UL's LITE Technology Center

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State, local officials attend groundbreaking for 3-D facility.

Gov. Kathleen Blanco and local dignitaries attended the official ground-breaking event Tuesday for the $20 million technology center set to open next year in Lafayette.

The newly renamed Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise, a 3-D data visualization facility, is set to open in February.

The center will feature the world's first six-sided, digital virtual reality cube, as well as the world's largest 3-D auditorium, powered by one of the fastest supercomputers in the world, said Gregg Gothreaux, president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority.

Called LITE, the public facility will feature several visualization environments that will allow researchers to manipulate complex data into workable 3-D models, and is the result of a collaboration between government, University of Louisiana and industry, Gothreaux said.

About 100 people came to the groundbreaking, including City-Parish President Joey Durel, his predecessor Walter Comeaux Jr., University of Louisiana President Ray Authement and Wayne Denton, LEDA's chairman of the board.

Although in its early stages, the LITE facility already has attracted worldwide attention and several energy and technology strategic partners, Gothreaux said.

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Beverly Corbell
bcorbell@theadvertiser.com

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LAFAYETTE -- When the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise opens next year, it will be another building block in Louisiana's emergence as a technology leader, Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Tuesday.

LITE will host the first six-sided digital virtual reality cube in the world along with one of the fastest-available supercomputers.

The visualization technology will allow researchers, both public and private, to crunch complicated data into 3-dimensional models they can get inside and manipulate in a way never before possible.

The research and application development made possible by LITE is expected to touch many different disciplines and industries, including oil and gas, medicine and software.

LITE, coupled with state efforts to connect all universities with an ultra-high-speed fiber-optics backbone across the state and country, is another example of what Louisiana is doing right, Blanco said.

"It's going to set the stage for some pretty wonderful things in Louisiana for the coming years," the governor said.

Blanco was one of several public officials and business leaders to attend the official groundbreaking of the $20 million facility -- a joint project of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Lafayette Economic Development Authority.

While some private companies -- and a handful of universities -- have built and operated similar visualization centers, the LITE will be unique in both its latest and greatest technology and the possibilities for economic development, since private companies can have access, authority officials have said.

"I wanted business to connect more closely with the universities," Blanco said.

Several companies have already signed up to partner with LITE, authority President Gregg Gothreaux said, including Merlin Oil and Gas, C.H. Fenstermaker and Associates, Stone Energy, Global Data Systems, Christie Digital and James River Technical.

David Welch of Stone Energy said he had the opportunity to work with a visualization center owned by British Petroleum a few years ago.

A task involving a multibillion-dollar project, which would normally take up to a year, was finished in two days using the visual immersion, Welch said.

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By KEVIN BLANCHARD
kblanchard@theadvocate.com
Acadiana bureau

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., -- When it opens in February of 2006, the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE) will transform what people have come to expect from communities working to attract high-tech businesses. Not content to rely on the usual tax breaks and highway interchanges to draw new technology and Research & Development jobs, the State of Louisiana, the Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA) and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette have united to provide something that can make companies more agile, competitive and innovative.

LITE will be packed with leading-edge solutions from Silicon Graphics (NYSE: SGI - News), whose compute, storage and visualization systems will provide LITE users with multiple immersive environments capable of engaging workgroups of one to hundreds of participants. The concentration of supercomputer-class servers, interactive 3D theaters, blistering visualization systems, massive data storage and high-speed networking will give Louisiana businesses and research universities a chance to use technologies that have traditionally been available only to the world's energy leaders, pharmaceutical giants, aerospace firms, government agencies, and science museums.

LITE involves partnerships between government, universities, and industry for basic research, application development, testing and validation, product development, and commercial production, along with delivery of visualization technologies and high-performance computer modeling.

Previously known as the Acadiana Technology Immersion Center (ATIC), LITE is an economic development enterprise that will serve clients in the government, university and industry sectors, with worldwide access provided via the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI). Corporations or research organizations that partner with Louisiana-based businesses and universities will be provided access at an incentive rate. Businesses that locate technology resources -- such as people, programs, facilities and equipment -- in Louisiana will receive additional considerations and incentives.

"Businesses and research organizations today need the very best resources to win in the global economy," said Gregg Gothreaux, LEDA President. "With LITE, Lafayette is providing access to the world's most comprehensive immersive technologies available for businesses of all sizes, in addition to university researchers from Louisiana and beyond. Powered by SGI, LITE will help us develop the local resources in talent and expertise that abound in the Lafayette area, and cultivate this region and Louisiana as a center for innovation in energy research, manufacturing, aerospace, environmental, entertainment and other technology-rich industries."

