Professor Rae Earnshaw, BSc PhD FBCS FInstP FRSA CEng CPhys CITPPublished Books
UGAIL H., QAHWAJI R.S.R., EARNSHAW R.A. AND WILLIS P.J. (EDS), "PROCEEDINGS OF CYBERWORLDS 2009", IEEE COMPUTER SOCIETY, LOS ALAMITOS, USA, ISBN: 978-0-7695-3791-7, pp. 400, SEPTEMBER 2009.Initially published as a digital publication on CD; now available online at IEEE Computer Society -http://www2.computer.org/portal/web/csdl/abs/proceedings/cw/2009/3791/00/3791toc.htm From 1995 to 2009 the number of users on the Internet has grown from 16 million (0.4% of the world’s population) to 1.7 billion (25% of the world’s population) http://www.internetworldstats.com/ Many individuals and organisations recognise that visibility and connectivity with the Internet are enablers to research, development, and communications, even if their research or business is not directly connected with the Internet. However, it is clear that there are increasing components of research, business, and information on the Internet because of the tools and facilities that are available for the processing of data, and also the potential for the global marketing and searching of information. Cyberworlds are information spaces formed in cyberspace http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberworlds The term was originally coined by Professor T. L. Kunii, and the first international meeting on the subject was held in 1993. Its objective was to explore the meaning, philosophy and the potential of these worlds synthesized on the web, as well as in computational spaces in general. Since then, the conferences have been organised on an annual basis and its proceedings are published by IEEE Computer Society. This volume is the proceedings for Cyberworlds 2009. There are also corresponding special issues of selected and expanded papers published by The Visual Computer http://www.springer.com/computer/computer+imaging/journal/371
These developments have also raised the question of how best to understand this global interlinking of programs and information, given their increasing size and complexity. How best may it be modelled in order to more fully understand what is happening in real-time and how best to realise its full potential for the future? This is clearly a key question that needs to be addressed http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1364798 . 
EARNSHAW R. A. AND J. A. VINCE (EDS) DIGITAL CONVERGENCE – LIBRARIES OF THE FUTURE ISBN 13-978-1-84628-902-6, pp 447, OCTOBER 2007Introductory Chapter in the book The convergence of IT, telecommunications, and media is bringing about a revolution in the way information is collected, stored and accessed. There are three principal reasons why this is happening – reducing cost, increasing quality, and increasing bandwidth. Moore’s Law* results in ever-decreasing costs of processing, storage, and transmission. Digital information preserves content accuracy (e.g. digital television) in a way other systems do not. High bandwidth transmission from one place to another on the planet is now possible. Information is ubiquitous and globally accessible, and can be held and accessed just as easily on a global network as on a local personal computer or in a local library. Devices are increasingly intelligent and are network-ready. User interfaces are becoming more adaptable and flexible, and can be tailored to particular application domains. Digital intelligence is becoming seamless and invisible, enabling more attention to be paid to the content and the user’s interaction with it. This revolution is having effects on the development and organisation of information and artefact repositories such as libraries, museums, and exhibitions, and the way in which physical and digital aspects are mediated to users. The changes that digital convergence is bringing about are substantial and are also likely to be long-lasting. This volume presents key aspects in this rapidly moving field in the areas of technology and information sciences - from international experts who are leaders in their fields.
This book is a Festschrift in honour of Dr Reg Carr’s contributions to the field over the last 30 years. Foreword by Sir Colin Lucas, Chair, British Library Board, UKI first met Reg Carr when I was a young Lecturer at Manchester University and he was a young Assistant Librarian there. I came across him again some 25 years later when he was appointed Bodley’s Librarian and Director of the University Library Services at Oxford shortly before I became Vice-Chancellor there. The new addition to that old title of “Bodley’s Librarian” symbolised obliquely how much had changed in the challenges facing libraries between those two moments of encounter. Reg Carr had become in Leeds and was to continue to be in Oxford one of the principal influences in trying to think how to adapt to them. I learned to do historical research at a time when major libraries were fine and private places. As one entered them, their characteristic and reassuring smell announced already the mysteries that awaited – card indexes, printed catalogues (or even ones with slips pasted in by hand) and bibliographies to be perused with imagination as much as method, references to be culled and followed, inspired guesses at the contents behind seemingly irrelevant titles, books patiently read in search of a single fact or an idea sparked by something apparently outside one’s line of enquiry, the sense of treading where few others had been, and so on. The lone scholar can still have this sort of experience, although immeasurably enhanced and hastened by the appearance of electronic catalogues. However, it echoes a time when knowledge was closely held by the few, difficult to acquire in depth and to handle in breadth. That is decreasingly what libraries are centrally about now. The purpose of libraries would have been limited indeed if they had served only to preserve the accumulation of human knowledge, belief and imagination by locking it away. Even so, the revolution that has been wrought in our world generally by IT, digitisation and telecommunications has and continues to transform libraries rapidly and profoundly, not only in how they do their business but also in some senses in what they are. The purpose of libraries would have been limited indeed if they had served only to preserve the accumulation of human knowledge, belief and imagination by locking it away. Even so, the revolution that has been wrought in our world generally by IT, digitisation and telecommunications has and continues to transform libraries rapidly and profoundly, not only in how they do their business but also in some senses in what they are. To traditional and new library users the most immediate effect is on access. What is (perhaps glibly) referred to as the “Google generation” has quite different expectations about access to information and quite different assumptions about how research is to be done. Across the spectrum of research -- whether academic, commercial, creative or personal – users expect speed and convenience in work, comprehensiveness combined with sensitivity in search engines, and the capacity to manipulate large data sets. The digitisation of holdings responds to this, most obviously to date in the initiatives launched by Google and Microsoft. Other forces push in the