Abstract: This study explores various uses of virtual reality goggles in conjunction with consumer level items: color cameras, video effects, luminance keying and videotape, in an effort to ascertain what is feasible at the present time regarding consumer and industrial applications. As a measure toward eventual home theater display prospects, the viability of keying video into a see-through head-mounted display to form a virtual, wall-sized television will be determined. Another portion of the research will attempt to communicate aspects of the psychedelic experience into electronic form.
"When we apply the power of networking to the VR world, the potential for
stretching the limits of human abilities becomes very powerful." —Jaron
Lanier
Introduction
Virtual Reality (VR), its "newer" cousin Augmented Reality (AR), Enhanced
Reality (ER), Simulated Environments (SE), Myron Krueger’s Artificial
Reality and other terms each attempt to describe unique sets of experiences
and phenomenon that promise to radically alter the process of human communication.
It is my belief that these various disciplines will continue evolving parallel
with related technologies until a critical mass is achieved, resulting in a
coalescence of unprecedented magnitude, which I have termed Ultimate Reality,
in deference to Ivan Sutherland’s pioneering efforts described in The
Ultimate Display.
Mr. Sutherland’s first head-mounted display (HMD) was in fact a see-through
design. Through clever use of half-bright mirrors, a video display was mapped
over the user’s field of vision. This was the first implementation of
what is now known as Augmented Reality. I contend that this original incarnation
will ultimately prove to be more useful to mankind.
Few fields have shown as much promise, while failing to deliver in the way of
actual product, as Virtual Reality, thus thwarting the potential for rapid advances
in human communication. While proving to be invaluable in the fields of science,
medicine, and computing, what was once seen as a marketplace panacea has proven
to be a commercial black hole. Various attempts to penetrate the U.S. consumer
market have inevitably resulted in withdrawals and bankruptcies. From the fall
of the pioneering VPL Research to the 1997 bankruptcy filing of Virtual I-O,
VR has failed to attain a sizable niche in the marketplace beyond industrial
and medical applications. Despite VR’s inability to gain a foothold in
the consumer realm, the industry is still estimated to gross $1,000,000,000
in 1998 alone.
There has yet to be a compelling use for VR/AR in daily life. Games apparently
are not driving factors in moving this technology into homes. In true paradoxical
fashion, we won’t have better displays until there is a large demand,
and we won’t have a demand until we have better displays.
Japan, however, has a healthy market for VR, and relies heavily on American
research and development, primarily importing foreign gear for various consumer
uses. As far back as 1993, the National Trade Data Bank Market Report painted
a bright future for VR in Japan, somewhere in the neighborhood of $174-$435
million in projected sales and revenue from VR related fields, entirely within
the realm of entertainment. It could be that the Japanese are culturally more
ready for artificial reality experiences because of their preferred television
viewing distance being half that of Western preferences. In other words, there
is less reluctance to having a display near the eyes. While VR theme parks are
a burgeoning industry in Japan, they have not caught on well in the United States,
with few exceptions (Virtuality’s early success with Dactyl Nightmare
and Chicago’s BattleTech center.)
In the 1980’s, time base correctors (TBCs) averaged a minimum cost of
about $5000 each. With the advent of desktop video, in particular, Newtek’s
Video Toaster, the demand for TBCs increased to such a level as to lower prices
to the extent that today you can you can easily equip a computer with four TBCs,
not to mention a video switcher, for less than $5000. If industry, by way of
consumers, creates a demand for luminance and chromanance-based solutions, this
pricing shift could occur with AR systems at a much higher rate, resulting in
a product that remains affordable, but offers high quality images.
The ultimate artificial reality experience would be a direct mind link. Scientists
are now able to view brain wave activity patterns as they occur. As the neuromagnetometers
that perform this task become more sensitive, and the computers that interpret
the data more sophisticated, it will be possible to think "apple,"
and cause the representation of an apple to appear in virtual or augmented reality.
Thus, I posit that it will one day be possible to record actual thoughts and
dreams. It is at this point that things begin to get interesting, in the sense
that we will be able to create other realities through our own thoughts.
