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SIGGRAPH 2013 wrap-up
As we noted at the the end of the show last year, SIGGRAPH certainly delivers on the eye candy. From graphics demos to display tech and both 3D printing and motion capture, this is one trade show that offers a glimpse into the present and future of the industry when it comes to visual goods. Highlights include major component news from NVIDIA and Samsung while Dell's 32-inch 4K display and the latest Disney Research project certainly nabbed our attention. The show ends today until we descend upon Vancouver next summer, but a gallery chock full of sights from the show floor and a roundup of the past few days should tide you over until then. %Gallery-194631%
Dell officially unveils Precision M3800 workstation at SIGGRAPH, gives rumored specs a nod
Remember that Haswell-powered Dell workstation that popped up last week? The company is officially ready to acknowledged its silicon, announcing on its corporate blog that the machine is being unveiled at SIGGRAPH this week. Dell is still reluctant to get into specifics, but confirmed on a teaser page that the Precision M3800 would contain a 4th Generation Intel Core-i7 CPU, NVIDIA Quadro graphics and a 3,200 x 1,800 QHD+ multi-touch IGZO display. Even better, all that is set to fit into a tight 0.7-inch chassis that weighs in at 4.5 pounds. Mum's still the word on specifics, but previous leaks assigned the machine 15GB of RAM and either a 1TB HDD or a 512GB SSD. Dell hasn't let the workstation's price slip either, but we don't expect it to be cheap -- nothing thin and powerful ever is.
NVIDIA Research's near-eye light field display prototype eyes-on (video)
A quick stroll through the Emerging Technologies section of SIGGRAPH usually reveals a collection of university projects and the latest Disney Research endeavor. However, we don't usually see the likes of NVIDIA amongst the fold there. This time around, though, the component maker is showing off an undertaking from its Research sector: near-eye light field displays. To show the project off, a pair of OLED mircodisplays were installed on a glasses-like frame with a box for the electronics stashed up top. Those Sony ECX332A panels measure 15.36 x 8.64mm wield a resolution of 1,280 x 720 through 24-bit color pixels (which equates to a smidge over 83 pixels per millimeter). The diminutive displays open up the door for thinner and lighter head-mounted units that can sort "accurate accommodation, convergence and binocular-disparity cues." The light field that's constructed directly over the pupil allows the viewer to focus at multiple depths and create a field of view of about 70 degrees. Both of those aspects were quite apparent to our peepers upon getting locked in for a quick demo. Despite being situated so close to the eye, the unit still provides some sharp images that we witnessed first hand. Of course, the close proximity causes some pixel loss at the hands of a decreased spacial resolution. One pretty neat aspect to this whole system is that software tweaks can be made to account for someone's glasses or contacts prescription -- software that's powered by NVIDIA GPUs and OpenGL, of course. Without having to modify the hardware, changes to the microdisplays are sorted sans the need to switch to another set or make physical adjustments. For a bit more explanation of the unit, check out the video that resides just past the break and full findings that were presented here in Anaheim at the coverage link that follows. %Gallery-194623%
Hands-on with Disney Research's AIREAL haptic feedback technology (video)
If you're hoping to get some more tactile feedback out of augmented reality environments, the folks at Disney Research have devised the AIREAL system that could end up doing just that. The team is showing off the project at SIGGRAPH's Emerging Technologies space, so we made sure to stop by for a look and feel. As quick refresher, the technology reacts to the user's gestures by churning out a vortex of air to provide tactile feedback in real space -- thanks to an almost entirely 3D printed enclosure and a smattering of actuators and depth sensors. In the demo we saw, hovering our hand just over a display summoned a butterfly. Once it landed, that small bit of air offered up the physical sensation that it was actually touching us. As we moved closer to a virtual open window, wings went a flutter and the whole sensation increased a bit. Sure, what we saw was a fairly simple use scenario, but there are aspirations for this to enhance gaming experiences and other augmented environments (likely within the confines of a Disney park, of course) with the addition of haptic feedback. Looking for a bit more info? Consult the video after the break for just that. %Gallery-194620%