same direction. Digitisation seems to offer one solution to the endless effort of preservation, though we are already learning that its own particular forms of obsolescence and decay are as daunting as the physical deterioration of objects. Further, the electronic revolution clearly reduces costs in processing and transmission and also by compressing storage requirements dramatically. Beyond this, however, the function of libraries is changing into a future as yet unclear. Libraries are only part of a complex information system globally accessible and thereby seemingly ever more present, ephemeral and voluminous. At the most ordinary level, libraries face new problems on how to capture this information, especially when born digital, how to adapt their traditional function as preserver and authenticator of text in all its forms, and how to manage copyright issues in an electronic world. At a more innovative level, libraries have to confront the problem of the continuing evolution in how their users relate to them. How far will they eventually travel towards something more closely resembling a website and a virtual resource for readers endowed with unforeseen desktop power by successive Web types and the progeny of broadband? What kind of information hunger will be generated in what kind of public hitherto innocent of libraries and how to reach and satisfy it? And what should libraries do to engage more directly in a fecund way with the creative impact of ideas which will fuel our growing knowledge economies? This collection of essays, written by those who best understand these themes, is a fitting tribute to Reg Carr. His career illustrates these issues. If I may express it in purely personal terms, in Manchester I remember him as someone who was extraordinarily helpful and imaginative in acquiring strange and neglected publications from the 1940s in France, Belgium and Switzerland, on which I wanted to work without having to travel from library to library looking through their collections. At the turn of the century in Oxford, he was undertaking the process of integrating a fragmented university library system into a single usable whole as well as developing the hybrid library with digitisation and hyperlinks so that people like myself could begin to read widely and more subtly without having to travel from library to library. Certainly, in his leadership of national and international library organisations, Reg has been an intelligent observer and force for change – a change whose direction we understand but whose ultimate destination we probably do not yet know. The library world and the world of scholarship have benefited mightily from his devotion to them. Sir Colin Lucas 
Vince J. A. and R. A. Earnshaw (Eds) Advances in Modelling, Animation, and Rendering ISBN 1-85233-6544, June 2002.Advances in computer technology and developments such as the Internet provide a constant momentum to design new techniques and algorithms to support computer graphics. Modelling, animation and rendering remain principal topics in the field of computer graphics and continue to attract researchers around the world. This volume, sponsored by Computer Graphics International 2002, presents a collection of papers from international researchers that reflect recent advances in modelling, animation and rendering. The papers cover topics that include:
There is an urgent need to make interaction more centred around human needs and capabilities, and that the human environment be considered in virtual environments and in other contextual information processing activities. The overall goal is to make users more effective in their information or communication tasks by reducing learning times, speeding up performance, lowering error rates, facilitating retention, and increasing subjective satisfaction. Online communities is an area of rapid and dynamic growth with new kinds of interaction, behaviours, communication, and relationship to the world of users and information. Guidelines for the basic user interface design need to be extended to accommodate these new technologies and interfaces to users. Fruitful lines of research investigation in all these areas are set out in this book. 
Earnshaw R. A. and J. A. Vince (Eds) Intelligent Agents for Mobile and Virtual Media ISBN 1-85233-556-4, May 2002.As the Internet and the WWW impact on corporate an private activities, the human-computer interface is becoming a central issue for the designers of these systems. Such interfaces will decide the success or failure of future technologies, which will have to provide users with easy-to-use 'intelligent' problem solving tools 'Intelligent Agents' are likely to play a significant role in the design of these interfaces, and this book explores how they are starting to influence media-based systems. As you read Intelligent Agents for Mobile and Virtual Media, you will discover the considerable advances that have already been made on the long journey towards a day when computers will be truly described as an intelligent aid to our personal and business lives. 
Earnshaw R. A. and J. A. Vince Digital Content Creation ISBN 1-85233-379-0, April 2001.The virtual digital domain allows the capture, processing, transmission, storage, retrieval and display of text, images, audio and animation, without familiar materials such as paper, celluloid, magnetic tape, and plastic. But moving from these media to the digital domain introduces all sorts of problems, such as the conversion of analogue archives, multimedia databases, content-based retrieval and the design of new content that exploits the benefits offered by digital systems. It is this issue of digital content creation that is addressed in this book. Different aspects of digital content creation are discussed in this volume, contributed by authors from around the world. Although each chapter addresses an individual aspect of the digital domain, there are common threads that unite them into an exciting vision of the future. 
Frontiers of Human-Centered Computing, Online Communities and Virtual Environments - Rae Earnshaw, Richard Guedj, Andries van Dam and John Vince (Eds.), February 2001.This volume presents the results of a joint National Science Foundation and European Commission Workshop which was set up to identify the future key strategic research directions in the areas of human-centered interaction, online communities and virtual environments. A research agenda is proposed for each area. There is an urgent need to make interaction more centred around human needs and capabilities, and that the human environment be considered in virtual environments and in other contextual information processing activities. The overall goal is to make users more effective in their information or communication tasks by reducing learning times, speeding up performance, lowering error rates, facilitating retention, and increasing subjective satisfaction. Online communities is an area of rapid and dynamic growth with new kinds of interaction, behaviours, communication, and relationship to the world of users and information. Guidelines for the basic user interface design need to be extended to accommodate these new technologies and interfaces to users. Fruitful lines of research investigation in all these areas are set out in this book.