Stereolithography is the process whereby 3-D objects are made into physical
objects through the use of "object printers," machines that convert
the 3-D data into solid objects by treating a volume of resin with lasers to
harden it into specific shapes. The future promises us a world in which solid
objects can be transmitted via a 3-D "fax machine," eminently useful
in design and prototyping work. Coupling this process with MRI "mind-reading"
could result in the ability of humankind to create solid objects out of pure
thought. While not exactly "deus ex machina," it is a seductive prospect.
The technology that will tie these many disparate processes together into a
unified whole comes from both academia and Hollywood. Engineers seeking to increase
flexibility in film editing have developed a process whereby each element in
a frame of film is digitized separately and is thereafter treated as a fully
editable object. The coming technological convergence will utilize such processes,
operating at faster than real time speeds, to provide an experience that is
visually indistinguishable from actual reality.
Literally, anything will be possible. The real and "other" worlds
will begin to blur together, and form a synthesis that I refer to as Ultimate
Reality. With ultra high-resolution cameras, a full field of vision (180 degrees)
and a very high-resolution display (at least 9600 x 9600 pixel resolution),
combined with accurate tracking and motion prediction, the interface will become
transparent. It will then be possible to trick the human mind into believing
that the virtual is actual. Indeed, it will become very difficult to distinguish
between the two. In a realm worthy of Disney, broomsticks will dance across
the room, you will converse with Alice in the tea room, and have the ability
to instantly transport yourself to another point in time or space, whether across
the country, or to a place that exists only in the ether. If the medium is indeed
the message, we’re in for a wild ride.
LITERATURE REVIEW
While there is a wealth of information about Virtual Reality on library shelves,
Augmented Reality has scarcely been given any attention there. It would seem
the speed and immediacy of the World Wide Web has outpaced that of library database
maintenance. The best data on the subject comes from the individuals who are
developing these technologies on a daily basis. The Web offers a close cadre
of AR researchers making their findings available via University servers.
Virtual Reality - Scientific and Technological Challenges, from the National
Research Council, is an in-depth examination of a wealth of issues related to
the topic at hand. A weighty and technical tome, it is not directed towards
the layman. Their recommendations, particularly in the area of promoting networked
simulated reality development. are heartening. They seek to actively encourage
research and development in the area of networked VR applications.
A look at current trade journals indicates a growing interest in AR applications.
E-Library retrieved some 20 popular press articles regarding augmented reality
applications. Various sources for background include from The L.A. Times, and
many trade journals in the field of video and 3-D animation. Metacrawler and
Dogpile are meta-search engines, returning results from all of the other major
search engines.
Best results were obtained with the University of Southwestern Louisiana’s
licensed site access via the library’s homepage. A few academic search
engines worthy of mention includes Lexis-Nexis, which didn’t have as many
article references as I would have expected, given the sites weighty credentials.
Web of Science is a research paper archive that provided a great deal of in-depth
studies.
In 1995, Michihiro Uenohara and Takeo Kanade achieved real-time registration
in AR at 30hz via a method of computer vision. These researchers, as well as
the scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, have initiated
invaluable studies regarding the medical applications of augmented reality.
X-ray vision is at hand, as physicians will one day soon be enable to peer within
your various internal organs and systems, with the ability to view specific
aspects such as the circulatory or respiratory systems alone.
One book I found invaluable was The Virtual Reality Casebook, a collection of
writings from a number of theorists, engineers, artists and other Artificial
Reality denizens. Diverse and well rounded, the text was possibly the single-most
consulted book in my research. It gives keen insight into the minds of the researchers
and theorists that move the state of the art forward.
Despite a slight amount of product placement (the book is published in part
by microprocessor giant Intel), Virtual Reality - Through the New Looking Glass
(2nd edition), is a great starting point for anyone interested in the wide world
of alternate realities. In all fairness, the authors are conscious of the possibility
of perceived bias, and seem to go out of their way to be inclusive of the role
of Apple’s Macintosh and even Commodore’s Amiga in the development
of these technologies.
Virtual Reality Applications, edited by R.A. Earnshaw, J.A. Vince, and H. Jones,
all from the U.K., also provides a well rounded perspective on the field, in
a detailed manner that goes well beyond most American VR textbooks. Myron Krueger,
speaking of idealized hardware to come and the necessity of real-time interaction
in an interview with Jas. Morgan, said: "Ultimately, a low-cost head-mounted
display with the resolution of an OmniMax theater will be irresistible—if
it’s as unencumbering as VIDEOPLACE. It is my expectation that the two
approaches will merge. The lightweight goggles will fit within ordinary eyeglasses.
