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Overview
RENCI is experimenting with serious applications for virtual worlds, using the Second Life platform, to develop a RENCI island. The RENCI island has numerous prototypes, including a virtual disaster management center with a 3D, real time map, and a prototype of a social computing room, which surrounds occupants of a real-life room with a virtual environment. The disaster management center is a virtual disaster response headquarters, where those involved in response and recovery can meet to share data, coordinate resources, simulate disaster and rescue scenarios, and improve their plans based on the latest data.

Project team
Michael Conway (project leader)
William Shulz

Overview
In addition, web “mash-ups,” aggregate data from the Web, satellites, sensors or databases to create meaningful glances at related information. For example, weather and flood data might be combined with Google Earth and Google Maps to help the user figure out how to travel safely during severe weather. Portal environments, such as NC-First, combine information in a centralized application from diverse sources using web tools, customized shared applications, shared services, security services, and other features to provide better capabilities to users.

Overview
RENCI at UNC-Chapel Hill’s new Manning Information Technology Services building supports the use of visualization technology and advanced computational methods. The state-of-the-art facility includes a Social Computing Room that features 12 NEC WT610 projectors that create a 360-degree 768 x 12,288 display for virtual worlds such as Second Life as well as other immersive and interactive experiences.

Project team
Warren Ginn (project leader)
Ray Idaszak
Jason Coposky
Ruth Marinshaw

Collaborators
Masaya Konishi, UNC Facilities Services
Lee Becker, Hartman-Cox Architects
Ray Jazinsky, Rogers-Hardin