Front Row (left to right) Second Row (left to right) Third row (left to right) Fourth Row (left to right) Back row (left to right) Also attending but not shown: 
Digital Media: The Future Vince J. A., R. A. Earnshaw (Eds), ISBN 1-85233-246-8, March 2000.This volume presents state-of-the-art research from a wide area of subjects brought about by the digital convergence of computing, television, telecommunications and the World-Wide-Web. It represents a unique snapshot of trends across a wide range of subjects including
Both researchers and practitioners will find it an invaluable source of reference 
Digital Convergence: The Information Revolution Vince J. A., R. A. Earnshaw (Eds), ISBN 1-85233-140-2, August 1999.Although the computer's life has been relatively short, it has brought about an information revolution that is transforming our world on a scale that is still difficult to comprehend. This digital convergence is shaping society, technology and the media for the next millennium. Areas as diverse as home banking and shopping over the Internet; World Wide Web access over mobile phone networks; the use of wireless links to homes and businesses connecting them to the fixed telecommunications network; and television systems such as Web TV which combine on-line services with television via delivery with digital satellites and cable modems. But convergence is not just about technology. It is also about services and new ways of doing business and of interacting with society. Digital convergence heralds the 'Information Revolution'. Edited by John Vince and Rae Earnshaw this important new book on digital convergence is an edited volume of papers, bringing together state-of-the-art developments in the Internet and World Wide Web and should be compulsory reading for all those interested in and working in those areas. 
Vince J. A., R. A. Earnshaw (Eds), Virtual Worlds on the Internet ISBN 0-8186-8700-2, December 1998.In recent years, computer graphics has evolved into the major disciplines of computer animation, image processing, visualization, and virtual reality. Today these technologies are converging into one seamless digital medium resulting in various tools that will transform the way we will work in the next century. Virtual Worlds on the Internet examines how the latest developments in virtual environments, computer animation, communication networks, and the Internet are being configured to create revolutionary tools and systems.
Earnshaw R. A., J. A. Vince (Eds), The Internet in 3D: Information, Images and Interaction ISBN 0-12-227736-8, 1997.Today a network connection can provide a window on the world of millions of other users with whom information, data and programs can be exchanged. New styles of interaction with computers are becoming possible, and an integral part of this communication will be virtual and interactive. Browsers such as Mosaic and Netscape enable the user to locate 3D graphics information, pictures and videos via the World Wide Web (WWW), while tools to explore 3D data sets on the web are now available, such as VRML, JAVA, HOTJAVA and DREAMSCAPE. The collection of state-of-the-art developments presented in this volume addresses the tools, applications and techniques of this fast moving field. Key topics covered include:
The Internet in 3D: Information, Images and Interaction provides readers with a unique opportunity to examine current practice and expert thinking. It will be essential reading for anyone who wishes to discover exactly what is happening in this exciting interactive 3D world. 
Earnshaw R. A., J. A. Vince, H. Jones (Eds) Visualization and Modelling, Academic Press, ISBN 0-12-227738-4, 1997.When computers were first used to process large data sets, computer graphics provided users with simple visualizations. Today, the discipline of scientific visualization is a mature one which can transform any type of numeric data into an image. Such images range from simple static graphs to complex animated 3D sequences. Furthermore, the technology of virtual reality can now integrate the user and images into an interactive immersive environment. Visualization techniques have wide-ranging applications in diverse areas such as financial forecasting, business medicine, meteorology and engineering. This book brings together a panel of international experts active in:
The latest advances and techniques are presented in topics ranging from generic algorithms in modeling to visualizing virtual environments. Visualization and Modelling is essential reading for anyone who wishes to examine expert thinking and current practice in this exciting and fast moving area. 
Earnshaw R. A., J. A. Vince, H. Jones (Eds), Digital Media and Electronic Publishing ISBN 0-12-227756-2, 1996Digitally-based information is the key enabling characteristic of today's information technology world. The experts predict that digital information will become even more pervasive as it moves into homes via cable, television and digital phones. The capabilities of digital media make it an increasingly attractive option for publication in the areas of electronic journals, electronic newspapers, interactive books and virtual libraries. This volume reviews the state-of-the-art of digital media and electronic publishing. Given the strategic importance of this topic to a wide range of applications and developments, this book provides a unique insight into the views and research results of international authorities actively engaged in media-based projects around the world and discusses its implications for the future. The three world-renowned editors of this book bring together papers covering the challenges and opportunities faced in this new electronic information age. They include topics from the design, development and delivery of information modelling tools to the legal aspects of this highly complex area. Digital media and Electronic Publishing is essential reading for graduates, researchers and professionals in digital-media and multimedia and will be of interest to anyone who wishes to find out more about this rapidly expanding and exciting area. 
