Metatopia Multiverse is a vast project with many interesting areas of development. This is a complete systems redesign from the ground up with enhancements at every level of design. Initial efforts have begun with the development of a traditional Internet/PC based platform that will phase in new elements and transition as the hardware platform is developed. Each of the areas outlined below will be included in this project. They are not listed in any particular order. Each area will be updated with it's own web space as development is undertaken. Following those links will display status of each of the development areas as they progress.
If a section does not have an active link that means the area is yet to be developed, and is open for solicited involvement. Please e-mail us with your interest and the requirements for the given task will be made available. Please also check the help wanted section of SourceForge for active project recruitment.
Some of the following links are for active registered developers and may require password access to off-site servers. The particulars for a given project will be given to developers that have been accepted into a given project group. See the assigned project leader for your startup packet at time of acceptance.
In e-mail queries please list one of the following section titles in the subject of your e-mail so that it may be directed to the right place.
Server Development - Our server is to be retooled from the ground up. It's function will be focused on delivering Metatopia content exclusively. Metatopia content will consist of Raw Binary, Document, Audio, Video and VRWorld data types. The protocols used will be hammered out until they are as simple as possible. The hardware will provide multiple parallel network streams. The traditional layering will be replaced with parallel processing, and no HAL . Only minimal hardware will be provided, network and memory. That's it. No video, USB, none of it. We will make use of a system similar to Chuck Moore's Haypress Creek Array. The Server will bridge the Internet and the Exo-Net. It will convert real time data streams between standard TCP/IP protocols and Exo-Net protocols. It will accept a standard network cable and provide hub services. Initially 4 ports. It will also have a multi-channel WiFi subsystem with a high gain antenna and high power transmitter.
Network Interface Design. - The network interface design will initially consist of a carefully selected off the shelf device and eventually migrate to a GreenArrays only device with the exception of still requiring an external Phy.
WiFi Interface design.
- The new design will be similar to WiFi but like everything else in
this project, re-engineered. It will employ 3 separate
bands all with the latest in reliability technology. Two of these will be
low power, one high power.
Video interface development. Our video interface will consist of 2 Stereo High Resolution displays. Each channel will have dedicated hardware, and be developed using GreenArrays technologies. The video display it's self will be in the form of a full filed of view FOLED technology to take advantage of it's rich colors, resolution and low power. The system will process data in a modified scan-line technique, optimized for LOD with a very new twist.
Multi-channel Wireless Interface. The visors will have multi- channel WiFi interfaces for Hive networking, load sharing of matrix traffic and allow for connecting to multiple access points. Examples would be accessing the mesh and a local VR World server simultaneously. The third channel is for the pointer interface.
VR Visor Industrial Design. The design needs to be clean light weight and aesthetically pleasing. We should expect some individuals to wear these as a status symbol, or for long periods of time. The units also need to be very durable. Multiple deigns will be examined for use in schools, industrial applications, and for a variety of user types.
Audio interface development. The audio interface will consist of 3D stereo sound with psycoacoustics enhancements.
Power management development. We will make use of the best and highest efficiency developments available. Lithium Ion cells will be the first choice here and will be distributed throughout the mechanical structure in conjunction with the PCBs. We will take advantage of thin wall construction techniques used in today's laptops among other things.
PCB design - Initial development phases will focus on prototyping and the requirements will be pretty lax. But by the time we are done we will need some very good mixed signal designs that are immune to some pretty harsh environmental conditions. A Portable device with wireless can be very tricky when it cohabits an assembly with high frequency digital, a nice challenge for some.
Miniaturization and manufacturability. In the advanced phases we will be looking to miniaturize and hybridize some of the subsystems to improve packaging and manufacturability.
We will have a hands free pointing device that will allow for gestural capabilities and Haptics. But how could that be done hands free? Join the hardware group and find out.
Pointing interface development. The new Haptics interface will be developed based upon the latest bio interfaces being investigated at universities. The technology proposed for this is a full generation ahead and will provide for full gestural interpretation.
Feedback interface development. This area is highly experimental and is based on some new tricks and some old tricks. I don't want to give any real details here as the technology is highly proprietary.
Single-channel WiFi interface development.