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Siggraph gets graphic

Lezette Engelbrecht
By Lezette Engelbrecht, ITWeb online features editor
Johannesburg, 06 Aug 2009

Siggraph gets graphic

The hot tech trend at the Siggraph conference running in New Orleans this week is high-speed graphics, especially real-time animation, which brings videogame speed to CGI for animation and visual effects, reports Variety.

Talk of real-time animation for visualisation seemed to be everywhere: pre-visualisation for prep, "dur-vis" to see virtual sets and digital characters during shooting; post-visualisation to help move things along in post and even "pitch-vis" to help get a deal.

A last-minute addition to the schedule focused on the topic, 'Eye-resolution graphics and the pursuit of the digital actor' featuring director Peter Berg, Otoy CEO and real-time graphics expert Jules Urbach, and Advanced Microdevices senior VP Rick Bergman. They demonstrated their latest advances in real-time graphics, highlighting the major leaps in speed and quality achieved just in the last year.

Leap in laser tech

In a collaborative effort between the Arizona State University and Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands, researchers have found a way to make optical lasers much smaller than previously thought possible, making dreams of speedier computers and faster Internet access closer to reality than ever before, writes Gizmag.

During the past few decades, laser technology has become ubiquitous in the world of electronics: from CD/DVD players to barcode scanners, from bloodless surgery to laser printers, the impact of this technology on everyday life is growing at an outstanding pace.

Scientists have also long realised their potential in obtaining significantly faster communication. However, in order to achieve this, there is a need for technology to miniaturise lasers and integrate as many as possible on a single chip.

Robots to boost healthcare

The robotics industry in Massachusetts is a nearly $1 billion business, encompassing software, hardware, component-makers and other related companies, according to a report on the state's robotics industry by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council released earlier this year, says Mass High Tech.

One promising segment of that industry is medical robotics, where robots are being developed to assist with rehabilitation, surgery and home healthcare, said Kathleen Hagan, president of Hagan & Co, a consultancy based in Boston that was involved in preparing the report.

Robotics can help to improve the quality of care and drive down costs, Hagan said. Robotic-assisted surgery, for instance, can help doctors be more accurate and less invasive, which would help lower costs by speeding up recovery for patients, she said.

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