Brown J. R., R. A. Earnshaw, M. Jern, J. A. Vince, Visualization: Using Computer Graphics to Explore Data and Present Information ISBN 0-471-12991-7, 1995.Whether you want to provide your clients with virtual architectural walkthroughs, envision nucleotides bonding to a strand of RNA, or chart daily fluctuations in foreign currency values, this book/CD set shows you how you can create visualisations of a quality you never dreamed possible. You'll do it all using nothing more than your PC or workstation and off-the-shelf-software. No matter what field you're in, this book gives you all the information you'll need. An international team of computer visualization experts allows you to explore the incredible scope of this powerful computer graphics medium. And, with the help of over one hundred gorgeous full color illustrations, they demonstrate some of the ways in which commercially available graphics tools can be used to envision, probe, interpret, and present information. Writing in a light accessible style, they train you in a host of basic visualization techniques and strategies that enable you to:
Earnshaw R. A. and J. A. Vince (Eds), Computer Graphics: Developments in Virtual Environments ISBN 0-12-227741-4, June 1995.Anyone who has followed the progress of computer graphics during the 1970s and the 1980s will know that it was a very exciting period of discovery. It was a time when new rendering algorithms, different modelling strategies, clever animation techniques and significant advances in photorealism were being made. Complementing these software developments, hardware systems were dominated by raster technology and programmers had access to some excellent workstations to develop their graphics systems. This volume brings together contributions from international experts on the diverse, yet important range of topics that impact upon the design and application of virtual environments. The first section addresses three topics in 3D modelling, whilst the second section reviews new approaches to rendering virtual environments. The third section explores recent research projects into the problems of animating and visualizing virtual environments. The fourth section looks at applications for virtual reality systems, and the final section covers the exciting field of simulating complex behaviours. Computer Graphics: Developments in Virtual Environments is a unique opportunity to examine current practice and expert thinking. It will be essential reading for anyone who wishes to find out more about this exciting area. 
Earnshaw R.A., H. Jones, J. A. Vince (Eds), Virtual Reality Applications ISBN 0-12-227755-4, 1995.In the last decade, virtual reality (VR) has emerged from the realm of science fiction fantasies to be experienced by thousands of people. Also, the development of hardware and software support for VR has led to a huge expansion in the number of applications supported by the medium. The collection of state-of-the-art developments presented in this volume explores the principal application areas of VR systems, and addresses some of the main issues for potential users. Application areas covered include medicine and surgery, engineering and simulation, systems development and modelling, televirtuality, art and education. Human factor issues in VR are also discussed. In the relatively short time since the publication of Virtual Reality Systems, edited by Earnshaw, Jones, Gigante in 1993, the range of VR applications has proliferated. Virtual Reality Applications is an excellent companion to that volume. 
Earnshaw R. A. and J. A. Vince (Eds) Multimedia Systems and Applications ISBN 0-12-227740-6, 1995.The computer's ability to control different media sources simultaneously is only one aspect of today's communication revolution. For the first time in centuries, we have discovered a domain that challenges the way we organise, interpret and interact with text, images and sound. What is more, it is available on low-cost personal computers, and accessible to virtually everyone. Multimedia is developing at an incredible rate. Hardware and software products may have a short life, but new and imaginative multimedia packages appear with increasing regularity. Multimedia Systems and Applications brings together a collection of international contributions on multimedia systems and applications and looks in more detail at some of the current issues in the research and development of multimedia and the applications which exploit it. Part 1 on systems looks at technology, interfaces and techniques; Part 2 on Applications looks at simulation, education, publishing, and multimedia features. This book will enable those new to the field to obtain a good grounding in the technology required, and the applications which can utilise it effectively. It will also be essential reading for graduates, researchers and professionals in computer graphics, human-computer interaction and multimedia. 
Rosenblum L.J. R. A. Earnshaw, J. Encarnacao, H. Hagen, A. Kaufman, S. Klimenko, G. Nielson, F. Post, D. Thalmann (Eds) Scientific Visualization: Advances and Challenges ISBN 0-12-227742-2, 1994.Numerical simulations of global warming... planetary exploration data... aircraft design... these are but a few of the topics where the use of human visual perception for data understanding has been found to be essential. Ten years ago, a handful of pioneers professed the value of visualization to sceptical audiences. Today, with supercomputers and sensors producing ever increasing amounts of data, scientific visualization is accepted as the fundamental tool for data analysis throughout much of science and engineering. Scientific Visualization has been written by a leading world-wide panel of visualization experts to present current trends, issues and practice. From algorithmic topics such as volume graphics and the modelling and visualization of large data sets, to foundations, perception and interface technology (including virtual reality, the book presents the latest advances in the area. It demonstrates new techniques, examines diverse application areas and discusses current limitations and upcoming requirements. This book is a unique opportunity to examine expert thinking and current practice, and to obtain a vision of future directions. It will be essential reading for scientific and engineering practitioners and visualization researchers alike. 
Rogers D. F. and R. A. Earnshaw (Eds) State of the Art in Computer Graphics - Aspects of Visualization ISBN 0-387-94164-9, 1993.This is the fourth volume derived from the continuing series of State of the Art in Computer Graphics Summer Institutes. The current volume represents both new and original work as well as a survey of a number of topics at the cutting edge of computer graphics. These topics include: visualisation of data from large computational codes, on both regular and irregular meshes, and of volumetric data; modelling in the context of the complexity and the constraints required for useful design systems, and of individual phenomena; rendering of strange attractors; stereo and synthetic experience in the context of virtual reality; and a thorough discussion of graphics hardware architectures. The contributors, Ingrid Carlbom, Roy Hall and Mimi Bussan, Tosiyasu Kunii, David McAllister, Greg Nielson and John Tvedt, Warren Robinett, Dietmar Saupe and Wayne Tvedt, Val Watson and Pamela Walatka, and Turner Whitted, all of whom are internationally recognised experts, present material to both the general reader and to the specialist or more experienced researcher interested in the latest developments in computer graphics. 