They will superimpose graphics on the real world. They won’t cut you off
from your colleagues—you’ll be able to make eye contact with them."
This is the crucial communication element that is missing from VR and, ironically,
one that many people are currently working at adding to the experience. Until
we reach the point of networked VR experiences, immersion equals isolation.
Will we come full circle and try to accurately represent our facial expressions
using models? If the purpose is realism, then it becomes logical, and more efficient,
to use one’s actual face via video. As video manipulation becomes more
prevalent, we will gain the ability to alter our appearance slightly or dramatically,
and do it in a photo-real environment.
In a more abstract or representational framework, akin to today’s chat,
non-realistic presentations of the self can be advantageous. I expect in the
interim to see polygon-based avatar chat capturing the subtleties of facial
expression available in the next few years. In the same way object scanners
have slowly migrated down to the desktop, technology that is now used for producing
real-time cartoon actors for Saturday morning will be integrated into the coming
networked virtual reality experience. The levels of interaction will be such
that the future of entertainment as we know it may be headed the way of the
drive-in movie. In the same respect, I fully believe that the future of mass
and interpersonal communication will make television and the Internet seem like
radio and black and white movies in comparison.
Augmented reality is approached in two diverse fashions: a digital display superimposed
over clear glass, allowing a literally see-through display, and by use of various
combinations of video cameras and HMDs. Each has proven to be tremendously empowering
to the individual, and to a similar extent, the corporate entity.
NASA’s work in correcting corneal defects via AR is a good example of
what advantages the individual may gain. Telescopic sight, night vision, microscopic
vision, and even more specialized abilities will eventually be commonplace,
and currently exist on the market. How long before the technology becomes available
in implant form?
Already, there is a growing gap between the computer literate and non-literate.
As technology increases exponentially, so increases the disparity between the
rich and poor. Are we to become superhuman, able to exist in and see worlds
the less fortunate cannot fathom? It would make the idea of "class warfare"
outlandishly one-sided.
Boeing Corporation in particular has been the first major corporation to wholeheartedly
embrace the concept of augmented reality, applying it to the field of aircraft
production, which is imaginably a complex process. AR allows the Boeing worker
to consult a vast array of manuals and documentation without having to leave
the work area, or indeed, stop what he or she is doing at the time. The fuselage
of the plane is located and tracked by the computer, allowing for the superimposition
of construction details, such as the type that can tell a mechanic where to
drill a hole, or an electrician how to wire a section.
Idealized AR/VR is transparent, seamless. Integrating the power of computers
with real-world displays presents us with a future reality in which all the
world’s knowledge will be available to each of us, and delivered in such
a fashion as to integrate into our lives as painlessly as a new cable box. Moore’s
law being what it is, the day of the "VR Man" will soon be upon us.
Are you prepared for the cultural shifts ahead? Already, your computer can be
considered an extension of your brain, or your self. Ongoing advances will soon
empower you to actually augment your own mind through wearable computing. Do
you think the Internet is useful? Can you imagine having it on a contact lens?
While the advantages seem obvious, the pitfalls remain hidden. Imagine if you
will an age when such devices become ubiquitous as wristwatches, or at least
laptop computers. The possibility that your very location could be tracked at
all times has alarming implications, as does the concept of torture induced
via AR/VR pseudo hallucinations. This type of application, perhaps administered
along with conventional mind control techniques (drugs, sleep deprivation, etc.)
could very well be the sort of re programmer sought by the CIA project group
MK-Ultra, and the "virtual torture" ominously predicted by George
Orwell in 1984.
Another fact that we must resign ourselves to is that VR and AR offer as much
to the military and police as they do to industry, science, and consumers. The
earliest research into telepresence, as in driving a vehicle remotely, began
in the 1940’s. Remote viewing and telepresence will be one day result
in persons being killed via a tank operated by a crew who remain removed from
the actual battlefield. Janez Strehovec; characterizes an experience such as
viewing the impact of a laser-guided, camera-equipped missile as "A paradigm
of genuine techno-druggedness, caused by the identification with smart eyes’
view, and obsession with the success of a seductive action, fascinating also
to the senses."
