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2001 12:28 PM
To: Supreeya Miller; ACCESS community
Subject: RE: [AG-TECH] Strange question


Supreeya,

I recommend not to use a camera to point at the white board.
The resolution will never be satisfactory and the professors
will go insane. Ofcouse if the class happens to be a psychology 
class then it may be desirable...

good luck

_________________________________________________
At 02:25 PM 12/5/2001 -0600, Supreeya Miller wrote:
   >
   >Thank you, Tom.
   >
   >USM wants to use 1 camera to point to the professor, another camera
to
point
   >on the white board that he writes on, another camera for pictures or
slides
   >that he may have, and another camera to point to the students at
USM.  So
   >there will be no desktop sharing on the computer at USM.
   >
   >Supreeya Miller
   >System Administrator/Visualization Researcher/Access Grid
Coordinator
   >High Performance Visualization Center
   >Center of Higher Learning
   >Building 1103
   >Stennis Space Center, MS  39539
   >Phone: 228-688-2190
   >Fax:   228-688-7454
   >E-mail:Supreeya.Miller at usm.edu
   >
   >-----Original Message-----
   >From: Tom Coffin [mailto:tcoffin at ncsa.uiuc.edu]
   >Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2001 2:10 PM
   >To: Supreeya Miller; ACCESS community
   >Subject: Re: [AG-TECH] Strange question
   >
   >
   >hi Supreeya
   >You can use VNC to shared a 1024x768 desktop
   >which can include a white board...
   >http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/
   >
   >
   >At 02:05 PM 12/5/2001 -0600, Supreeya Miller wrote:
   >   >All,
   >   >
   >   >We have a lot of people come to our center and some of them are
   >professors.
   >   >I'm also in the process of building the second Access Grid Node
for
USM
   >   >(university of Southern Mississippi).  When the node is done,
there
   >will be
   >   >a lot of class activities between CHL (at Stennis) and USM.  The
   >professors
   >   >that came and visited our center have some concerns that the
resolution
   >of
   >   >the images on the Access Grid is not high enough for them, and
there are
   >   >some jaggy problems due to many hops and points in the network
that we
   >have
   >   >to go through (details are below).  When I did the full size
image,
they
   >   >were not satisfied even more (they could see pixels change
clearly).
   >One of
   >   >the professors has asked me a question, which I don't know how
to
   >answer.
   >   >He wants to do a distance learning by point-to-point (between
CHL and
   >USM)
   >   >using the Access Grid equipment.  He wants (to start with) 2
windows,
   >each
   >   >with 1024x768 resolution.  So that they can write on the white
board,
   >and
   >   >the distance students (at CHL) can see everything perfectly
clear
(they
   >   >refuse to use Power Point Presentation files).
   >   >
   >   >Our network details
   >   >	CHL -> uses DS3 to -> JACKSON -> uses OC3 to -> USM ->
uses OC3 to ->
   >   >JACKSON -> uses OC3 to -> Internet2
   >   >	CHL -> JACKSON -> USM -> Internet
   >   >	Our router is at USM that is why we have to go to USM
first for both
   >   >Internet2 and commodity Internet.
   >   >
   >   >I've looked at the Microsoft NetMeeting.  But that is one
computer
that
   >does
   >   >video and audio.  We have 4 computers, and 2 computers are
running
   >Linux as
   >   >we know.
   >   >I've also looked at VRVS.  But that does not even need Internet
2 (if
   >I'm
   >   >wrong, please correct me).  He wants to fully utilize the
bandwidth of
   >   >Internet 2, in this case we mean DS3 bandwidth (50 Mb)
   >   >
   >   >How possible can this "point-to-point distance learning using
Access
   >Grid
   >   >equipment" be done and how can I go about doing it?
   >   >
   >   >I thank you in advance for any help.
   >   >
   >   >Supreeya Miller
   >   >System Administrator/Visualization Researcher/Access Grid
Coordinator
   >   >High Performance Visualization Center
   >   >Center of Higher Learning
   >   >Building 1103
   >   >Stennis Space Center, MS  39539
   >   >Phone: 228-688-2190
   >   >Fax:   228-688-7454
   >   >E-mail:Supreeya.Miller at usm.edu
   >   >
   >   >
   >
   >
   >___________________________________________________________
   >Tom Coffin .......................... tcoffin at ncsa.uiuc.edu
   >
   >


___________________________________________________________
Tom Coffin .......................... tcoffin at ncsa.uiuc.edu