Earnshaw R.A. and D. Watson (Eds) , Animation and Scientific Visualization ISBN 0-12-227745-7, 1993.Computer graphics has attracted a vast following over the past thirty years. The lure of objects spinning on a screen, photo-realistic renderings of car bodies, and the fascination with incredible forms of computer art have all contributed to the growth of interest in the area. Over the past ten years, a shift in emphasis away from pure computer graphics has been observed. The tools and techniques of advanced computer graphics have developed a new identity during this time - visualization. Animation and Scientific Visualization covers a broad range of visualization topics, with the emphasis on practical examples and experience. It shows how animation and visualization are used both as an aid to the scientist in the presentation and explanation of their work, and in terms of the application of techniques to real problems. This book provides a unique insight into the field, and will be of interest to all researchers and practitioners in computer graphics and scientific computing. 
Crilly A.J., R. A. Earnshaw, and H. Jones (Eds), Applications of Fractals and Chaos ISBN 0-387-56492-6, 1993.This volume brings together a number of distinctive contributions in the applications of fractals and chaos. The wide range of application areas indicates the extent to which fractals and chaos are being applied and shows their major potential as modelling tools for the investigation of natural and scientific phenomena. Cross fertilization of ideas will give researchers insights into methods that can be applied within a range of disciplines The material presented in this volume shows many of the major areas that have been advanced by recent applications of the theories of fractals and chaos. It covers the visual and musical arts; biology, physiology, medicine and psychology; aeronautical, mechanical, nautical, and electronic engineering; image processing for camouflage and enhancement of features; the behaviours of road traffic and economic indicators. The richness of this collection indicates that the study of fractals and chaos is soundly based. The current wave of interest is more than faddish; there is enough solid theoretical material to ensure that the topics' importance will extend beyond any fashionable peak. They will continue to contribute positively to technical and aesthetic applications. Fractals and Chaos are here to stay. 
Earnshaw R. A., M. Gigante, and H. Jones (Eds), Virtual Reality Systems ISBN 0-12-227748-1, April 1993.The increasing belief that virtual reality systems will soon be widely used is only part of the reason for the explosion of interest in the area. There is a fascination with the nature of systems that can provide an escape from the everyday environment, creating a scenario which a few years ago only existed within the realms of science fiction. This volume brings together some of the leading practitioners and exponents in the fields of virtual reality and explores some of the main issues in the area. The main components of the current generation of virtual reality systems are outlined and the major recent developments of systems are discussed. A comprehensive bibliography is provided and the book contains 16 pages of colour plates. Virtual Reality Systems will be of interest to all researchers and practitioners in computer graphics and human-computer interaction who wish to gain a broad understanding of the issues involved in this complex and exciting area. Foreword by Professor Henry Fuchs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USAFew developments in computer-related technologies have caused as much excitement in the general press as 'virtual reality'. In newspapers, in magazines, on television, everyone seems to be talking about this 'fantastic new technology', even if they're vague on precisely what it is. Even among the experts, the definitions vary. Here's one definition: a VR system is one that gives the user an experience of being 'immersed' in a synthesized environment. This definition would, of course, include the most common VR systems, those that use head-mounted displays. It would also include professional flight simulators, but probably would not include flight simulator programs on home computers. It's unfortunate that we calI this field 'Virtual Reality', for the term can easily be misunderstood. The simulations in current VR systems are far from reality and there's not much chance that they're going to get even close to reality in the foreseeable future. The term is reminiscent of 'electronic brain' for computer, naive and misleading at best, certainly irritating, and it invites hype from the general press. How about virtual environments or simulated environments? They don't have the sizzle, the MTV appeal, but then neither does 'computer'. I'm afraid, for better or for worse, we're stuck with 'virtual reality' as the name, at least for the general public. It's important to know that VR didn't just come into being in the last few years. Many experts trace the beginning of VR to Ivan Sutherland's 1965 IFIP address, 'The ultimate display' and to the description of a prototype VR system in his 1968 paper, 'A head-mounted three-dimensional display'. Although digital flight simulators became widely utilized for pilot training in the 1970s, VR research was rather sparse until the late 1980s, by which time the needed technologies - real-time image generation, head-mounted display devices, and head tracking - became commercialIy available at affordable prices. This availability, plus a number of very capable promoters ignited the current craze. Not only is VR widely popular in research and in the press, but some predict that VR will become available widely to everyone in the not-so-distant future. Dr James Clark, Chairman of Silicon Graphics Computer Systems Inc., a leading supplier of 3D graphics-oriented workstations, in his ACM Siggraph '92 invited talk, predicted that soon the home 'telecomputer' (television plus computer) will have the power and functionality of 'VR graphics', and such a telecomputer wilI enable a whole new range of applications to be engaged in by the ordinary user. With the fantastic possibilities and tbe promise of widescale availability, it should be no surprise that the media are in love with VR, occasionalIy seeming to promise more than the more conservative technical specialists would think is prudent. Papers such as the ones collected here are major influences in restricting the hype and in promoting the 'reality' in virtual reality. 