Evans & Sutherland DigistarÆ II Planetarium System Shines In New State-Of-The-Art Digital Dome Projection System
The Digital Theater Division of Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation (NASDAQ: ESCC) announced the installation of its DigistarÆ II planetarium system in the CyberSphere dome theater in Dixon, Tennessee near Nashville. The theater is part of The Renaissance Center, a new facility for the arts and sciences, which opened August 4. Digistar II is a leading-edge, electronic star projection system developed by E & S. It utilizes digital computer graphics technology to create starfields and 3D-rendered images and display them on planetarium domes. The Digistar II was chosen as the heart of the CyberSphere Digital Theater ""for its capabilities more than anything else,"" said Kevin Scott, Director of Digital Theater Productions at The Renaissance Center. In addition to being able to project nearly 10,000 stars, Digistar II can display planet movements and 3D wireframe graphics ñ ""a capability that none of the other star projectors have,"" said Scott. The Renaissance Center's new theater, which has a dome screen 60 feet in diameter and seats 139 people, will use Digistar II alone and in combination with other media such as slide projections and lasers, for star shows, business presentations, and other educational programs. Stanley E. Walker, General Manager of the E & S Digital Theater Division said, ""The Renaissance Center installation is a testament to the flexibility and high performance standard of Digistar II. This diverse new facility's creative approach will make the most of Digistar's potential. It is an example of how institutions are evolving new and innovative ways to continue to speak to their audiences. We are extremely excited by the growing application of our products to both education and entertainment Uses."" The Digital Theater Division, which also markets StarRiderÆ, an interactive real-time image generation package, is experiencing strong growth in Digistar sales, both new installations and upgrades. Digistar is the world's first and only digital star projector. Based on E & S special-purpose computer graphics technology, Digistar II can display an exact replica of the starry sky, as well as planets, comets, nebulae and other heavenly bodies. It can also simulate special effects such as planet movements or display 3D wireframe structures. A powerful computer and special hardware calculate and display star motions and positions instantly. The audience can observe detailed starfields, time-travel to see how constellations look in the future or past, dive into a black hole or watch a space ship take form. The Digistar projector uses a fisheye lens one foot in diameter, and is situated below audience eye level in a low-profile housing at the center of the theater, giving all viewers an unobstructed view of the dome. More than 60 Digistar projectors are currently installed in planetariums and science centers around the world. The Digital Theater Division (DTD) of E&S develops entertainment systems and programming that transform Evans & Sutherland's sophisticated 3D computer simulation technology into 360-degree domed and large format theater experiences. This technology enables audiences to be immersed in full-color, 3D computer-generated worlds and interact with them. DTD's target markets include planetariums, science centers, themed attraction venues, and premium large-format theaters. Evans & Sutherland develops and manufactures hardware and software to produce highly realistic 3D synthetic worlds. E & S business units deliver high quality visual systems for simulation and training in defense and commercial applications as well as high-performance systems for workstation graphics, digital video, digital theater and other applications throughout the world. Visit the E&S Web site at http://www.es.com or contact Joan Mitchell, Evans & Sutherland, at 801 588 1453.