NASA Technical Memorandum 108982

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NASA Scientific and TechnicalInformation ProgramMultimedia Initiative

G. Cotter and K. Kaye

(NASA-TM-I08982) NASA SCIENTIFIC

AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION PROGRAM

MULTIMEDIA INITIATIVE (NASA) 10

N93-19900

Uncla$

G3/82 0150550

SCIENTIFICTECHNICAINFORMATION

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19930010711 2018-07-17T05:33:56+00:00Z

Z

STI PROGRAM MULTIMEDIA INITIATIVE

Gladys A. CotterSckntific and Teclmical Information Program Director

Karen KayeMultimedia Initiative Project Manager

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationScientific and Technical lnfmunatiou Program

Wasldngtoa, DC 20546

Abstract

ThispaperrelatestheexperienceoftheNASA

ScientificandTechnicalInformationProgramin

introducingmultimediawithintheSTIProgram

framework. A discussionofmul_mediatechnology isincluded to provide context for the STI Program effort.The STI Program's Multimedia Initiative is discussedin detaiL Pmallels and differences between multimedia

and waditional infommtion systems project develop-ment are highlighted. Challenges faced by the programin initiating its multimediaproject are summarizedalong with lessons learned. The paper concludes with asynopsis of the benefits the program hopes to provideits users through the introduction of multimediaillustrated by examples of successful multimediaprojects.

STI Program Multimedia Initiative

NASA's Scientific and TechnicalInformation

(ST1r) Program is responsible for providing "the widestpracticable and api_pdate dissemination" of informa-tion concerning NASA activities and _ results.

However, the current STI Program is based upon atechnology infrasmJcun_ assembled in the mid 1960's

to late 1970's. Today, the Program's customers withinNASA are utilizing multimedia in documenting theirscientific and technical endeavors. Thus, faced with the

needtocontinue toserve the aerospace community intoday's information environment, NASA°s STIProgram is currently revamping its products and

services to keep pace with technology. The STIProgram Multimedia Initiative is represenmtlve of theProgram's re-engineering effort.

Background

Since multimedia has become the computerbm_word of the 1990's, most people have heard aboutmultimedia, but not everyone has a dea_"idea of what

constitutes a multimedia presentation or what benefit

can be gained through the use of multimedia. TheNewMedia magazine information visionaries havesummarized mulfimedia's impact in the followingterms: "roday the power to fundamentally change theway we communicate and learn is at our fingertips.Multiple media - text, graphics, sound, and motion -have beenintegratedthrough digital technology todeliver a communication experience that dramaticallyaitexs the way people give and receive information."They go on to emphasize the "dawning of the age ofmultimedia - for the people and by the people. Inbusiness, govenunent, education, and social realms,ueraendons brealahmeghs in communication andinteractive information re_evai are being achievedevery day." 4

There is no shortage of commentary on howmultimedia will revolutionize Ourexistence. The

potential impact of multimedia has been comparedindividually to that of the personal computer, thetelevision and the printingpress.IBM has calledmultimedia a revolution in communications that

combines the audiovisual power of television, thepublishingpower of the printingpressand the interac-

tivepowerofthecomputer. Intclhascalledmultimedia

the marriage of the personal computer and the televi-don that will result in a system that is as realisticallyvisual and easy to use as TV, with all the responsive-hess and processing capability of today's most powerfuldeslaop computers. Intel goes on to say thatmultimedia relxesents a new communications mediumthat will dramatically affect how we process and useinformation, and multimedia also represents a majorbusiness opportunity for those prepared to embrace thetechnology and deliver it into the hands of the users.

In fact, multimediatechnologieshave recendyconverged at a price point that makes multimedia arealistic option for scientific, technical and engineeringinformation presentation. In acknowledging the ever-increasing use of multimedia for the presentation of

information, the STI Program is working to integrate

multimediatechnologiesintoitsproductsandservices.Within NASA, multimedia infatuation _mlion is

needed to adequately dcliv_ scientific and technicalinfommfion that is rich in pragnuuic content. Thepragnm_ information aspects might include items suchas data, computer models, scientific visualizations,software, a video record of an experiment, formulae,text, and graphics. Key to adequate dcllvc=y of suchinformation is its integration into a unified multimediawhole from which the user can easily get the infmma-don wanted in the form wanted. Thus, the most

obvious beaelit to multimedia information presentationis lhe ability m deliver information in its most effectiveformat so that tbexc are no barriers to information

understanding.