Even when we examine alternate realities in less metaphysical detail, a number
of inevitable problems arise. The potential for not only viewing material others
may deem offensively for a variety of reasons, but to actually become immersed
in, will no doubt one day cause a furor, much in the way rock and roll, horror
movies, and the Internet have in the past. The potential to now record experiences
for others to view is a vast frontier for future friction between groups who
would presumably restrict what others may experience immersively. Clearly another
existential argument, ironically derived from what is in its simplest form,
a hopped-up television set.
The exciting notion that William Gibson’s Cyberspace is here, or around
the corner, is one that I find to be demonstrably true. The science of data
visualization allows for the graphic manipulation of large amounts of complex
data in intuitive fashion, rendering the operator theoretically in charge of
vast tokenized empires. Whether sensitive data should ever actually be open
to manipulation via such methods is questionable, but remains a probability.
In the end, there is little difference whether data is altered via a spreadsheet
or a VR interface, each method maintains weak points open to malicious alteration.
The programming interface offered by tradition data entry would likely never
fully be replaced, but VR and AR offer an extremely favorable ratio between
power and intuitiveness.
Some research that I feel will have a great deal of impact is occurring at Stanford
University. There, researchers have created a virtual workbench area that is
superimposed over the room they are in, allowing them to interact in 3-D space
with different objects of their choosing, such as the architecture of a building,
or the construction of a molecule. By locking the virtual and actual displays
together and tracking them effectively, the result is one that can truly be
considered approaching "Holodeck"-type reality. It is inevitable that
we will one day view Shakespeare’s plays as they unfold around us, projected
into the room. The obvious step beyond that would be interaction.
By combining this approach with the concept of telepresence, individuals will have the ability to "project" themselves to almost anywhere in the world. This branch of teleconferencing, still in its infancy, will one day make problems of time and distance largely irrelevant.
When augmented reality merges with artificial intelligence, computers will be
able to solve problems in the real world on their own. A plant supervisor could
survey a job-site while reviewing data overlaid onto their field of vision,
while a computer working in conjunction with that person could potentially recognize
patterns or phenomenon that might escape their own attention.
By augmenting our own minds, and automating the augmentation process, we will
be in a sense behaving as the brain itself does while learning. That is to say,
when the brain learns a new task, the basal ganglia portion is utilized in this
process. At some point, dependent upon the complexity of the concept to be learned,
this knowledge is transferred into another part of the brain, the motor cortex,
where it becomes more or less an automatic function, a learned response to a
given situation. By one day using a computer as an extension of our own bodies,
we will be able to solve and automate tasks by simply looking at them; Inventories
controlled, factory floors monitored, and security operations supervised, by
the electronic extensions of actual people.
One ongoing set of problems in all approaches remains that of display. Eyestrain,
lack of resolution and field of vision, disorientation and other technical impediments
to truly free flowing other reality immersion plague researchers the world over.
While great strides have been made in identifying and overcoming potential health
risks, a great deal of details remain to be worked out. Nevertheless, as technology
reporter Karen Kaplan points out, "those obstacles don’t stop hard-core
augmented reality fans from envisioning a wide range of applications."
RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESIS
In 1991, I became convinced that the video approach to AR offered much more
in the way of practical applications than did the heavily hyped field of VR.
With all of the complexity inherent in the real world, why then would you try
to re-create such splendor using polygons? Even with the hundred fold advances
in processor power, VR either remains at the Nintendo level of consumer usefulness,
or stunningly cost prohibitive. As Simon Penny reminds us: "A criticism
leveled at computer graphics…was that it was a cold space unable to persuasively
represent the natural world."
While both approaches to AR offer solutions to specific problems, for the purposes
of my study I postulate that a video approach is best suited for this research.
Indeed, much of what I propose to investigate cannot be achieved via see-through
optical displays. As is stated in Ronald T. Azuma’s "A Survey of
Augmented Reality": "Since both the real and virtual are available
in digital form, video see-through compositors can, on a pixel-by-pixel basis,
take the real, or the virtual, or some blend between the two to simulate transparency.
Because of this flexibility, video see-through may ultimately produce more compelling
environments than optical see-through approaches." The same survey shows
us that predictive motion algorithms must be employed to overcome the effect
of system-induced delays inherent in both systems.
