Notable Projects of William L. Chapin

Presented in chronological order

Note: All projects on this page were led, top-level designed, resourced, planned, managed, and delivered by W. Chapin.  In most cases they were also conceived by W. Chapin, with the exception of: The externally conceived projects were brought to him as problems needing a solution, subject to specified requirements. 

1984
NSB Progressive Energy-Efficient Construction Technique
Where Northfield Solar Builders, Northfield, MN
What Staggered double-wall super-insulated construction technique, featuring all-weather-wood foundation. 
Why Minnesota features 8980 degree-days per year in its climate.  By conserving existing energy, homes can be kept comfortable with very little new energy.  Benefits: New or retrofit cost-efficient, resource-efficient, and high-performing.  Innovation: structure is built with standard 2x4 construction, but with vapor-barrier on the outside.  The outer wall is hung from the truss tails with gussets, which works new or retrofit.  Vapor-barrier is not penetrated by electrical, plumbing, or HVAC.  Two-thirds of the insulation must be on the outside of the vapor-barrier to keep from condensation. 
Who W. Chapin was the design partner of a builder's coop.  Collaborated with partners Chris Sammond, Bernie Street, John Tripp, and Eric Johnson. 
Published Progressive Builder Magazine, September 1986, Full section
1988
UIUC Engineering Design in 3D
Where Department of General Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
What With NSF grant, designed, developed, and taught coursework to train engineers to think and work in 3D which became standard 20 years later. 
Why The previous 75 years of engineering training, engineers were taught to compress all ideas into 2D with descriptive geometry for design and communication.  Pleck and Woodley had already developed a 2D CAD program to teach engineering graphics to freshman engineers, utilizing AutoCAD.  AutoCAD was on version 2.5 at the time, which had only rudimentary 3D support.  This project collaborated with Autodesk, which released AutoCAD version 2.6, R9, and R10 during the period, each successively adding more 3D support.  AutoCAD Release 11 (1990) finally reflected all of the demands of the coursework, except solid modeling, which was supported separately as AutoSolid at the time. 
Who W. Chapin was the initiator and driving force.  Advisors and principal investigators, Prof Michael Pleck and Prof Thomas Woodley had previously brought 2D CAD into the engineers' entry course on descriptive geometry. 
Published NSF Grant 
Findings were published by Pleck and Woodley after W. Chapin transferred to Stanford. 
1989
GDECD GDE Car Designer / Virtual Driving Simulator
Where Automotive Systems Lab, Dept of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. 
Completed at the Design Division, Dept of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University
What Developed real-time 3D graphic driving simulator using a discrete 5DOF dynamic model, and real-time input for steering and throttle from external controllers. 
Why Went into engineering to design automobiles.  At UIUC I selected General Engineering, where I could build my own course of study, combining Engineering Design, Industrial Design, and Automotive Engineering.  Two vehicle dynamics courses from Robert White had me designing suspensions and running simulation models.  This project combined my interest in immersive simulation, 3D, and automotive engineering.  The simulator was written in AutoLisp, the 3D graphics were displayed in AutoCAD, and it ran in real-time on a PC. 
Who W. Chapin advised at UIUC by Prof. Robert White and L. Daniel Metz.  Advised at Stanford by Bill Verplank and Dennis Boyle
Published GDECD
1990
VirtualHandController
Where Center for Design Research, Stanford University
Inherited by Virtual Technologies, Palo Alto, CA
What Developed first-known dynamic virtual human hand, VirtualHand, with full dexterity for telemanipulation.  Proprietary to Virtual Technologies (cofounder), it was acquired by Immersion Corporation.
Why The VHC enabled dexterous manipulation of 3D virtual objects, the basis of W. Chapin's doctoral thesis.  The VHC enabled Jim Kramer's Talking Glove to be an input device for Virtual Reality (VR) systems.  Chapin and Kramer co-founded Virtual Technologies, Inc as the combination of VHC and the Talking Glove. 
Who W. Chapin and James F. Kramer were fellow doctoral students advised by Prof. Larry Leifer.  J. Kramer had invented a linear, solid-state electronic goiniometer, which he employed within an instrumented glove as part of his "Talking Glove" project. 
Published VSEL VirtualHand Project  Video
1991
ARS Acoustic Room Simulation (ARS)
Where Telepresence Research, Palo Alto, CA and Crystal River Engineering, Groveland, CA
What Initiated a series of hardware and software innovations in real-time audio simulation that progressed through 1997.  Co-developed acoustic room simulation (ARS) technology for modeling spatial acoustic environments that convey virtual presence, 1992.  ARS subsequently became proprietary to Creative Labs, Inc. 
Why The first version ARS1 was seminal and all subsequent iterations were additive.  The development culminated in "wave-tracing" (see 1994 below). 
Who W. Chapin collaborating with Scott H. Foster and Elizabeth M. Wenzel 
Published Telepresence Research, SPIE
CRE
Acoustetron
Where Crystal River Engineering, Groveland, CA
What Developed hardware platform, application programming interface (API), and product series for acoustic room simulation called Acoustetron.  The first product was delivered to Disney Imagineering in 1992, which facilitated Disney's immersive VR Aladdin ride at Disney World Florida, opening in 1995.  Developed Crystal River Engineering's CRE_TRON 3D audio API that led development of positional 3D audio as a standard simulation display.  CRE_TRON was the template for Intel's RSX, VRML, Microsoft's DirectSound3D and Aureal's A3D API's. 
Why First interactive 3D audio platform-independent peripheral; first real-time, acoustics immersive auralizer
Who W. Chapin with Scott H. Foster 
Published PrototypeDatasheetDatasheet Atron II

