AlloSphere
Encyclopedia
The AlloSphere is a research facility in a theatre-like pavilion in a spherical shape, of opaque material, used to project computer-generated imagery and sounds. Included are GIS, scientific, artistic, and other information. Located at the University of California, Santa Barbara
(UCSB) the AlloSphere grew out of the schools of electrical engineering and computer science, and the Media Arts & Technology program at UCSB.
The AlloSphere is housed at UCSB California Nanosystems Institute
building, "CNSI," or Elings Hall, a 62000 square feet (5,760 m²) facility that opened in 2007. The AlloSphere is intended to integrate technology and media.
The AlloSphere includes a three-story cube that has been insulated extensively with sound-absorbing material, making it one of the largest echo-less chambers in the world. Within the chamber are two hemispheres of 5 meter radii, made of perforated aluminum. These are opaque and acoustically transparent.
There are two video projectors, with more to be added soon, mounted around the seam between the two hemispheres, to create as much of a field of vision as possible.
There are approximately 500 individual speaker elements plus sub-woofers, which when completed will be suspended behind the aluminum screen resulting in a true surrounding sound. Other features include simulation, and other presentation hardware and software.
The AlloSphere was developed by a team of scientists, led primarily by Professor JoAnn Kuchera-Morin, a professor in the field of Composition, of the Media Arts & Technology Program of UCSB.
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
(UCSB) the AlloSphere grew out of the schools of electrical engineering and computer science, and the Media Arts & Technology program at UCSB.
The AlloSphere is housed at UCSB California Nanosystems Institute
California Nanosystems Institute
The California NanoSystems Institute is an integrated research center operating jointly at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara whose mission is to foster interdisciplinary collaborations for discoveries in nanosystems and nanotechnology; train the next generation of scientists, educators and technology...
building, "CNSI," or Elings Hall, a 62000 square feet (5,760 m²) facility that opened in 2007. The AlloSphere is intended to integrate technology and media.
The AlloSphere includes a three-story cube that has been insulated extensively with sound-absorbing material, making it one of the largest echo-less chambers in the world. Within the chamber are two hemispheres of 5 meter radii, made of perforated aluminum. These are opaque and acoustically transparent.
There are two video projectors, with more to be added soon, mounted around the seam between the two hemispheres, to create as much of a field of vision as possible.
There are approximately 500 individual speaker elements plus sub-woofers, which when completed will be suspended behind the aluminum screen resulting in a true surrounding sound. Other features include simulation, and other presentation hardware and software.
The AlloSphere was developed by a team of scientists, led primarily by Professor JoAnn Kuchera-Morin, a professor in the field of Composition, of the Media Arts & Technology Program of UCSB.
External links
- The AlloSphere Research Facility
- Video: Talks Demo: Stunning data visualization in the AlloSphere, JoAnn Kuchera-Morin lecture at TED Talks