Canon previews a handheld version of its MREAL Mixed Reality tech at SIGGRAPH, we go hands-on (video)
As a complement to its MREAL Mixed Reality headset, Canon is showing off a handheld version of the technology this week at SIGGRAPH. The new version functions much like the head-mounted one, enabling the use of markers or (as was the case here) sensors to render images in real space. Something you'll want to keep in mind: this is still an enterprise-focused device. That said, it doesn't make the tech demo and usage scenarios any less cool to gawk at. The demonstration we saw here in Anaheim involved a Kabuki dancer out in the center of the demo area. Details like shadows and wrinkles in the performer's clothes were rendered in real time -- just as if a real person were performing. A collection of sensors mounted around the top of the demo stage allowed us to look around the space while the projected image reacted to our position. Not once did we lose sight of the action. Two other demos for the head-mounted display (that can easily translate to the handheld unit as well) caught our attention, too. First, a boat motor was projected in real space using augmented reality markers, allowing the user to inspect a scale model of the engine for training or other purposes. The ability to deconstruct the engine and see how different portions of it worked was all available to the user. Next, we saw a set of markers wrapping a rectangle projected a model of a Canon DSLR housing. Both of these scenarios offer a more in-depth look at 3D models before the prototyping phase or any steps are taken towards production. A quick look at the Kabuki demo and our best in-dance commentary awaits on the other side of the break. %Gallery-194606%
Christie and NVIDIA team up for an interactive car-buying experience powered by augmented reality (hands-on video)
If committing the requisite funds for an Audi R8 coupe seems like a stressful ordeal, NVIDIA and Christie have created an augmented reality purchase experience to lend a hand with the selection process. Under the hood, the whole lot is powered by NVIDIA GPUs, Christie projectors and RTT DeltaGen software for car configuration. Using a 3D-printed, one-fifth scale model of the R8, a series of projectors and projection tiles utilize a 3D WARP mesh to outfit the car with paint, wheels and even headlamps. A tablet UI then allows the eager customer to toggle colors, rim options, side panels and turn the lights on and off. In addition to customizing the car itself, the system also shows how the R8 will look in different environments, from dusk by the water to the rural open road. For a quick video demo from the SIGGRAPH show floor, join us after the break.%Gallery-194596%
NVIDIA puts Project Logan on display at SIGGRAPH: Kepler gets cozy on a mobile chip (video)
We've known about NVIDIA's plans to bring Kepler to mobile for a few months now, but the component maker offered up an early glimpse of the SoC at SIGGRAPH this week. In terms of power usage, Logan's use of Kepler architecture translates to one-third the consumption of GPUs currently running in devices like the Retina iPad while wrangling the same renders. Of course, it does have a healthy amount of room to scale up from there for much beefier tasks. The silicon also supports the just announced OpenGL 4.4, OpenGL ES 3.0 and Microsoft's DirectX11. So, what does all of that translate to in terms of graphics? Project Logan enables the use of advanced rendering and simulation techniques to construct imagery -- things like tessellation, advanced lighting and physical simulation, just to name a few. In other words, this allows for PC and console-quality graphics to get cozy on mobile devices. For a look at chip in action, venture on past the break where the Ira demo that was unveiled earlier this year on GeForce GTX Titan GPU-packing desktop is now running on a Logan-equipped mobile device. %Gallery-194493%
NVIDIA announces 'fastest GPU ever' for pros, the 12GB Quadro K6000
NVIDIA's just launched its latest flagship Quadro GPU for well-heeled graphics professionals, the Kepler-based Quadro K6000. The company claims it's "the fastest and most capable GPU ever built" with double the graphics capability of its Quadro 6000 predecessor. It also has 12GB of the "world's largest and fastest" DDR5 graphics memory, enabling companies like Nissan to load nearly complete vehicle models, for instance. Other niceties include 2,880 streaming multiprocessor cores, four simultaneous displays at up to 4K resolution, ultra-low latency video I/O and large scale visualization support. It'll hit the market this fall from workstation vendors like HP, Dell and Lenovo, along with system integrators and distribution partners like PNY. There's no pricing yet, but the current K5000 runs about $2,250 -- so, prime your budget expectations accordingly.
