Advanced visualisation and design on offer to SMEs

See3D, a new venture by the University of Wales bringing high-performance visualisation to academics, is also targeting manufacturing SMEs that could not otherwise access the technology. The centre of excellence, which will open formally this Autumn, will house a fully immersive hemispherium for 3D stereo and virtual reality presentations, as well as a multi-projector flat screen theatre all powered concurrently by a high performance SGI visualisation solution. See3D is funded by the Welsh Assembly and the European Community, and SGI has been involved since the initial funding stage in 2001. See3D aims to include designing and developing affordable value-added virtual reality and visualisation solutions for users, for which it will employ a full-time team of software and hardware engineers as well as business analysts. “There are many SMEs throughout the British Isles who either do not have – or who want to supplement – their visualisation capabilities,” says Bill Malkin, business development manager of See3D. “There are lots of companies that could benefit from visualisation in one way or another – for prototyping, new product development or marketing their products.”