Ascension Technology Newsletter - 2004 Home > News > Newsletter -2004 December 1, 2004 NEW NOISE-REDUCTION SOFTWARE FROM ASCENSION AUTOMATICALLY DETECTS OPTIMAL OPERATING FREQUENCY FOR YOUR TRACKING ENVIRONMENT Earlier this year, Ascension brought you the Environmental Analyzer, a hand-held device to help users find the optimal operating frequencies and locations in their tracking environment. Now we have streamlined the process even further by developing a program that will run your tracker in a mode that measures the interfering noise in the environment and determines the best measurement rate automatically. This noise reduction program is integrated with all of Ascension's RS232 and ISA trackers: Flock of Birds, miniBIRD, Nest of Birds and MotionStar Wired. Existing customers may Click Here to download the program and system requirements from our FTP site. Click Here for the Press Release. November 9, 2004 ASCENSION'S MOTIONSTAR WIRLESS CONTINUTES TO BE A MOTION-CAPTURE FAVORITE OF BLOCKBUSTER GAME DEVELOPERS On November 12th, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) releases The Getaway: Black Monday for PlayStation 2, created in part using MotionStar Wireless. With great success in using a five-performer MotionStar Wireless system for the original The Getaway, released in January 2003, SCEE boasts over 3 million copies sold. And the sequel is anticipated to be even more gripping and realistic than the original. Click here for more information about Black Monday: www.blackmonday.co.uk NetDragon Websoft, Inc. of China has just released their multi-player on-line game Conquer which was also created using MotionStar Wireless. They are offering a free download to play at www.conqueronline.com October 15, 2004 ASCENSION TAKES HOME R&D 100 AWARD - THE OSCAR OF INVENTION Senior design engineer, Wes Ashe today accepted Ascension's second prestigious R&D 100 award at the 42nd annual awards banquet in Chicago. Ashe accepted on behalf of the Ascension team, pictured below, that developed microBIRD -- a unique new tracking device for guiding medical instruments to targets inside the human body. Dubbed the "Oscars of Invention" by the Chicago Tribune, the awards are marks of excellence for the top 100 new products of the year. With 20,000 new products released each year, winning an R&D 100 awards places a product in extremely elite company. Over the years, R&D 100 awards have gone to some of the most successful products in the marketplace including the Fax Machine, HDTV, Liquid Crystal Display and Smart Skis. Wes Ashe accepts the R&D 100 Award for 2004 microBIRD product development team members, from left to right, Charles Robertson, Ernie Blood, Crystal LaPlant, Joe Durfee and Wes Ashe. October 1, 2004 NEW ASCENSION VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS ROLE OF 3D GUIDANCE IN MEDICAL IMAGING AND INTERVENTION Ascension today released its newest video showing how its advanced magnetic tracking devices are used in the medical industry. In addition to showcasing current uses in 3D ultrasound, simulation and image-guided procedures, the video describes emerging applications in minimally invasive procedures. For upcoming applications, Ascension has developed microBIRD -- a six degrees-of-freedom magnetic tracking device with immunity from many common metals found in medical environments. A family of miniaturized sensors and multiple transmitter options now enable Ascension to deliver the right configuration for the most demanding requirements. To watch this video on-line or download it -Click Here. To request a CD copy of the video be mailed to you, Click Here. September 10, 2004 LEADING MEDICAL RESEARCHERS PUBLISH PAPERS MADE POSSIBLE WITH ASCENSION TRACKERS The medical journals Surgery and Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology recently published papers reporting progress in the development of new medical procedures thanks in part to 3D localization devices from Ascension. In Surgery (2004; 136:84-92), James Ellsmere, MD, and colleagues published " A New Visualization Technique for Laparoscopic Ultrasonography." Laparoscopic ultrasonography now helps clinicians detect hepatic metastases and stage hepatic and pancreatic malignancies. One problem in using the technique, however, is visualizing the orientation of the ultrasonography image. By adding a 5 mm-wide miniBIRD sensor to the tip of an laparoscopic ultrasound probe, Ellsmere was able to continuously track the ultrasonic transducer and