'Systems' in the title and theme of the book is especialIy appropriate. For VR to be effective, a systems approach is essential - it is futile to develop more powerful graphics image generation systems without an appropriate display device (and the current colour LCDs in helmets leave much' to be desired); it's difficult to walk about a simulated house without an effective way to walk (pointing a glove and 'flying' leave much to be desired). It's not clear how much of a force VR will be in the technological landscape of the future. If the VR community of developers works hard (and is lucky), much of the fantastic vision and promise of VR may become a reality in the next two decades. If so, we'll look back on these years as the exciting pioneering era, just as we now look back on the first years of today's major technologies - the radio, the telephone, television, and the computer. And we'll bore our grandchildren with tales of how primitive our systems used to be, how we couldn't move more than a step or two in our virtual environments without losing head tracking, how we couldn't see much in the helmets because the pixels were the size of boulders. If we're not lucky, we'll be like the developers of failed technologies - probably forgotten. Of course we could have a middle ground - 50 years ago, some people predicted that by now we'd have a helicopter in every garage. They thought that flying through the air would be a much better way to commute than using roads. Despite the failure, so far, of that prediction, helicopters are enormously important to humankind in many roles, particularly search and rescue. Another example is space travel. In the 1960s there was much talk about travel to the moon soon being like international air travel. There's not much talk of that now. Much of the excitement of this field may lie in the uncertainty about the future. We don't know which of the dreams of VR will be realized. As my colleague Gary Bishop says, 'it's not a done deal'. Today we can't even get a virtual cube to stand stilI in front of us - it swims and lags behind our head and body movements due to delays in tracking, image generation and displays subsystems. This 'swimming' irritates and gives headaches to users and destroys the experience of being in a virtual environment. It's not at all clear how easily we'll be able to overcome this and related system problems. It's ironic that after spending years trying to get objects to move rapidly we now find that it's harder to keep them still. However this field develops, this volume will be valuable. It not only teaches us much about the current state of the art in VR systems, but it will serve, in future years, as a marker for where we were this year. May we live long enough to be able to talk about these as 'the good old days' of VR. Henry Fuchs 
Earnshaw R.A. and Wiseman N. An Introductory Guide to Scientific Visualization ISBN 0-387-54664-2, July 1992.This book is intended for readers new to the field who require q quick and easy-to-read summary of what Scientific Visualisation is and what it can do. Written in popular and journalistic style with many illustrations it will enable readers to appreciate the benefits of Scientific Visualization and how current tools can be exploited in many application areas. Scientist and research workers who have never used computer graphics or other visual tools before, and who wish to find out the advantages of the new approaches, will benefit from this book. Foreword by Dr James H. Clark, Chairman Silicon Graphics Inc, USA(subsequently co-founder of Netscape Communications Inc, Healtheon (now WebMD), myCFO (now Harris myCFO), and sponsor of the James H Clark Center at Stanford University) Visualization has been the cornerstone of scientific progress throughout history. Much of modern physics is the result of the superior abstract visualization abilities of a few brilliant men. Newton visualized the effect of gravitational force fields in three dimensional space acting on the center of mass. And Einstein visualized the geometric effects of objects in relative uniform and accelerated motion, with the speed of light a constant, time part of space, and acceleration indistinguishable from gravity. Virtually all comprehension in science, technology and even art calls on our ability to visualize. In fact, the ability to visualize is almost synonymous with understanding. We have all used the expression "I see" to mean "I understand". Modern science part departs from the closed theories of the last century and demands computer simulations to understand real world situations. Scientific Visualization is the eyes through which these simulations are viewed, from electrochemical bonds to simulated interstellar jets associated with black holes. Scientific Visualization is of value beyond strictly scientific applications, however. The same technology is now used in such diverse applications as clothing design, industrial design, automobile and airplane design, genetic engineering, chemical and drug design, oil and mineral exploration, chemical and nuclear power plant design, and motion picture special effects and animation. It is rapidly becoming a requirement for virtually all disciplines that deal with geometric things. What is Scientific Visualization? It is a set of software tools coupled with a powerful 3D graphical computing environment that allows any geometric object or concept to be visualized by anyone. The software provides an easy to use interface for the user. The hardware must be able to manipulate complex, geometrically described, 3D environments in motion, color and with any level of "realism" called for to better communicate the essence of the computation. Scientific Visualization is in its infancy, but the technology is sure to revolutionize scientific education. I believe that the requisite 3D graphical processing capability will be built into all personal computes within the next five years. And by the year 2000, I am confident that even the home digital television will combine such 3D graphical processing capability with digital video and audio. Then, even complex scientific textbooks will be viewed interactively on the home screen, with video clips depicting a lecturer, mathematical experiments run in and visualized on the "TV" and the student able to guide the learning process. But until then, such books as this will guide the way. James H. Clark 
Brodlie K.W., L. A. Carpenter, R. A. Earnshaw, J. R. Gallop, R. J. Hubbold, A. M. Mumford, C. D. Osland, P. Quarendon Scientific Visualization - Techniques and Applications ISBN 0-387-54565-4, Jan 1992This volume represents a full consideration of the subject of scientific visualisation and is intended to be a reference guide for the community on the technical aspects of the subject. The topics covered include Framework, Visualization Techniques, Data Facilities, Human Computer interface, Applications, Products, Glossary of Terms, Bibliography and Enabling Technologies. An Introduction gives an overview of the current field, and a final chapter summarises the Conclusions of the present work. The material is suitable for visualization tool makers and those involved in designing the next generation of systems as well as for users and potential users of scientific visualization systems. 