Located on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the $20 million, 70,000-square-foot LITE complex will be co-named the SGI Center for Innovative Research and Advanced Visualization. It will feature one of the most comprehensive and tightly integrated installations of SGI technology ever assembled. LITE technology resources, all of which are connected via a high-speed fiber optic network, include:

-- 3D immersive visualization cube. Small groups of engineers,
scientists and designers can immerse themselves in fully interactive
3D models and data sets for seismic analysis, computer-aided
modeling, product stress test analysis, and a host of other
applications that require visualization of large data sets. A
six-sided display, using SXGA+ DLP(TM) projection technology,
virtually encloses participants in the data, which is displayed in
stereo. Advanced tracking headset technology shifts the display in
real time to accommodate participants' head movements. The
10-by-10-by-10-foot cube is driven by a Silicon Graphics Prism(TM)
visualization system with 16 Intel® Itanium® 2 processors and
six graphics pipes outputting interactive data onto six Christie
Mirage high performance DLP projectors displaying resolution of
1,050 by 1,050 pixels resolution on each wall.

-- 3D immersive auditorium. A 174-seat auditorium facing a curved,
37-foot screen creates one of the world's largest SGI® Reality
Center® facilities at LITE. Passive or active stereo display
capabilities enable every audience member to see interactive data in
3D for large-scale presentations, reviews and tutorials. Three
Christie Mirage DLP projectors use Christie blending and warping
technology to create a seamless, 37-foot-wide display. A second
16- processor Silicon Graphics Prism visualization system with six
graphics pipes drives the auditorium, which is also equipped with a
digital cinema-quality Surround Sound system.

-- Immersive collaboration tele-conference room. A compact lecture
theater enables audiences of up to 30 people to collaborate with
each other or with facilities located locally or around the world.
Dual Christie Mirage DLP projectors merge to create a single display
and are fed by one of the LITE's two Silicon Graphics Prism systems
via a high-speed fiber link. Laptop-based videoconferencing eases
collaboration across campus and beyond.

-- Conference room with SGI Reality Center. Audiences of 20 can
experience the immersive qualities of an SGI Reality Center with a
curved DLP display served by three Christie projectors. LITE users
can also transport the display to trade shows or other locations for
presentations and design reviews. The unit is served by one of the
facility's two Silicon Graphics Prism systems, one of which can be
transported for portable presentations.

-- AmiraVR software. Mercury Computer Systems' AmiraVR software enables
every LITE visualization environment to immerse participations in 3D
data.

-- SGI Altix 350 Cluster. Twenty-two SGI® Altix® 350 servers, each
powered by 16 Intel Itanium 2 processors, provide
supercomputer-class computational capabilities for companies and
researchers engaged in a broad array of disciplines. Altix systems
allow users to hold massive data sets completely in memory, giving
them faster insights to complex problems.

-- SGI InfiniteStorage solution. A storage area network (SAN) with the
SGI® InfiniteStorage Shared Filesystem CXFS(TM) provides instant
data sharing among the LITE's visualization and compute systems
without the performance and management bottlenecks inherent in
traditional SAN systems. Built on 8TB of SGI InfiniteStorage TP9500
Fibre Channel RAID, the storage solution can grow in capacity,
performance, connectivity and heterogeneity to flexibly meet LITE 's
future needs.

LITE administrators plan to deploy the SGI resources as a visualization and computational GRID that will be available to users on a large scale via LITE's 60GB connection to the Louisiana Optical Network and the National Lamba Rail. As such, the facility will become an important resource to researchers throughout North America and the world.

Funded by the State of Louisiana, the LITE facility will create an environment designed to stimulate collaboration between technology-intensive companies, ventures and entrepreneurs, researchers at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and other state and national universities, as well as federal government agencies. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette will occupy 5,000 square feet of the new facility, with plans to enhance its long-established advanced computing research efforts.

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April 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/

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For many people of different faiths, cutting up a corpse to figure out how a person died is an invasive, even offensive, procedure. In some cases, as with Muslims and Jews, autopsies may violate their religious laws. But technology companies are stepping in with a more acceptable alternative to traditional autopsies, using sophisticated scanning and three-dimensional computer systems. Silicon Graphics Inc. manager Afshad Mistri demonstrated one such system on a recent morning in Mountain View, standing in front of a theater screen displaying the fuzzy image of a woman who was killed in a car accident in Sweden. Another SGI engineer moved the cursor across the corpse, revealing the next layer, an image of the woman's skeleton clearly showing her broken bones. "Now you are starting to see the bone structure," Mistri said. "Let's zoom in on the skull area. ... You can easily see areas of interest. The data is right there. ... Her jaw is very badly mashed. ... Cause of death was a broken neck." "No one wants a family member autopsied," Mistri, SGI's senior manager of advanced visualization, said. "If you've got a grandmother who is 94 years old and she dies of old age, why go through the trauma?" The rules on when a body must undergo an autopsy vary by country and legal jurisdiction. In California, Hank Greely, a professor of law at Stanford University said, coroners are required by law to investigate suspicious deaths. The process could include performing autopsies. Advances in 3-D computing and computerized tomography, or CT-scans, which use special X-ray equipment to create a detailed cross-sectional view of a body part, combined with the arrival of massive memory and processing power, have led to the rise over the past five years of virtual autopsy technology. SGI uses its Silicon Graphics Prism visualization system powered by Itanium 2 processors and 32 gigabytes of main memory to create an interactive display of a corpse. Using a mouse, an engineer can examine the inside of a body or turn it at different angles, providing a detailed examination without having to cut open the body. Rapid advances in computing and scanning technologies, led by such firms as SGI, Siemens and General Electric, since the late 1990s are paving the way for growing use of virtual autopsies in forensic and even military purposes: -- The U.S. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology's virtual autopsy program, which uses technology from Agfa and General Electric, has scanned about 800 bodies of Americans, including troops killed in action in Iraq and other war zones, in hopes of using the information to develop more effective body armor and other means to reduce casualties. -- SGI CEO Bob Bishop last week sent a letter to Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco citing a new computer visualization system the company recently set up with the Lafayette Economic Development Authority and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette that could be used for virtual autopsies to help identify bodies of hurricane victims. The rest of the story Benjamin Pimentel, Chronicle Staff Writer

