From Irish Times (03/23/07) Lillington, Karlin
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin are constructing an immersive 3D replica of the city, complete with pedestrians, stonework, and the ability to pan upwards for a vertical view. The people who walk the streets of Virtual Dublin wear various clothes that move separately from their bodies, and the carvings on the side of buildings can be appreciated for their detail. “This is much more realistic than [online virtual world] Second Life,” says TCD computer science professor Carol O’Sullivan. “It’s a good framework for doing studies into human perception.” While the most obvious use for the technology developed by the effort, known as Project Metropolis, would be video games, the work could also contribute to health care and urban planning, as EU regulations will require planners to provide citizens with simulations that take into account road noise, pedestrian traffic, and the aesthetic effects of new buildings. “This will improve our understanding of the human brain,” explains TCD cognitive neuroscientist Fiona Newell. “A world like this could be used to rehabilitate people who are socially disabled–who are agoraphobic, perhaps, or autistic–because all the variables can be controlled. You could also safely put people into otherwise dangerous situations.” So far, 2 square km of the planned 5 square km have been completed in high detail, and there are currently 50,000 virtual people walking the streets. Project Metropolis is part of a 2.5 million euro Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) initiative.
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