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NYIT researchers pioneered 3-D computing technology in the 1970s. Now, students and professors are taking things to a whole new level.
By Joe PanettieriA new chapter in 3-D technology is unfolding at NYIT. This time around, the efforts aren't limited to scientists working in a multimillion-dollar computer lab.
In the 1970s, NYIT researchers pioneered 2-D and 3-D computer animation, paving the way for such Hollywood powerhouses as Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation SKG. Today, NYIT has rolled out 3-D computing technology at its schools and research centers in a bid to empower students with real-world tools that rival any major university in the world.
Examples of 3-D technology are prevalent across NYIT's campuses and academic programs:
- At NYCOM of NYIT, researchers use 3-D motion capture technology to help treat Parkinson's patients.
- In the fine arts program, a newly deployed 3-D animation system provides students with the type of computing that until now was reserved for Hollywood movie studios and Global 2000 video game companies.
- In the School of Architecture and Design, students are mastering interior design software that allows them to bring virtual concepts to life and create more ergonomic solutions.
NYIT's efforts are winning accolades from students and alumni. "These 3-D capabilities are on par with what you'd see at some of the most advanced corporations and digital animation studios in the world," says John Castaldo (B.S. '95), a senior manager of enterprise information technology at Cablevision Systems Corp., headquartered in Bethpage, N.Y. Castaldo routinely tests and evaluates emerging desktop technologies and computer user interfaces at the broadband service provider.
Still, NYIT's 3-D efforts represent more than a high-tech story, asserts Professor Peter Voci, fine arts department chair and director of the new M.F.A. program at NYIT. "Of course, students need access to leading-edge hardware and software," says Voci. "But the real difference here at NYIT can only be described as 'heartware'--that rare sense of community between students and faculty as we work on real-world projects together."
Connecting the Digital Dots
That so-called heartware is on display in the Midge Karr Fine Arts and Design Center on NYIT's Old Westbury campus, where Voci oversaw the recent deployment of his department's Fine Arts 3-D Motion Capture Lab. With this technology, students can add 21st-century substance to their design portfolios when meeting with employers after graduation.
"Students are no longer impressed by a room full of computers," says Voci. "It's like showing them a room full of telephones. They take technology for granted. Today's students are looking for special - purpose computer labs, and we've got them."
The Fine Arts 3-D Motion Capture Lab allows carefully situated computerized cameras to track a human, animal, or object as it travels through a range of motions. A standard PC workstation captures and saves the motion-oriented information. The computer then creates a wireframe figure with fluid, lifelike movement that's easily viewed on a large LCD screen.
Students can replay the captured image over and over again, using their animation skills to add mass to the wireframe. Imagine a computerized stick figure being transformed into a skeleton that gains muscle mass, textured skin, clothing, hair, and other unique features, and you have a feel for how the Fine Arts 3-D Motion Capture Lab can transform today's NYIT students into tomorrow's leading Hollywood animators.
Inside the Fine Arts 3-D Motion Capture Lab, John Squitieri (B.F.A. '98, left) and Fine Arts Professor Peter Voci use Hollywood technology to train the next generation of computer animators.
Motion capture uses multiple cameras to record movements from different angles, allowing animators to replicate realistic 3-D action.
Motion capture technology has applications in several industries, including movies, healthcare, advertising, architecture, and video games.
Integrating
NYCOM's 3-D technology into patient care requires minimal setup, says
Ely Rabin, physical therapy and neuroscience assistant professor.