SPU-Darwin: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "{{Infobox company | name = Strategic Project Unit – Darwin | type = Division | parent = LEGO A/S | key_people = Dent-de-Lion du Midi | founded = {{Start date|1996-01}} | defunct = {{End date|1999}} | fate = Disbanded | hq_location_city = Billund | hq_location_country = Denmark | successor = LEGO Media International }} '''Strategic Project Unit – Darwin''' (SPU-Darwin) was a Wikipedia:Research and deve...")
 
m (Make the LEGO Group link titled LEGO A/S for consistency)
 
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| name = Strategic Project Unit – Darwin  
| name = Strategic Project Unit – Darwin  
| type = [[Wikipedia:Division (business)|Division]]
| type = [[Wikipedia:Division (business)|Division]]
| parent = [[LEGO A/S]]
| parent = [[The LEGO Group|LEGO A/S]]
| key_people = Dent-de-Lion du Midi
| key_people = Dent-de-Lion du Midi
| founded = {{Start date|1996-01}}
| founded = {{Start date|1996|1}}
| defunct = {{End date|1999}}
| defunct = {{End date|1999}}
| fate = Disbanded
| fate = Disbanded
| hq_location_city = [[Wikipedia:Billund|Billund]]
| hq_location_city = [[Wikipedia:Billund, Denmark|Billund]]
| hq_location_country = Denmark
| hq_location_country = Denmark
| successor = [[LEGO Media International]]
| successor = [[LEGO Media International]]
}}
}}
'''Strategic Project Unit – Darwin''' (SPU-Darwin) was a [[Wikipedia:Research and development|research and development]] unit which led the LEGO Group's digitization efforts from 1996 to 1999.
'''Strategic Project Unit – Darwin''' (shortened to '''SPU-Darwin''' or simply '''Darwin''') was a [[Wikipedia:Research and development|research and development]] unit which led the LEGO Group's digitization efforts from 1996 to 1999. The unit was responsible for a number of developments including:
 
* [[Wikipedia:Virtual reality|Virtual reality]] demonstrations codeveloped with MultiGen Inc. which allowed people to interact with objects in a shared virtual 3D environment using hand movement and gestures. The demonstrations were showcased at [[Wikipedia:SIGGRAPH|SIGGRAPH]] 1996 as ''Virtual LEGO Village''<ref name="ACM"/><ref name="Jacobson"/> and at SIGGRAPH 1998 as ''Batlord's Castle''<ref name="ronin bat"/>, a digital replica of the Fright Knight's Night Lord Castle (6097) set<ref name="VWN"/>
The unit was responsible for many pioneering efforts including:
* The first LEGO sets to include CD-ROMs, featuring animated building instructions and other interactive experiences. The first was codenamed "Rubber Duck" and released as "Nautilus" (8299).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blog.fullframestudios.ch/lego-rubberduck-8299-cd-rom/ |title=LEGO – RubberDuck (8299) CD-ROM |first=Alex |last=Furer |year=2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712073755/https://www.blog.fullframestudios.ch/lego-rubberduck-8299-cd-rom/ |archive-date=12 July 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> It was quickly followed by "Burning Rubber"<ref>{{cite thesis |url=https://www.bartneck.de/publications/1997/burningRubber/bartneckDiplom1997.pdf |title=Burning Rubber Concept |first=Christoph |last=Bartneck |date=5 September 1997 |publisher=FH Design & Medien, [[Wikipedia:Leibniz University Hannover|Leibniz-Universität Hannover]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108224537/https://www.bartneck.de/publications/1997/burningRubber/bartneckDiplom1997.pdf |archive-date=2023-11-08}}</ref> released as "Turbo Command" (8428).
* Virtual reality demonstrations like ''Virtual LEGO Village'' which allowed people to collaboratively interact with objects in a virtual 3D environment using hand movement and gestures and was exhibited at SIGGRAPH 1996.<ref>https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/30_The-Virtual-Lego-Village.pdf</ref><ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20100712115710/http://www.talisman.org/~erlkonig/lego/lego-on-sgis/Main.html</ref> A Castle-themed version called ''Batlord's Castle'' was produced and shown at SIGGRAPH 1998.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20010420114005/http://www.roninworks.com:80/Wizards/BatlordsCastle.html</ref><ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20100929125221/http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/09/lego-universe-f.html</ref>
* LEGO 3D Database (''L3D''), an internal database of 3D LEGO bricks and models<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.spu-darwin.org/posts/hello-world/ |title=Digital LEGO |website=LEGO Darwin |date=May 14, 2013 |first=Julian |last=Gómez |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712073749/https://www.spu-darwin.org/posts/hello-world/ |archive-date=July 12, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* The first LEGO set to include a CD-ROM, codenamed "Rubber Duck" and released as 8299 Nautilus. The CD-ROM contained animated building instructions.<ref>https://www.blog.fullframestudios.ch/lego-rubberduck-8299-cd-rom/</ref>
* ''L3D'', an internal database of 3D LEGO bricks and models<ref>https://www.spu-darwin.org/posts/hello-world/</ref>
 