display the plane of its image relative to a 3D model of the aorta. The technique improves a surgeon's ability to interpret what he is seeing and make faster and more accurate diagnoses. The work also points the way for additional novel uses of guidance systems in minimally invasive procedures. In Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (Vol. 30, No. 7, pp 999-1008, 2004), Daniel Leotta, PhD, published " An Efficient Calibration Method for Freehand 3D Ultrasound Imaging Systems." Quantitative 3D ultrasound imaging depends on the accurate registration of multiple 2D image planes in a 3D coordinate system. Dr. Leotta reports on the development of a phantom for quick calibration of a freehand 3D ultrasound imaging system. 3D reconstructions performance of the calibrated system was demonstrated using an Ascension Flock of Bird tracker for registration of the freehand scans. Leotta's work reduces phantom complexity and user interaction while providing clinicians with a practical method for fast and accurate calibration of a 3D ultrasound system. August 25, 2004 FAMILY OF MAGNETIC FIELD TRANSMITTERS NOW AVAILABLE FOR TRACKING OVER SHORT, MID AND LONG RANGES Getting the best performance out of your magnetic tracker depends highly on the signal strength of the emitted magnetic field. Ascension now offers four separate transmitter options for use with our pulsed DC and AC magnetic trackers. Whether you want to track motions at short, mid or long range, we have the right option for you.Choices run from a small lightweight transmitter designed for precise, close-range usage to a powerful long-range transmitter pair, providing enough coverage for multiple performers to be tracked throughout a full-sized room. Click Here for more information and convenient chart that will help you choose the right transmitter for your application. July 15, 2004 Ascension's microBIRD Wins Prestigious R & D 100 Award Ascension Technology Corporation is proud to announce it has received the prestigious R & D Magazine R & D 100 Award for development of the microBIRD™ position and orientation tracking device. This award recognizes microBIRD as one of the 100 most technologically significant products for 2004. The microBIRD tracker instantly measures the six degrees-of-freedom location of one or more sensors -- just 1.8 mm wide -- for applications in medicine, biomechanics, robotics and research and design. R & D Magazine’s R&D 100 Awards have served as a mark of excellence known to industry, government, and academia for decades, proving the awarded product is one of the most innovative ideas of the year. June 22, 2004 WHAT'S NEW AT ASCENSION Here's a brief overview of news and announcements recently sent out to customers and media sources: 3D Navigator 3D Navigator features Advanced DC Magnetic Technology for real-time interaction with graphical data sets while providing highly accurate six degrees-of-freedom tracking of a user’s head and a handheld Wanda 3D pointer. 3D Navigator’s magnetic field transmitter includes a 42-inch high mounting pedestal. 3D Navigator offers full freedom of movement without trailing cables and offers quick set up, portability and ease of use. MotionStar Wireless 2 Now Available MotionStar Wireless 2 with new and improved Advanced DC Tracking Technology and complimentary loan of our Environmental Analyzer overcomes the metal, noise and accuracy problems that once plagued magnetic mocap. Use it to capture the full-body motions of as many as five performers in real time for multiple character interaction. Without occlusion or perceptible lag. Upgrade kits are available for current MotionStar Wireless users. laserBIRD 2 Now Available laserBIRD 2 is now the fastest and the most accurate tracker available for head tracking in simulators and trainers. Positional accuracy has been improved 33 percent to 0.7 mm RMS. Angular accuracy has been improved 50 percent to 0.5 degrees, and the tracker’s overall dynamic accuracy has improved 40 percent. In addition, laserBIRD’s field of vision has been expanded 30 percent along with an angular range increase of 5-10 percent. The tracker’s emitter has a small form factor and can be mounted quickly without calibration and alignment requirements on both fixed and moving platforms. Ascension Improves Web site Check out the following new features on our web site: Streaming video of our mocap products is now available for live viewing or download from our homepage Optimizing Tracker Performance Your