Design Mill Releases 4D Game at Intel Developer Forum
Design Mill, Inc., a leading systems integrator, was chosen by Intel to showcase application of the Intel RealSense3D R200 camera with a dynamic terrain generation game called Tanked! This project will be unveiled and demonstrated at annual Intel Developer Forum(IDF) on August 18-20, 2015 at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco, California. Tanked!, an arcade-style one-on-one tank battle game developed using Unity 3D and built on the foundation of Intel RealSense SDK Documentation combines a custom built sand table, the Intel RealSense 3D R200 and a projector to create a game in which players can manipulate the landscape of their map with the touch of their hand. The players begin by building a virtual environment using real world sand as a haptic input device. Scripts written in C# find depths and smooth layers while a calibration utility calculates the height of the area to display based on the selected width and the aspect ratio of the R200. The calibration settings determine the depth points that will be utilized in the actual game. Once the terrain is modified a virtual tank is dropped into the environment for each player and the game begins. The players maneuver their tanks across the dynamically generated terrain using valleys and mountains to their advantage changing their own cannon’s trajectory as well as dodging opponents’ artillery. A mid-game mine sweep provides an additional sensory element. Faced with a warning of incoming mines, the tanks stop battling while virtual mines are placed at random points where the R200 RealSense has determined the depth of the sand is sufficient. Players must dig into the sand table in search of the mines to deactivate them before time runs out. Failure to deactivate the mines results in damage to the tank reducing mobility when normal play resumes. Play continues until a tank is hit enough
Design Mill Hosts Unmanned Systems & Agriculture Conference
Design Mill Inc. and the Association of Unmanned Systems International (AUVSI)-Heartland Chapter hosted an Unmanned Systems for Agriculture conference at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, Iowa on March 4, 2015. The event was titled “Unmanned Systems & Agriculture: Realizing the Field of Dreams.” The conference brought in over 150 attendees including farmers, researchers, college students, unmanned systems hardware sensor providers, unmanned systems professionals, AUVSI members, as well as the general public. Core topics included regulatory and legal issues regarding agricultural use for unmanned systems, leading research, and applications for the use of unmanned systems to improve agriculture. More than 20 UAS platform and sensor companies exhibited or attended. Speakers included AUVSI leadership and members, leaders in UAS and agriculture research, and experts in robotics, legal issues, and UAS insurance. The day started with a presentation from keynote speakers, Tim Ray and Brittany Deunsing from Pravia, LLC., on leveraging a 333 exemption for agricultural purposes. Dr. Stewart Moorehead of John Deere Robotics wrapped up the conference with a discussion of how unmanned systems will affect the future of agriculture. Design Mill Inc. showcased a Virtual Sandtable at the event. It uses infrared sensors to detect the depth of the sand, and creates a constantly updating depth map that shows the position and height of the sand. Using a projector, the Virtual Sandtable overlays images on top of the sand to display the differences in depths. The image projected can update realtime as a colorful topography map or can utilize textures and graphics to create environments. The conference provided an excellent foundation to foster the use of unmanned systems in agriculture and to network with other professionals in this rapidly growing industry.
Design Mill Sponsors TEDxDubuque
Design Mill is proud to sponsor TEDxDubuque on June 6, 2014 at the University of Dubuque’s Babka Black Box Theater in Dubuque, IA. The DMI team will be attending the event to showcase the latest tech in between speakers throughout the day. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At the TEDxDubuque event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including this one, are self-organized.