Dell shows off the UltraSharp 32: a 32-inch Ultra HD display set to arrive in Q4 (eyes-on)
If you're looking to boost the resolution of your workflow, Dell took the opportunity to unleash one such display during the proceedings at SIGGRAPH this week. The UltraSharp 32 is a 32-inch Ultra HD unit that wields a 3,840 x 2,160 IGZO panel sorting 1.07 billion colors. An aluminum stand has replaced the plastic-draped one from previous models, but the same height adjustments reside around back. The UltraSharp 32 also houses both full and mini display ports (with the requisite cable included), HDMI jack, a built-in USB hub and an SD card reader along the left side. We had a chance to take a quick peek at the device and we can confirm the image quality -- especially when it comes to handling rich blacks. We also enjoyed gazing upon a matte finish rather than a glossy surface and we're told Dell has actually made some tweaks there to reduce any grainy results that may creep in. There's no word on pricing just yet, but the display is set to arrive during the fourth quarter of this year. A smattering of images from our brief eyes-on session await in the gallery. %Gallery-194489%
Samsung puts the new Exynos 5 Octa 5420 SoC up against a Nexus 10 at SIGGRAPH 2013 (hands-on video)
In case you were already snoozin' when Samsung made its announcement late yesterday, the company is here at SIGGRAPH 2013 eager to show off the muscle behind its new chip. Before the exhibitions start officially, we had a chance to nab a look at a reference tablet running the Exynos 5 Octa 5420 SoC alongside ARM's Mali T-628 silicon packing six cores. For comparison purposes, the prototype unit was matched against a Nexus 10 tablet and its 1.7GHz Exynos 5 Dual 5250. Our first impression? The 5420 ran GLBenchmark's 2.7.0 T-Rex on-screen test noticeably (read: a lot) smoother than the Nexus 10 and the final scores confirmed the performance boost that we previously reported. We also had a look at both the Unreal Engine's Citadel (up to 45fps at times) and Unity Chase on the test device with both further demonstrating silky smooth transitions and brisk graphic renders. There's no word on when the chip will make it into your next mobile device, but it is scheduled to go into production next month. For a quick look at the two tablets side by side, we'll refer you to the video embedded just beyond the break. %Gallery-194455%
OpenCL 2.0 provisional spec gets outlined, OpenGL 4.4 released
SIGGRAPH has only just begun, but the Khronos Group is already giving folks of the graphics programming persuasion some fresh APIs to talk about. Yesterday marked the release of the OpenCL 2.0 provisional specification, and it's boasting an Android installable client driver extension, along with improvements to image handling, shared virtual memory and more. It's expected that the new version of OpenCL will be finalized in six month's time, and feedback regarding the changes are being welcomed. The fresh OpenGL 4.4 spec revamps everything from shaders to asynchronous queries while keeping full backwards compatibility, and includes additional functions to make porting Direct3D apps a smoother process. If parallel programming and cross-platform graphics are your thing, hit the break for the full feature breakdown in the press releases.
New Exynos 5 Octa: 20 percent more CPU power, over twice the 3D graphics oomph
Samsung couldn't help itself last week when it teased a new Exynos 5 Octa system on a chip, and now it's dishing out the full details. The fresh 5420 variant of the SoC is based on Mali-T628 MP6 silicon, packs a quartet of ARM Cortex-A15 cores running at 1.8GHz and four 1.3GHz Cortex-A7s in an ARM big.LITTLE configuration. Seoul claims that the package packs 20 percent more CPU processing punch, and has two times greater 3D graphics power than its predecessor. Dual-channel LPDDR3 at 933MHz gives the processor a screaming memory bandwidth of 14.9 GBps, which lends it full HD WiFi display support. Baked inside is an image compression solution that makes for energy efficient multimedia loading, and squeezes out more hours of use with high-res displays. There's no word on which devices might use the new SoCs, but the chips are already being sampled by Samsung's customers, and mass-production is slated for August.
Disney Research's AIREAL creates haptic feedback out of thin air
Disney Research is at it again. The arm of Walt's empire responsible for interactive house plants wants to add haptic feedback not to a seat cushion, but to thin air. Using a combination of 3D-printed components -- thank the MakerBots for those -- with five actuators and a gaggle of sensors, AIREAL pumps out tight vortices of air to simulate tactility in three dimensional space. The idea is to give touchless experiences like motion control a form of physical interaction, offering the end user a more natural response through, well, touch. Like most of the lab's experiments this has been in the works for a while, and the chances of it being used outside of Disneyworld anytime soon are probably slim. AIREAL will be on display at SIGGRAPH in Anaheim from Sunday to Wednesday this week. Didn't register? Check out the video after the break.
