Peace Bridge Designs Come To Life Virtually At UB

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The final decision on whether to build a "Superspan" or to "twin" the existing Peace Bridge is still months away, but starting this week, all of the proposed bridge and toll plaza designs have come to life, virtually that is, in the Center for Computational Research (CCR) at the University at Buffalo.

Until now, the proposed designs have been available only as blueprints. But thanks to a partnership between CCR, IBC Digital and the Virtual Reality Lab in the UB Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, observers can "walk through" or "fly through" virtual-reality representations of each of the proposed bridge and toll plaza designs.

Sophisticated animations of the bridge designs were showcased in a video produced by IBC Digital on Tuesday during a presentation by the Binational Team to the Public Consensus Review Panel and members of the public in the studios of WNED-TV.

The models are now available to the public review organization and the public in an immersive three-dimensional environment in CCR, located in Norton Hall on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. Stills and video are available on the CCR and IBC Web sites.

This is a critical step, not only for those involved in the decision-making process, but for any Western New Yorker interested in the outcome of the Peace Bridge debate, said Ben Porcari, president of IBC Digital.

"It's very hard to make a $350-million decision based on line drawings or blueprints," he said. "You don't get a sense of scale or of how the bridge fits into the surrounding landscape.

"In virtual reality, on the other hand, you literally will be able to stand in Front Park, look out over the vista and see the bridge. Compare that to staring at a blueprint."

Russ Miller, Ph.D., CCR director and UB professor of computer science, said CCR "is thrilled to be able to provide state-of-the-art technology and expertise to the community. We hope that by presenting the designs in an immersive environment, people will be able to gain additional insight into the project. The combination of IBC Digital's animation capabilities, UB's Virtual Reality Lab expertise and the resources available in the Center for Computational Research provides an excellent example of the synergism that is possible when a New York State university and the private sector cooperate on an issue that is important both to the public and government."

According to Porcari, seeing is believing.

"When you finally see some of these options three dimensionally, using the computer, it's very striking," he said. "You see aesthetically how each design fits into the environment."

Since the designs are animated in "before" and "after" configurations, he said, they also bring to light the drama of how some of the options will affect the surrounding areas.

"It's very simple to say, 'this design will eliminate four blocks of houses;' it's quite another to see them just disappear before your eyes as you do in the animations," he said.

Spectators will experience the virtual-reality images on CCR's Fakespace Systems ImmersaDesk -- the only one in Western New York. The ImmersaDesk is powered by the SGI Onyx 2 supercomputer, which Porcari calls "absolutely the most powerful graphics platform available today."

The work at UB is being coordinated by Thenkurussi Kesavades, Ph.D., professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and director of UB's Virtual Reality Lab.

"When we first looked at the project, we found that this was on such a large scale, it was not something we could just turn around very quickly," said Porcari. "It would dominate our whole production for weeks. But after we discussed it with CCR and UB, they felt strongly that this was a way for the university to use its technology to support the community."

Porcari added that the project took a team of animators working many late nights a full month to complete.

For an appointment to see the virtual-reality designs of the Peace Bridge, please contact CCR at 716-645-6500, ext. 2, or via email at info@ccr.buffalo.edu. Photographs and quick-time video of the designs taken from IBC Digital's video may be viewed at the CCR Web site at http://www.ccr.buffalo.edu and at the IBC Digital Web site at http://ibcdigital.com.