DC magnetic tracker will operate as specified for many years to come, provided you take a few straightforward steps to minimize metallic distortion (inaccurate measurements) and environmental noise (jittery data). Upgraded to ISO 9001:2001 Ascension Technology is proud to announce that its ISO 9001 Certificate of Registration has been upgraded to ISO 9001:2000 from ISO 9001:1994. This upgrade represents Ascension’s continued commitment to providing outstanding products and services to our customers. SAAB Tech Selects laserBIRD SaabTech has chosen Ascension Technology’s laserBIRD for head tracking in the Within Visual Range (WVR) air combat simulator. Click here for Press Release. Canadian Helicopter Verifies Night Vision System with Ascension's laserBIRD The National Research Council of Canada’s Institute for Aerospace Research (NRC-IAR), in collaboration with QinetiQ, has developed a helicopter augmented reality night vision system using Ascension Technology’s laserBIRD tracker. Click here for Press Release. Ascension and NexGen Sign Distribution Agreement Ascension is pleased to announce the signing of a non-exclusive distribution agreement with NexGen Ergonomics, Inc. NexGen will now offer Ascension’s Flock of Birds, MotionStar and other motion tracking devices for ergonomics and biomechanical job analysis, design and research.Click here for Press Release. June 16, 2004 Ascension Wins Phase II SBIR Grant Ascension today announced it has received a Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) award to further development of its tracking technologies. A grant from the U.S. Air Force will be used to develop new and improved optical tracking technologies for use in military simulators and virtual environments. April 14, 2004 New Ascension Sensors Track Motion in Small Spaces Ascension Technology has just broken the size barrier with the introduction of microBIRD™. Ascension’s newest tracker instantly measures the six degrees-of-freedom location of one or more sensors -- just 1.8 mm wide -- for applications in medicine, biomechanics, robotics and R & D. February 19, 2004 Ascension and VizEveryWhere Form Strategic Alliance for PC-Based Immersive Solutions Ascension Technology and VizEveryWhere LLC, which make complimentary tracking and stereo display products, announce a strategic alliance to market affordable real-time immersive systems. Co-operatively, the companies will offer an array of interactive systems that let users immerse themselves in and fly through virtual representations of graphical 3D datasets. Applications include virtual design, group visualization and biomedical analysis. Ascension will provide its new 3D Navigator™ for use with VizEveryWhere visualization systems, including its VizWall™ and Viz3D™ projectors. VizWall is the world’s first PC stereo, edge-blended visualization system. January 19, 2004 CIMIT's Dawson wins Satava Award Ascension would like to congratulate Dr. Steven L. Dawson, MD, who was presented with the 10th annual Satava Award at the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality conference this month. Each year, the award is given to an individual or research group who have demonstrated unique vision and commitment to the improvement of medicine with advanced technology. Dawson received this prestigious award in recognition of his visionary contributions to medical learning. Among his many other achievements, Dr. Dawson was program leader in the development of the VIRGIL Chest Trauma Training Simulator, a project conceived and completed by the Simulation Group of the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology. VIRGIL is used to teach Army medics how to treat collapsed lungs and blood or air in the chest cavity. Ascension was a partner in the VIRGIL project: Ascension’s miniBIRD tracks the position and movement of the instruments and chest tubes used with the simulator. January 16, 2004 Ascension Featured in Upcoming VPT "Quest" Episode Ascension Technology, based in Milton, VT, will be featured in an exciting episode of Maine PBS’s QUEST, a northern New England regional television series. The show will air on Vermont Public Television at 9 pm on Tuesday, January 27, and at 5 pm on Thursday, January 29. The episode, titled “Bodies in Motion: The Biomechanics of Sports,” shows how Ascension and Innovative Sports Training of Chicago, IL, have teamed up to apply their high tech products to solving real-world problems such as improving a golfer’s swing. Back to Top