Rogers D. F. & R. A. Earnshaw (Eds) State of the Art in Computer Graphics - Visualization and Modelling ISBN 0-387-97560-8, 1991.As the title suggests, this book both new and original work as well as a survey of a number of topics at the cutting edge of computer graphics. These topics include: radiosity, nonlinear three dimensional textures, fractals, volumetric visualisation in the context of scientific visualisation, user interface design tools, rational B-spline curves and surfaces, n-manifold geometry in context of CSG and boundary representations with a discussion of the application of the radial-edge data structure to this problem, complexity in the context of modelling tools and a discussion of the evolution of graphics hardware and graphics algorithms for parallel hardware. This is the third volume derived from the continuing series of State of the Art in Computer Graphics Summer Institutes. The contributors including Michael Cohen, Frank Crow, Jim Foley, Alain Fournier, Roy Hall, Paul Heckbert, Mike Muuss, Les Piegl, Craig Upson and Turner Whitted, All of whom are internationally recognised experts, present material of interest to both general reader and to the specialist or more experienced researcher interested in the latest developments in computer graphics. 
Crilly A. J., R. A. Earnshaw, H. Jones (Eds) Fractals and Chaos ISBN 0-387-97362-1, 1991.This volume brings together a number of distinctive contributions in the areas of fractals, chaos, and the interrelationship between the two domains. These contributions cover a wide variety of application areas, indicating the extent to which fractal and chaotic phenomena are being studied in the various disciplines. It is anticipated that the interdisciplinary nature of this subject will increase, which in turn will yield useful information on the potential (and also limitations in some cases) of fractals and chaos as modelling tools for the investigation of various natural and scientific phenomena. It is hoped that an understanding of fractals and chaos will lead to a common basis for examining growth, development, organization, and behaviour of complex dynamical systems, many of which make up the natural world of which we are part. It is anticipated that the investigations of fractal structure associated with phase portals will be an exciting area of future work. 
Rogers D. F. & R. A. Earnshaw (Eds) Computer Graphics Techniques - Theory and Practice ISBN 0-387-97237-4, 1990.This is the second volume derived from a State-of-the-Art in Computer graphics Summer Institute. The current volume represents a survey of a number of topics in computer graphics. These topics include: raster algorithms, colour - both theory and practice - CAD-CAM, networking for graphics and graphics standards. Generally the contributed chapters present a background introduction to the topic followed by a discussion of current work in the field. The volume is thus equally suitable for non-specialists in a particular area, and for the more experienced researcher in the field. It also enables general readers to obtain an acquaintance with a particular topic area sufficient to apply that knowledge in the context of solving current problems. 
Kilgour A. C. & R. A. Earnshaw (Eds) Graphics Tools for Software Engineers ISBN 0-521-37221-6, 1989.This book reviews current work in the application of graphical techniques to the construction and interpretation of computer software. The power of computer graphics in elucidating the behaviour of complex systems, in enhancing insight and understanding, and in facilitating the construction and reconfiguration of adaptable systems offers great promise in increasing the accessibility of computer systems and the productivity of software engineers. This book reports on exciting and significant advances in these areas, as well as reviewing the history and principles of visual programming and program visualization. The book gives particular emphasis to contributions made by UK workers, and contributors include both established experts and new researchers. It will provide valuable back-up material for courses on graphics, HCI and software engineering ant universities and polytechnics, as well as essential reading fro researchers in these fields. 
Lansdown R. J. & R. A. Earnshaw (Eds) Computers in Art, Design and Animation ISBN 0-387-96896-2, 1989.This collection of contributions surveys the state-of-the-art in computer applications for graphics in art, animation and design. It provides an integrative view of the technological, computer-related aspects and considerations of the application of the computer as an artistic tool. The book is a valuable source of information for both the programmer interested in computer art, and for the artist exploring the creative potential of computers. 
Dew P. M., R. A. Earnshaw, and T. R. Heywood (Eds) Parallel Processing for Computer Vision and Display ISBN 0-201-41605-0, 1989.This book provides a state-of-the-art survey of parallel processing techniques applied to problems in computer vision and display. General-purpose high-performance computers have become widely available. This has increased the importance of visualisation techniques, and has led to increased research and development activity in the converging areas of computer graphics, AI, vision and new architectures. This book provides a unique collection of papers from leading visualization researchers with a common interest in the application and exploitation of parallel programming techniques. The book:
The book will appeal to professionals and researchers interested in image processing and reconstruction, computer vision, computer graphics and geometric modelling. It will also be valuable as a supporting text and reference for courses on advanced computer graphics, computer vision and parallel processing 
Earnshaw R. A. & B. Wyvill (Eds) New Advances in Computer Graphics ISBN 4-431-70045-5, 1989.This volume presents the proceedings of the 7th International Conference of the Computer graphics Society, CG International '89 held at the University of Leeds, UK June 27-30, 1989. Since 1982 this conference has continued to attract high-quality research papers in all aspects of computer graphics and its applications. Originally the conference has continued to attract high-quality research papers in all aspects of computer graphics and its applications. Originally the conference was held in Japan (1982-1987), but in 1988 was held in Geneva, Switzerland. Future conferences are planned for Singapore in 1990, USA in 1991, Japan in 1992, and Canada in 1993. Recent developments in computer graphics have concentrated on the following: greater sophistication of image generation techniques, advances in hardware and emphasis on the exploitation of parallelism, integration of robotics and AI techniques for animation, greater integration of CAD and CAM in CIM, use powerful computer graphics techniques to represent complex physical processes (visualization), advances n computational geometry and in the representation and modelling of complex physical and mathematical objects, and improved tools and methods for HCI. These trends and advances are reflected in this present volume. A number of papers deal with important research aspects in many of these areas. 