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Construction is under way on the $27.5 million Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise building located at the corner of Cajundome Boulevard and Devalcourt Street. On Monday, project architect Charles D. Beazley said he expects the building to be completed in late April. Beazley said the look of the construction project will change significantly in the next two weeks as glass, which will cover much of the exterior, will be installed. Along with about 30,000 square feet of office space, LITE will house four visualization venues - two conference rooms, a three-dimensional theater and the most noticeable feature of the building, a six-sided total immersion space. Gregg Gothreaux, Lafayette Economic Development Authority president and CEO, said about $12 million of the building's total budget is being spent on technology. "The LITE will not only enhance our local business community, but it will attract technology businesses and people," Gothreaux said. "It's a slow process, but we think we're laying the groundwork to be one of the major mid-sized cities in the country." The rest of the story Jan Risher jrisher@theadvertiser.com

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LAFAYETTE, Louisiana -- Dr. Carolina Cruz, known worldwide as a pioneer in the virtual reality field, will lead the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE) as its chief scientist. Administrators at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette along with the Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA) and the State of Louisiana welcomed Dr. Carolina Cruz to campus Tuesday during a media reception. She will be responsible for building research teams and developing projects among other duties for LITE -- a $27 million facility in University Research Park that will house state-of-the-art immersive 3D visualization venues powered by supercomputing technologies, which include a six-sided digital virtual reality cube, an SGI® Reality Center® visualization theater that seats 175, and immersive teleconferencing rooms. The visualization venues will be powered by one of the fastest supercomputers in the world from Silicon Graphics (OTC: SGID - News). "Recruiting this known leader in the field of virtual reality reaffirms University of Louisiana, Lafayette's commitment to economic development in this community and state," said UL Lafayette President Ray Authement. "We are sending a message that we are invested in this progressive community and ready to help maximize its economic potential." Worldwide, Cruz is known for her work in virtual reality. Her Ph.D. dissertation included the design of the CAVE Virtual Reality Environment, the CAVE Library software -- specifications and implementation, and preliminary research on CAVE-Supercomputing integration. She was instrumental in the construction of the first CAVES in the U.S. including one for General Motors, another at Argonne National Laboratories and one at Iowa State University. "This is a wonderful next step in my career," said Cruz. "This facility is certainly one of the top five big players in its field both nationally and internationally. It's the only one that integrates visualization and supercomputing. It's 'the place' to be in that respect." The rest of the story

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Money will link businesses to resources. The National Science Foundation has put $600,000 behind diversifying the state's economy by helping companies utilize new technologies. The University of Louisiana's Center for Business Information Technologies received the grant to create Louisiana Technology Incubator for Entrepreneurial Success to link businesses to Lafayette's emerging technological resources. "We wanted to do something to help businesses have the ability to use these technologies and show how they can develop new products and new services and become more viable technology businesses," said Ramesh Kolluru, director of UL's Center for Business Information Technologies. Interested businesses are encouraged to contact the center, because a limited number of in-house slots will be available. Clients will receive fee-based office space and in-house technical, research and administrative support. Kolluru said the incubator's services will be available to businesses that already are off the ground, as well. The incubator's goal is to help companies navigate the high-end technologies that will be available at the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise Center and the university's supercomputing power through the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative. The visualization technology and other tech resources of the LITE Center have the potential to change the business world the same way that the Internet has impacted commerce, Kolluru said. The rest of the story Marsha Sills msills@theadvertiser.com

[Turbine]

I thought there would have been a huge announcement when they flipped the switch.

Picture taken just before UL vs Troy game on 2006-05-05

[DaddyCajun]

Turbine is that reflecting off Coach Bustles head?

DaddyCajun!

[Turbine]

Turbine is that reflecting off Coach Bustles head?

DaddyCajun!

[DaddyCajun]

Or your camera?

DaddyCajun

[Turbine]

Or your camera?

DaddyCajun

Seriously it was a rainbow that (from my vantage point) nested right on the LITE "bulb"