== References ==
{{reflist}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
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* [https://www.blog.fullframestudios.ch/tag/lego/ Alex Furer's posts on SPU-Darwin] as a founding member
* [https://www.blog.fullframestudios.ch/tag/lego/ Alex Furer's posts on SPU-Darwin] as a founding member
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2OA2CtjJxU First LEGO Trailer SPU Darwin], a "technical demonstration of the Real-Time Content Engine developed by the Wizard Group at SPU Darwin in 1998"
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2OA2CtjJxU First LEGO Trailer SPU Darwin], a "technical demonstration of the Real-Time Content Engine developed by the Wizard Group at SPU Darwin in 1998"
* [https://archive.org/details/project-darwin-videos Images and videos related to SPU-Darwin] preserved at Internet Archive
== References ==
(refs to use)<ref name="ronin yoda"/>{{R|BNB16}}
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="ACM">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/visualproceeding0000sigg/page/87/mode/2up?view=theater |chapter-url=https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/30_The-Virtual-Lego-Village.pdf |title=Visual Proceedings: The Art and Interdisciplinary Programs of SIGGRAPH 96 |year=1996 |publisher=The Association for Computing Machinery, Inc |location=[[Wikipedia:New York City|New York]] |isbn=0-89791-784-7 |issn=1069-5419 |page=88 <!--the separate PDF says 90, but the book on IA says 88--> |chapter=Digital Bayou – The Virtual Lego Village |editor-first1=Brian |editor-last1=Blau |editor-first2=Clark |editor-last2=Dodsworth |editor-first3=Linda |editor-last3=Branagan |editor-first4=Jean |editor-last4=Ippolito |editor-first5=Ken |editor-last5=Mugrave |editor-first6=Warren |editor-last6=Waggenspack |display-editors=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712090944/https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/30_The-Virtual-Lego-Village.pdf |archive-date=12 July 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="BNB16">{{cite web |url=https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blt4212e2be20008c99/bits_n_bricks_s01e16_darwin_feature_and_transcript.pdf |title=Episode 16 – Darwin |last1=Crecente |first1=Brian |last2=Vincent |first2=Ethan |others=Participants: Claude Aebersold, Alex Furer, Julian Gómez, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, and Bjarne Tveskov |work=[[Bits N' Bricks]] |type=Podcast |publisher=The LEGO Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240701072007/https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blt4212e2be20008c99/bits_n_bricks_s01e16_darwin_feature_and_transcript.pdf |archive-date=1 July 2024 |url-status=live}} [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-OARKDuHCs Audio version] via YouTube.</ref>
<ref name="Jacobson">{{cite web |url=http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1996/December/lego.html |title=LEGO Virtual Village |first=Linda |last=Jacobson |date=January 6, 1997 |website=[[Wikipedia:Silicon Graphics|Silicon Graphics]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/19970605215648/http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1996/December/lego.html |archive-date=1997-06-05}} [http://www.talisman.org/~erlkonig/lego/lego-on-sgis/Main.html Mirror] by Erlkönig on Talisman.</ref>
<ref name="ronin bat">{{cite web |url=http://www.roninworks.com:80/Wizards/BatlordsCastle.html |title=Batlord's Castle |date=2000-07-07 |website=RoninWorks |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20010420114005/http://www.roninworks.com:80/Wizards/BatlordsCastle.html |archive-date=2001-04-20}}</ref>
<ref name="ronin yoda">{{cite web |url=http://www.roninworks.com:80/Wizards/Yoda.htm |title=Yoda LEGO assembler |date=2000-07-07 |website=RoninWorks |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20010421043509/http://www.roninworks.com:80/Wizards/Yoda.htm |archive-date=2001-04-21}}</ref>
<ref name="VWN">{{cite web |url=http://www.virtualworldsnews.com:80/2008/09/lego-universe-f.html |title=Lego Universe: From the child on the floor to the user online |website=Virtual World News |date=September 19, 2008 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20081025112209/http://www.virtualworldsnews.com:80/2008/09/lego-universe-f.html |archive-date=2008-10-25}}</ref>
}}