One attractive aspect of some forms of AR is real-time updating. Superimposing
textual data over your field of vision imposes no unnerving delays or lags,
if it does not require registration. Registration error continues to be one
of the biggest problems facing AR researchers. A millisecond of delay in updating
the display can result in up to a millimeter of visual error.
RESEARCH QUESTION #1: Can an affordable AR system utilizing luminance keying
deliver a satisfying experience to consumers in regards to Virtual Theater displays?
While I recognize that at least one potential problem results from video’s
full-frame nature, I feel this approach has merit mainly for the fact that it
is affordable enough to be incorporated into consumer electronics in the near
future.
While chromakeying provides a sharper key, its reliance on color is disadvantageous
in the home setting. The somewhat cruder method of brightness based mapping
allows for much more flexibility in regards to where video can be mapped, and
to what extent. I do recognize the inherent value of chroma keyed video, however,
and simply view it as a price/performance issue. This study will attempt to
determine the value of mapped video as a form of mass communication delivery,
as well as for use in industrial applications
RESEARCH QUESTION #2: Through the use of simple visual devices, can AR deliver
an experience not unlike the hallucinations associated with psychotropic drugs
such as LSD and DMT? While it remains a touchy subject, the concept of electronic
drugs, or electronics that mimic the effect of drugs, has established value
in the field of psychotherapy. There is an interest in certain segments of society
in bringing such devices to fruition, but driven by two entirely different imperatives:
the need to eliminate drug use versus the desire to share the psychedelic experience
with others. Indeed, theorist Terrence McKenna has stated in an interview with
Mondo 2000, "The VR researchers have it all wrong. I want virtual DMT trips!"
The study of perspective video (video filmed at human’s eye view), has
been initiated by research such as the original work of Ivan Sutherland and
NYNEX‘s Intelligent Interface Group’s Empathy Training. There is
unquestionably a huge number of potential applications for video capture and
playback utilizing HMDs. Education, training, not to mention entertainment,
will soon be experienced via such methods. Given the eventuality, I submit that
a see-through display will generally be preferred by end users. An example I
use often: "Would you want your child’s babysitter wearing a helmet
and being unable to see anything else?"
The added dimension offered by immersion, such as full peripheral vision (resulting
in much more realistic feelings of motion) and enhanced feelings of identification
with the camera/protagonist, will enable us to communicate experiences and emotional
viewpoints in entirely new ways. Unfortunately, time constraints did not allow
me to explore this usage of HMDs. Nevertheless, video is the language of AR/VR
and its hybrids, and will become a chief focus when these products finally reach
the consumer level.
METHODOLOGY
The hardware involved in these experiments was as follows. The HMD for display
was a Virtual Research VR4 operating at the relatively modest resolution of
742 x 230, displaying an S-VHS video signal. The input device was a Panasonic
color video camera, small enough to sit comfortably on the head, or easily be
held in the hand without fatigue. In this trial run, the camera was simply held
in the user’s hand. The video signal from this camera, as well as a signal
from video tape, was fed into a Amiga 2500/Video Toaster configuration, and
the resultant signals sent out to the HMD for viewing.
The Video Toaster is a video card capable of luminance keying and numerous real-time
digital video effects, allowing for the blending of four time base corrected
video signals (videotape or camera). By manipulating the various effects, an
array of possibilities becomes apparent. It is not my intention to demonstrate
an end product, but rather a proof of concept for further research.
The video camera served as the subject’s eyes, and the signal was fed
into a TBC I from Digital Processing Systems in conjunction with the videotape
signal. These synchronized elements were then fed into the Video Toaster inputs
one and two. The program out from the Toaster was then fed into a Panasonic
S-VHS deck to provide the signal necessary to drive the VR goggles’ Liquid
Crystal Displays (LCDs). Once this configuration is wired, it is simply a matter
of turning on the luminance keyer or digital effects to generate the desired
effect.
Eight test subjects were brought in to demo the various applications, ranging
in age from nineteen to sixty-five, six males and two females. A simple survey
was conducted among them regarding the quality of the experience, the usefulness
of the device, and their comments on the project.
RESULTS
Generally, the findings were encouraging. If nothing more, my research confirmed
my beliefs that both virtual theater and electronic LSD are viable using essentially
consumer gear. The VR4 goggle input being S-VHS or RGB was the biggest contributing
factor regarding cost, requiring the use of an S-VHS deck that was otherwise
unnecessary. A realistic estimation of the cost of the equipment involved (assuming
the substitution of affordable goggles with composite inputs) would be $1500.
