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The 12th floor of 715-719 Broadway, which houses the Center
for Advanced Technology, as well as the Computer Science Department's
Media Research Lab, is a state-of-the-art technology development
center. It is a fully reconfigurable space that allows for relatively
quick setup and breakdown of camera, projection, computer, and
sound systems. In addition to an IBM SP2 supercomputer (with
8 nodes, 4 processors each), the lab runs more than 100 computer
workstations including 11 Macintosh computers, 79 Intel-based
PCs, 10 Sun systems, and 10 SGI systems. Two laptop computers
(IBM ThinkPad, Sony Vaio) are also available for faculty and
staff use. In addition, a number of handheld devices are used
on the floor including Compaq Ipaqs - which enjoy a wireless
connection to the network via 2 wireless access points, Aeros,
HP Jornadas, Palm Pilots, and a Casio Cassiopeia.
Input devices include a Cyberware 1.5 3D scanner, a Canon
slide scanner, flatbed scanner, and two haptic feedback devices.
For output services, the lab has 5 laser printers, 3 color
ink-jet printers, a Kodak dye-sublimation printer, and 2 CD
recording systems.
 All
of the Center's audio and video production is done in-house.
An Avid Express station, a Final Cut Pro workstation, and
Adobe After Effects are used for editing near broadcast-quality
digital video, as well as combining high-quality computer
graphics and special effects with video. In-house resources
also include a Pioneer DVR 5201 DVD writer, Panasonic DVCPro
deck, Sony BetacamSP deck, 2 VHS recorders, Panasonic DVC
recorder deck (Firewire enabled), and a Terrapin audio/video
CD burner. Our Black Box immersive space utilizes a projection
rack holding a VHS player/recorder, DVD player, Laserdisc
player, Toshiba projector, Marantz tuner, Alessis RA-100 amplifier
and Mackie sound mixer.
 Additionally,
we have a Canon XL1 professional digital video camera a Sony
digital handycam, 1 Hi-8 video camera, Sony monitor, Mackie
vlz1202 Mixer, Advent powered speakers and patch bay. A professional
lighting kit is available for photo shoots as well as well
as a chroma screen for compositing background or scene effects.
This digital lab is based on a Macintosh G4 with the Digidesign
ProTools 4 suite of editing hardware. Software includes Waves
TDM Plugins for advance signal processing and a full spectrum
of software plugins for sound processing. The computer system
is supplemented by: a Kurtzweil 2000 sampler, a Tascam DAT
recorder, a Symetrix voice processor, a Yamaha SPX 1000 effects
processor, a Tascam 122 MK2 cassette deck, a Mark of the Unicorn
MIDI time piece, a Mackie LM-3204 Mixer, an Alesis RA100 amplifier,
Genelec 1030 powered speakers, a voice-over isolation booth,
and an assortment of professional quality microphones, keyboards,
effects processors, and sound modules.
The 12th floor has a switched Ethernet network routing the
TCP/IP and AppleTalk protocols. This is currently bridged
to NYU's FDDI backbone, which connects to the Internet with
a T3 (44.74 Mbit/sec) connection. The NYU connection to Internet2
has been designed and implemented. The CAT has received and
installed a switch which allows access to it. 
The lab's main web server is a Sun Ultra2 Enterprise. A DLT
8000 Jukebox system is responsible for Unix backups and a
DLT4000 treats Mac and PC backups. Our network is a diverse
one Ð a broad range of hardware running various operating
systems, each with unique architectures. Establishing and
maintaining communication across such different systems is
the responsibility of the System Administrator.
The main conference room, has an Macintosh G3 and a Gateway
Pentium computer connected to a Boxlight high-intensity projector
and a sound system. The larger conference room is being furnished
with a ceiling mounted, remote controlled communications camera
that allows for remote panning, zooming, and focusing. A fully
functional and mobile streaming setup is available for broadcasting
events to the Internet. A smaller conference room is outfitted
with a ceiling mounted projector, an IBM Netvista, web cam,
and Mimio whiteboard device for teleconferencing. 2 combination
overhead projectors/digital cameras are available for remote
presentations as well.
 The
Black Box is an experimental immersive presentation and R&D
space which is fully transmutable in its environment control
Ð sound, projection surfaces, and lighting. Essentially a
glass walled cube lined with heavy, black, sound and light
absorbent curtains and a raised black floor, the Black Box
serves as a mini theater to develop and show research.
From its roots in Robotics and Manufacturing Research, the
Center boasts an engineering lab space for design and prototyping
of hardware and systems. Access to on-campus traditional and
advanced CNC machine tooling plus experienced design engineering
personnel provide capabilities that enable rapid prototyping
of animatronics, vision systems, VR devices and other hardware.
Our Engineering lab currently consists of an optical bench,
2 precision Newport optical rails and carriers, and a wide
variety of opto-mechanical fixtures to support our research
in auto-stereoscopic display and eye-tracking technology.
Currently we have two independent stereo eye tracking systems
based on analog (NTSC) and digital (60fps progressive scan)
cameras that are used with our display work. We also have
a high-bandwidth Tektronix oscilloscope, various test instrumentation,
power supplies and tools to support electronics development.
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For additional information, contact: info@cat.nyu.edu
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