OP_ERA

The first OP_ERA installation began in 2000. At that time, there was no digital CAVE system in Latin America, so the solution was to develop a portable setup composed of a computer with three graphic outputs, a three-wall projection system, and a user-tracking device. A public demonstration of this prototype took place on May 24–25, 2001, at Teatro II, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB), Rio de Janeiro. Conceived as a portable virtual reality system in a stage-like format, OP_ERA was implemented through three parallel development tracks: - Haptic interface development — a matrix of infrared sensors functioning as a sensitive surface, capable of detecting the interactor’s position and orientation in space. - Artificial agent development (computer: hardware and software) — an architecture able to (1) convert and interpret sensory inputs, (2) simulate spatial models, and (3) render and present data as real-time graphics and sound elements. - Construction of the interaction environment — a physical “box” space in which the floor operated as the sensitive surface, while the back wall, right wall, and stage opening formed three projection planes.Work Overview