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The Fish Club Aquarium |
This virtual aquarium by Japanese NEC Company and its selling agent Ultmarc Inc. is an aquarium with a 3-D images projected onto its walls.
"A virtual display never before possible that will amazed he senses and calm the soul. The NEC Fish Club captures all the beauty an wonder of the real thing."
The Fish Club allows selection from several aquarium contents: goldfish, tropical fish, freshwater fish, ect. It is primarily intended for corporate use (hotels, restaurants, and companies) but has been included here as it seems targeted at the same basic needs.
An article about the aquarium is reproduced below.
TOKYO (Reuter) - Busy people who love to keep colorful fish but
often forget to feed them or clean out their containers can now find
the answer to their pet problem in the "virtual fishbowl."
Leading Japanese electronics maker NEC Corp. has come up with
a video system which shows three-dimensional images of real-sized
fish swimming in a small aquarium.
The system combines a laser disc (LD) player, a video monitor
and a thin water tank, a NEC spokesman said Tuesday.
Images of goldfish or tropical fish, stored on an LD, are displayed
on the 32-inch monitor based on Japanese high-definition television
(HDTV) technology, called Hi-Vision.
The water tank, placed in front of the monitor, produces the three-
dimensional effect, the spokesman said. The tank containing processed
water is also connected to an air pump to make bubbles, completing
the fishbowl effect.
"With this system, you can enjoy watching rare, expensive fish
which are hard to buy," the NEC spokesman said.
The system is sold at $18,000, or can be leased at $360 a month
to hotels, restaurants and companies. NEC said it aims to sell 30,
000 systems in three years.
Copyright 1995 Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved.
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