The Panalytics Pod

We propose the Panalytics-POD (P-POD) a large cylindrical (15’ dia, 45’Lx6’Hx3’D, display real estate of 275 sq. ft & user occupancy area of 175 sq. ft), surround (320 degrees), seamless, high quality (8K resolution in a 6:1 panoramic aspect ratio, 100K lumens total brightness) immersive display connected to a data visualization tool for interactive exploration by users via unified interaction modalities. A scalable hardware & software architecture assures modularity and easy scalability to different form factors (e.g. different shapes like domes or CAOC size facilities). The goal is a flexible and affordable immersive display at a scale compatible with the scope and complexity of any visualization tool or virtual model.  P-POD is made possible by STL’s patented commercially-proven software platform, PANDAS, that aggregates automatically a matrix of projectors to create an interactive display on surfaces of any shape and size. Currently PANDAS operates  on a single server with up to 8 projectors. In Phase I we explored the feasibility of a scalable multi-server architecture to enable much larger displays where each server runs a set number of projectors and  the conglomeration of multiple servers, connected to a master-server, can drive an unlimited number of  projectors.  In this Phase II we will develop  the key components of a multi-server display (both hardware and software) delivering a prototype P-POD using the proposed scalable multi-server architecture.  With the funds available, we have limited the scope of this proposal to a single source, a single user and a single unified interaction modality of a laser pen on a display driven by a multi-server architecture.  The full vision of the P-POD entails multiple sources to be presented side by side in their native resolution(s) where multiple users can interact both with the source and the layout of multiple sources (stacked or otherwise) using an unified interaction modality (e.g. laser pens or tablets or hand gestures) simultaneously. The adaptations that would make a full version P-POD possible are an efficient multi-server computing architecture that will drive the P-POD via a virtual desktop; an extension of PANDAS to multi-servers in an efficient manner to provide optimal performance; unification of interaction (via laser pen, tablet, mouse or hand gestures) seamlessly across multiple servers that can be carried out with the virtual desktop in real time by multiple users; an efficient source server that allows flexible layout of the multiple sources that can be changed interactively by the user via the same unified interaction modality; and a source management software that is completely opaque to the users providing the perception that the users are operating one large desktop driven by a single server.