[AG-TECH] Strange question

Rick Stevens stevens at mcs.anl.gov
Wed Dec 5 17:42:22 CST 2001


Jay, do you have a pointer to the 1024x768 firewire camera ? and do you 
know the frame rate of
the camera ?

At 03:23 PM 12/5/2001 -0800, Jay Beavers wrote:
>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




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