Latest revision as of 06:08, 16 July 2024

Strategic Project Unit – Darwin
Company typeDivision
FoundedJanuary 1996 (1996-01)
Defunct1999 (1999)
FateDisbanded
SuccessorLEGO Media International
Headquarters,
Denmark
Key people
Dent-de-Lion du Midi
ParentLEGO A/S

Strategic Project Unit – Darwin (shortened to SPU-Darwin or simply Darwin) was a research and development unit which led the LEGO Group's digitization efforts from 1996 to 1999. The unit was responsible for a number of developments including:

  • Virtual reality demonstrations codeveloped with MultiGen Inc. which allowed people to interact with objects in a shared virtual 3D environment using hand movement and gestures. The demonstrations were showcased at SIGGRAPH 1996 as Virtual LEGO Village[1][2] and at SIGGRAPH 1998 as Batlord's Castle[3], a digital replica of the Fright Knight's Night Lord Castle (6097) set[4]
  • The first LEGO sets to include CD-ROMs, featuring animated building instructions and other interactive experiences. The first was codenamed "Rubber Duck" and released as "Nautilus" (8299).[5] It was quickly followed by "Burning Rubber"[6] released as "Turbo Command" (8428).
  • LEGO 3D Database (L3D), an internal database of 3D LEGO bricks and models[7]

External links

References

(refs to use)[9][10]

  1. Blau, Brian; Dodsworth, Clark; et al., eds. (1996). "Digital Bayou – The Virtual Lego Village" (PDF). Visual Proceedings: The Art and Interdisciplinary Programs of SIGGRAPH 96. New York: The Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. p. 88. ISBN 0-89791-784-7. ISSN 1069-5419. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 July 2024.
  2. Jacobson, Linda (January 6, 1997). "LEGO Virtual Village". Silicon Graphics. Archived from the original on 1997-06-05. Mirror by Erlkönig on Talisman.
  3. "Batlord's Castle". RoninWorks. 2000-07-07. Archived from the original on 2001-04-20.
  4. "Lego Universe: From the child on the floor to the user online". Virtual World News. September 19, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-10-25.
  5. Furer, Alex (2011). "LEGO – RubberDuck (8299) CD-ROM". Archived from the original on 12 July 2024.
  6. Bartneck, Christoph (5 September 1997). Burning Rubber Concept (PDF) (Thesis). FH Design & Medien, Leibniz-Universität Hannover. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-11-08.
  7. Gómez, Julian (May 14, 2013). "Digital LEGO". LEGO Darwin. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024.
  8. https://www.blog.fullframestudios.ch/animagica-the-lego-movie/
  9. "Yoda LEGO assembler". RoninWorks. 2000-07-07. Archived from the original on 2001-04-21.
  10. Crecente, Brian; Vincent, Ethan. "Episode 16 – Darwin" (PDF). Bits N' Bricks (Podcast). Participants: Claude Aebersold, Alex Furer, Julian Gómez, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, and Bjarne Tveskov. The LEGO Group. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 July 2024. Audio version via YouTube.