TeleSign
Where Center for Design Research, Stanford University
What Co-developed TeleSign, a device for manual language communication over normal phone lines.  TeleSign is proprietary to Stanford University.
Why CDR has a long history of pro-bono design work for the disabled and handicapped.  TeleSign was a relatively easy derivative of our primary research work to benefit the less fortunate.  Obviously today, far superior communication could be attained over Internet video.  However, at the time, we needed to conform to phoneline bandwidth of a 9600 baud modem. 
Who W. Chapin with Larry Leifer, Cathy Haas, Elizabeth Macken, and James F. Kramer 
Published VSEL TeleSign ProjectVideoJHU Search Paper
1993
DesignSpace
Where Center for Design Research, Stanford University
What Early focus of W. Chapin's doctoral thesis project on remote collaborative manual design within an immersive interface.  Achieved several firsts in project. This will become a common means of design in 10 to 15 years. Developed DesignSpace, a collaborative design environment that put computer-based modeling in the hands of designers. DesignSpace is proprietary to Stanford University.
Why The next dimension of a user workspace and a remote group collaboration workspace
Who W. Chapin, T. Lacey, and L. Leifer  
Published Re-created site . Original 1995 CDR site still active.  Video
1994
Virtual Grasp
Where Center for Design Research, Stanford University
What W. Chapin's doctoral thesis project on direct dexterous manipulation of virtual objects. 
Why Reaching through the Looking Glass
Always wanted to reach into a computer and manipulate data directly. 
Who W. Chapin,   mentored by Larry Leifer and Mark Cutkosky
Published VSEL VirtualGrasp Project  Video
1995
MTRON Multi-Listener MTRON for Immersive Audio Teleconferencing
Where TeleSense Partners, Palo Alto, CA
What 3D Immersive Audio Teleconferencing system for NYNEX S&T
Why NYNEX Science and Technology (S&T) saw DesignSpace at SigCHI '94 and was intrigued by the audio part commercialized for their use. 
Who W. Chapin and Richard Zobel, recent grad of NCSU, partnered to form TeleSense and build the 3D teleconferencing systems.  For Rory Stuart and John C. Thomas at NYNEX Science & Technology.
Published MTRON Station
1998 - 2011 AuSIM Projects
Helmet
MMWS AuSIM3D InTheMix WaveDance LandWarrior / JSF 3DVx

Roses JWSVest K&H O300 AMMAR aTShooter ProbeMic
TransHear 3DVx-Wearable Vectsonic AMMAR aTShooter Probe Mic
2009
IMAGE Exterior Effects Room (EER)
Where NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
What 1960's era auralization auditorium completely refurbished to facilitate state-of-the-art 3D auralization.  Features a research-proven installation of AuSIM3D Vectsonic loudspeaker-based positional 3D audio, employing 27 full-range, sealed K&H O300 monitors and 4 K&H O900 sub-woofers. 
Why A stunning and un-paralleled auditorium at its re-opening.  Perhaps some Dolby Atmos theatres later potentially upstaged it.  Perhaps some Iosono WFS installations rival it. 
Who W. Chapin, S. Rizzi, and J. Faller
Published Vectsonic Installations
2010
Environment for Auditory Research
Where U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Human Performance Directorate, Aberdeen, MD
What As chief architect, designed an auditory research facility incorporating over 650 loudspeakers and 40 microphones.
Why AuSIM's domain expertise in understand perceptual auditory research requirements, coupled with SPL's experience building complex audio systems, and Meyer designing world-class loudspeakers created an unbelievable facility. 
Who AuSIM led team of Signal Perfection Ltd for cabling infrastructure and Meyer Sound for loudspeakers.
Published Acoustics Today Specs
2012
Acoustic Rotators
Where AuSIM, Mountain View, CA
What Designed and built servo-actuated rotators for varying the room acoustics upon command.  Capable to be used in real-time as part of music performance.  Actually used for psycho-perception experiments.  Each acoustic baffle weighed 150 lbs. 
Why The performance requirements and financial restrictions ruled-out off the shelf solutions. 
Who W. Chapin and Leszek Szalek for Richard King and Brett Leonard of McGill University 
Published AES 2013 Rome, AES 2013 NYC,
2015
Perceptual Sound Localization System
Where Facebook Reality Labs, Redmond, WA
What Designed and built 15-foot tall (2-meter radius sphere) automated measurement and localization system meeting design performance specifications despite extraordinary challenges.  Employed a 700 Nm torque-ring. 
Why Moved 4-lbs sensor/emitter payload to any bearing on sphere in 2.5 seconds, silently, with a human in the work cell. 
Who AuSIM led team of Fusion Design for mechanicals and L2F and Bosch-Rexroth for control. 
Published N/A
2017
AuSIM HeadZap-M
Where AuSIM, Mountain View, CA
What Automated HRTF measurement system, designed as simplified version of 2014 system for 1/10th the cost by eliminating localization and need for silence. 
Why With a performance of 1000 HRTF bearings per hour, designed to solve the problem of individualized HRTF's for Artificial Reality (AR). 
Who AuSIM, with some mechanicals from Fusion Design
Published HeadZap-M

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