Graphics system reproduces head for movie sequence

From the company that brought youYul Brynner's "eyes," now comes PeterFonda's head-all based on sophisticatedspace age image processing techniques.A couple of years ago Information

International, Inc., Los Angeles, createdspecial effects for the film "Westworld"that simulated the way in which robot-gunslinger Brynner perceived people andobjects as a screen comprised of 3,600tiny squares, each with a uniform color.Now, for the film's sequel, American

International Pictures' "Futureworld,"currently going into general release, thecompany has taken such computergraphics special effects a major leapforward.In "Futureworld," visitors to a futur-

istic resort are replaced by clones, pre-cise duplicates of themselves. Informa-tion International, employing techniquesused for illustrating complex scientificphenomena in 3-D color movies, createdthe special effects for a 40-second sequencein which Fonda's clone is constructed.Fonda was photographed by three

cameras set at precise 45-degree anglesas he was rotated on an index table.Large blowups of the film strips weremade, and placed three at a time on adata tablet with two cursors.An operator then "sculpted" Fonda's

features into a computer memory tocreate the basic topological data. Thisencoded data consisted of the coordinates

of some 4,000 planar polygons of theactor's hair and face.This data then was inserted into a

Grafix I manufactured by InformationInternational. The system is designed toelectronically read printed informationand convert it to digital form for com-puter processing; it can then rearrangeand update the stored information forrepublication. In this instance, it wasemployed to convert the 3-D data onFonda's features into the "look" of hishead from a particular viewpoint, on film.

In the sequence, details of a formlesshead gradually are filled in until the headclearly is Fonda's. This illusion wasachieved by devising short segments offilm, each with more data added."We are.implementing recent computer

techniques to create natural-appearingpictures of 3-dimensional objects in en-vironments," comments John Whitney,Jr., of Information International's motionpicture projects, who worked on theearlier robot's-eye effects and the newillusions."In many ways, these digital computer

processes look to simulate the laws ofnature in the real world of physics. Forevery frame of film we expose, we cal-culate values for perspective; object colorand surface characteristics; position,angle, and center of view; lighting posi-tion, color, and strength; depth cuing,and many other variables."

Actor Peter Fonda being photographed by three cameras as he's rotated on an index table.

By typing in viewpoint program param-eters, they were able to simulate cameramovement, for instance. In part of thesequence, the camera pans past thepartially completed cranial cavity andacross the face as it is being formed.For another sequence, Information

International employed a variation ofimage processing techniques used in theMercury and Mars spacecraft missionsand in simulating Brynner's perspectivein "Westworld." In this 20-second se-quence, three samurai materialize in achamber as part of a character's fantasy.The set was photographed devoid of

actors, and a separate film sequence wasshot of the actors on the same set.Data from the latter film was used toform small triangular patches of color.These patches vary in size and loca-tion, and are regenerated from frame toframe against the unchanging chamberbackground, steadily becoming smallerand increasing in number until theycoalesce as three men. This is the firstcolor matte made entire from the scenecontent.Whitney notes the techniques have po-

tential applications beyond movies, suchas simulating structures for medicalfilms, research, architecture, educationalfilms, and advertising. For more informa-tion contact Information International,Inc., 5933 Slauson Ave., Culver City, CA90230; (213) 390-8611.

October 1976

edited byDemetrios A. Michalopoulos

Associate Professor of Computer SciencesCalifornia State University at Fullerton

NEW APPLICATIONS

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Cows fed by computer

Computers have had a strong andmulti-faceted impact on the daily life ofhumans, but now that impact has evenreached cows.The D.A.C.A. Electronic Engineering &

Contracting Co. of Lelystad, the Nether-lands, recently introduced an electronicsystem which records the amounts of feedconcentrate given to a maximum of 254cows and controls a mechanical feedingactuator. The system is designed to super-vise the food intake of each specific ani-mal according to its own needs as well asto increase milk yields, avoid wastage ofconcentrate, and save human labor. Aftera year-long trial at a Dutch model farm,all of these objectives have been achieved.Designed and engineered specifically

for large dairy farms which have a prob--lem of identifying cows to insure thatthey receive the correct quantity of feedconcentrate at all times, the new systemwas developed originally by D.A.C.A. incooperation with the Dutch Institute forAgricultural Mechanisation.A small transceiver worn by each animal

on its collar is the key to the entire sys-tem. In these transceivers, use is made ofelectromagnetic transfer of energy, thuseliminating batteries. The system alsoincludes a central processing unit, one or

Fingerprints classifiedautomatically

A fully automatic system for classify-ing fingerprints has been demonstratedby Calspan Technology Products. Thesystem is offered to identification bureausas a replacement for manpower-intensivemanual classification and is available inseveral models of varying output speeds,priced from below $50,000 to $200,000.