Earnshaw R. A. (Ed) Theoretical Foundations of Computer Graphics and CAD ISBN 3-540-19506-8, 1988.An Advanced Study Institute on the theme "Theoretical Foundations of Computer Graphics and CAD" was held in Il Ciocco, Italy, 4-17 July, 1987, under the auspices of the Scientific Affairs Division of NATO. The Institute was organised by a Scientific Committee consisting of Dr J. E. Bresenham, Winthrop University, USA, Dr R. A. Earnshaw, University of Leeds, UK, Professor A. R. Forrest, University of East Anglia, UK, and Professor M. L. V. Pitteway, Brunel University, UK. This book contains the formal presentations given at the Institute. Some 100 participants attended the Institute representing 20 countries. These include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA. Academia, industry, government, and research laboratories were all represented. This contributed greatly to the success of the Institute since it promoted effective interchange of information from one constituency to another, and encouraged the generation of new ideas and perspectives. The primary objectives of the Institute were to provide an analysis and exposition of the theoretical foundations and bases of computer graphics and computer-aided design in order to give our understanding and exploitation of them a more rigorous and comprehensive basis. NATO Advanced Study Institute Key results from this NATO Institute were presented at ACM SIGGRAPH in Anaheim, California, USA, 31 July 1987. “Pretty Pictures aren’t so Pretty any more – A call for better Theoretical Foundations”
By Number in the Photograph
Attended the Institute but not shown in the picture
In Alphabetic order of Name 46 Dr Varol Akman (Bilkent University, Turkey)
Rogers D. F., Earnshaw R. A. (Eds) Techniques for Computer Graphics ISBN 3-540-96492-4. ISBN 3-540-19506-8, 1987.Capturing the state of the art in computer graphics is akin to attempting to photograph a fast-moving target. The result, at best, is a synoptic snapshot. The current volume represents a snapshot of a number of topics in the field. These include: workstations, graphics standards, image generation, computer-aided design (CAD), curves and surfaces, human-computer interface issues, electronic documents, integrated graphics and text, solid modelling, VLSI, and innovative applications. Computer graphics pioneers looked to the time when computer graphics would come of age, when anticipated developments would become the reality of today. This has now happened. The aspects covered in this volume make it clear that computer graphics is not just a potential tool, it is a real tool. Many of the powerful methods and techniques that are encapsulated in the body of knowledge called computer graphics are increasingly being embedded in silicon. Consequently they are now available on the desk top at more affordable prices. In the future, we can look forward to systems with even greater power, functionality, and flexibility. 
Earnshaw R. A. (Ed) Workstations and Publication Systems ISBN 0-540-96527-0, 1987.Office automation and associated hardware and software technologies are producing significant changes in traditional typing, printing, and publishing techniques and strategies. The long term impact of current developments is likely to be even more far reaching as reducing hardware costs, improved human-computer interfacing, uniformity through standardisation, and sophisticated software facilities will all combine together to provide systems of power, capability, and flexibility. The configuration of the system can be matched to the requirements of the user, whether typist, clerk, secretary, manager, director, or publisher. This book presents contributions on a number of topics in the general areas of page description and graphics, document structures and editing, workstations and human-interface aspects, and languages and implementations. 
Earnshaw R. A., R. D. Parslow, J. R. Woodwark (Eds) Geometric Modelling and Computer Graphics - Techniques and Applications ISBN 0-291-39731-X, 1987.Geometric modelling, the creation of computer-based models of shapes of all kinds, is one of the central Technologies in Computer Aided Design; the tools of computer graphics are used in both modelling and visual communication. This book presents some of the typical problems arising in various application areas, reviews the modelling and graphics techniques to overcome them, and provides the underlying theory. The first two parts deal with modelling: Part A covering problems and solutions and part B typical application areas. The final part C provides techniques and theory of 3D graphics. The is intended for all those with design and implementation responsibilities in modelling projects, in Computer Graphics, CIM, CADCAM, Animation and Geometrical representation. 
Earnshaw R. A. (Ed) Fundamental Algorithms for Computer Graphics ISBN 3-540-13920-6, November 1985 (reprinted 1991)Algorithms provide the foundation for all computational processes. This volume presents algorithms at the foundational level and also at the various levels between this level and the user application. Some of these algorithms are classical and have become well established in the field. The basic primitives of computer graphics are lines, circles, conics curves and characters. This volume contains reference material in all these areas. The higher levels of contouring and surface drawing are also well covered. Developments in hardware architectures have continued since the first printing of this book, but the basic principles of hardware/software trade-offs remain valid. This reprint is published as a Study Edition to make the material more accessible to students and researchers in computer graphics and its applications. The continuing popularity of the original book demonstrates the value and timelessness of its contents. NATO Advanced Study Institute Invited Lecturers Professor A. Robin Forrest (University of East Anglia, UK) Contributing Lecturers Submitted Contributions |
PROFESSOR RAE EARNSHAW
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Prof. R.A. Earnshaw's books
Some cyberworlds are completely virtual and may contain rules for their own modification and development over time, and for interacting with users. Such worlds may contain virtual objects, characters and humans – with a set of rules for their behaviours and also interaction with the real world. Others are application environments that contain data for analysis or to process data inputted by the user. E-Science is an example of this and the growth in this area is an example of how linked programs and data via the web offers a rich environment for global collaboration, simulation, and analysis 