Several factors that detracted from the experience were derived from the nature
of HMDs. Because of the size of the screens involved, and their distance from
the eyes, an impression is given of having your eyes located four to six inches
in front of your face. The relatively low resolution coupled with the pixilated
nature of LCDs diminishes the sense of realism necessary for an effective display.
The participant’s criticisms of the HMD itself included a sense of isolation,
the resolution/display problems, and an overall dissatisfaction with the bulkiness
of the device.
Regarding the luminance keying portion of the research, the video signal was
mapped onto several closed sets of black venetian blinds. With very little adjustment
being required, a more than adequate display was achieved. The users saw their
own hands in front of them, a desk with a workstation, and behind the desk,
the video-mapped window shades. As stated, several factors detracted from the
overall effect, but the desired result was attained.
As this technology migrates downward in price, it will be implemented more commonly
in an industrial training capacity, such as the assembly of complex parts. There
exists an immediate market regarding turnkey installation of AR stations to
aid in the inspection of circuit boards for the oilfield industry. When inspecting
circuit boards using traditional analog tools (magnifying glasses), eye strain
and failure are problems. By tightly focusing a camera from above onto a workbench
area, problems of magnification are eliminated.
Contrary to my expectations, there was more interest regarding the psychedelic
effects than there was in the television display, in both sexes and all age
groups. Of the seven who participated in that portion of the research, all would
consider wearing such a device on occasion, were it less obtrusive. This research
has led to new theories on improving the experiences, in large part due to the
response of participants. The next iteration of electronic LSD will be stereo
3D, the most common request, with the ability to combine digital trail and color
effects. Enhanced Reality?
Likewise, the virtual theater display could be improved immensely by using two
cameras to provide a stereo view, as well as by having a higher resolution display
device. As one of the participants pointed out, the content displayed on the
device plays a crucial role in determining the amount of immersion the user
feels.
DISCUSSION
There currently seems to be a race between three competing technologies as the
next-generation display device: Projectors and liquid crystal shutter glasses,
VR/AR, and flat panel displays. New nanotube technology has the potential to
make some virtual theater applications largely irrelevant. Perfectly formed
glass crystals can now be quickly grown in arrays that are proving to be ideal
for creating high-performance video displays. The race is on, and we as human
beings will ultimately win, regardless of the standards of delivery that arise.
Essentially, I see no reason for a lack of a VR "underground." Currently
the realm of researchers, VR has been an unassailable ivory tower to the public.
Referred to in hushed tones but never experienced by most, it is the stuff of
science fiction.
Indeed, the C.A.V.E. of Chicago’s is the realization of Star Trek’s
Holodeck, but is cost prohibitive for consumer use, apart from theme parks and
theaters. C.A.V.E. immerses participants in a "room without walls,"
using LCD shutter glasses and projected displays to achieve an experience unequaled
elsewhere. If this system can be cost-reduced and used in conjunction with AR,
we would be well on our way toward ultimate reality.
As always, bandwidth and processor power determines the parameters of the experience.
Considering the ongoing trend towards faster-than-real time video rendering,
it would seem that the power of video-based AR systems could soon surpass that
of polygon rendering VR. When you consider that the two disciplines will one
day be unified, such distinctions lose their relevance.
I seek to destroy the barrier that stands before the hobbyist and these new
vistas of human communication. It is discouraging to consider waiting another
ten years for such products to begin to appear on store shelves. Using a video
camera, a VCR, and a HMD, people could begin trading experiences on tape for
others to enjoy in the present term. Considering the potential benefits we may
reap in the fields of entertainment, mass communication, interpersonal communication,
education, medicine, and industry, I am curious as to why VR/AR research seems
to be so localized in the U.S.
There is an enormous amount of basic research waiting to be done by adventurous
researchers and hobbyists. HMDs have applications in each division of college,
and must cease being thought of as solely the domain of computer scientists.
I believe the industry would advance much more quickly with more input from
visual artists, videographers, and end users. With the goals so clearly defined
as to what VR/AR should ultimately resemble, I feel it is urgent to redouble
our efforts to find workable solutions to the many problems facing this potential-laden,
but under-utilized hardware setup.