Prior to classification by the new equip-ment, the print must be read by the FinderAutomatic Fingerprint Reader. This sys-tem, first delivered to the FBI by Cal-span in 1972, automatically converts theprint into digital form and locates thetiny minutiae-ends and branchings ofridge lines-which will later be used todistinguish one finger print from another.Finder also produces data on ridge-valleydirection and enhanced digitized finger-print images.The data is then transferred to the

company's new Fingerprint ClassifierSystem. The system, using Finder data,locates the cores, deltas, type lines, whichdefine the fingerprint's pattern, andcounts ridges between key points in thefingerprint as does a human fingerprintclassifier. By this method, the classifierassigns each fingerprint, by means of astandardized letter code, to one of the 116classifications established by the NationalCrime Information Center of the FBI.A portion of the technology incorporated

in the company's fingerprint identificationsystem had its beginning in Calspan'sdevelopment of the automatic fingerprintreader for the FBI and was subsequentlytested by the FBI and the NationalBureau of Standards. Five readers speci-

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more electronic units for the mangers,and power supply controls for the auto-mated dosing mechanism.As soon as a cow approaches a manger,

its number is received by the mangerelectronics unit via the signal from thetransceiver. This number is relayed to thecentral processing unit where all of thespecific data relating to that cow is storedin a memory.From this data, the central control

panel then ascertains whether the ani-mal should receive concentrate at thattime. If so, a vibrating pipe above theparticular manger is opened auto-matically by the central processing paneland a predetermined quantity of con-centrate is given to the cow. Simul-taneously, the cow's number and the con-centrate dose are indicated digitally on akeyboard and recorded in the memory ofcentral processing. The memory is pro-tected against breakdowns in the powersupply so that none of the programmeddata can ever be lost. Thus, it is possi-ble to maintain constant supervision ofeach cow's individual daily regimen, andto increase or reduce its concentrate in-take according to its needs.For further details, write to the Nether-

lands Consulate General, Commercial Divi-sion 529, One Rockefeller Plaza, NewYork, NY 10020.

fied to copy Finder logic are now beingproduced for the FBI. These modelsdigitize prints and locate minutiae, but donot include the logic to automaticallyclassify or match prints. Calspan Technol-ogy Products also markets fingerprint-based personal identification systemsused for access control by banks, computercenters, military installations, utilities,and other organizations wishing to con-trol access to prescribed areas. For furtherinformation contact Calspan TechnologyProducts, Inc., Buffalo, NY 14221; (716)632-7500.

Calspan engineer operates fully-automaticsystem for classifying fingerprints. Thefingerprint is described in digital formby an automatic fingerprint reader andthe data is then used by the classifier todefine the fingerprint's pattern.

CPU determines proper feeding times forcows. On impulse from the central pro-cessing panel, a vibrating pipe in themanger opens and drops a predeterminedquantity of feed.

Citibank decentralizes DP

First National City Bank, the nation'ssecond largest, has begun to decentralizea portion of its data processing operationswith small computers built by Interdata,Inc. of Oceanport, New Jersey.John L. Hughes, vice president for data

processing of Citibank's Securities &Government Services Group, said use ofthe Interdata Model 8/32 Megamini com-puter systems will enable his group to cutcomputer operating costs in half.Eight completed Megamini systems cost

approximately $2.4 million, compared to$3 million for two large IBM Model 370/158 systems. The Interdata setup alsoprovides six times more computing power,according to Hughes.Each of four divisions within the Citi-

bank group will install two InterdataMegamini systems. Each Megamini willinclude 524K bytes of high speed main-frame memory, three 300M byte disks,two 75 ips tape drives, four 45 ips tapedrives, two 600 Ipm line printers and ap-proximately 20 local and remote cathoderay tube terminals.The systems will run on Interdata's

real-time OS/32MT multitasking operat-ing system, use COBOL for the applica-tions software. The Interdata system alsoincludes special terminal managementand database management software.Citibank channels using the Interdata

systems are Financial Institutions; Trans-portation, Aerospace and Energy Sys-tems; Commodities, Industrial ConsumerGoods and Retail-Wholesale; and RealEstate, Mortgage Companies and RealEstate Investment Trust.For further information contact Inter-

data, a subsidiary of Perkin-Elxner, Ocean-port, NJ 07757.

COMPUTER