Terminology

In 1978, Nicholas Ncgroponte, a scientist at M1TsMedia Laboratory, envisioned the fusion of the broad-cast, print publishing, and computer industries as thedirection of future communication. Since then the

information industry has loosely used!he texm multi-media to refer to those often computer-driven npplica-tions having a user interface allowing access to unifiedcontent including video, audio, photographic images,graphics, numbers, and text. By this definition, earlytelevision, which did not employ computer lechnology

whose origin predated that of multimedia, couldcorrectly be described us multimedia. The distinction

most often made between older technologies liketelevision and cmTent-day multimedia takes intoaccount the fact that multimedia applications can beclassified into several types based upon the user's levelof interaction with the appfication. In this way, onerealizes that the more advanced forms of multimedia,

which allow greater user interaction, require computersuppc_ These computer-supported applications, listedus the interactive and participative application types inTable 1, are those that are most often thought of asmultimedia.

Table #1

Application Type User Interaction Example

NarrativeInteractive

Participative

Watch & listenChoose & do

Contribute &create

Television

Columbus

British FilmInstitute

Although the above definitions are precise enoughto distinguish between types of multimedia applica-tions, some confusion remains because multimedia and

other terms such as hypermedia, intermedia, and

Table #2

Umbrella Project

STI Program Multimedia Initiative

Focus: Coordination & tracking of multimedia activities

Future: Information set on NASA STI Program multimedia projects

SubprolectNon-print

Focus: Handlingand disseminationof non-print

Future: In-housereproductionfacility formultiple formats

SubprojectGlobal Change

Focus: Grade13 and aboveInteractivemultimediapresentation ofNASA Giobal ChangeData and Information(Prototype)

Future: JointGovemmerd/Industry project

SubprojectPerformance Support System

Focus: Provide multimedia

performance support atthe desktop for STI staff

Future: Provide multimedia

performance support at thedesktop for NASA scientistsin a specific discipline

interactive multimedia are often used intca'changnbly,even though an argument can be made to diffenmtiatethc terms based upm their odgiml meaning. Forinstance, hypermedia was originally thought of as asubset of multimedia that was defin_ by the wesenceof a nonhierarchical, nonlinear link stnJctm_. 6

Brown University's Institute for Research in Informa-tion Scholarship (IRIS) multi-user "hypermedia"system was named"In_" Interactive multime-dia originated in the interaative videodisc field as aninteractive training tenn. Interactive was used to

indicate that the application responds in real time to theuser's direction. Although the te_n "multimedia" isused mc_ often than the other terms, tbe 1993Microsoft International Conference on Multimedia andCD-ROM will be called "Intennedia."

Tk ProJect

The STI Program Multimedia Initiative is a user-

driven umbrella project that currently includes threesubprojects.The subwojectsaretheNon-wintProJect,

the Global Change Project and the PerformanceSupport System. Project relationships and objectivesarc spelled ontin Table 2. All three projects addressSTI Programareas.'_atcan be re-mgineeredatreason-able cost through the introduction of multimedia toprovide needed services to the ese_"community.

The STI Program Multimedia Initiative wigprovide the mechanism for the coordination andtracking of STI Programmultimedia activities. TheMultimedia Initiative Project has been defined tosupport the following STI Program strategic planninggoa

, Expandparticipantcommunity.• Improve current operations.• Become integral to NASA Research &

Development. I

In addition, the Multimedia Initiative recognizesthese objectives:

• Vez_y the economic and technical feasibility ofdelivering multimedia information within thesTt Pmgramframewoe,.

• Make a positiveeducational andinformationalimpact.

• Developan exploitable capability.

All of the Multimedia Initiative projects mustfollow standard top-down information projectdevelop-ment procedures beginning with a design phase whichincludes user requirements. However, in addition to theprogramming and testing and documentation phasescommonto infarmationsystems projects, the

J

IIOCUDENI'AllGM

Figure 1. Phases of Multimedia Application Development

multimedia content may necessitate a production phaseduring which audio and video are produced or col-lected.

During the design phase, major factors affectingdesign decisions are analyzed including target audience,setting, and subject. It is in this design phase that theproblems involved in current attempts to convey theinformation are addressed in tea_u of how multimedia

can solve the communicafim problem. The setting orwhere the application will be used is also addressed interms of where and for how long use_ are likely tointeract with the application. During this stage, a front-end analysis document that is similar to a requirements

analysis document is produced to guide design deci-sions. The subject of the application determines thecontent and drives some of the design decisions such asthe resolution necessary for images or the quality levelof the audio.

The programming, testing, and documentationphases of application design can follow informationsystem development procedures. In addition, the sameproductionpmccdmcs used by me video indusu'ymaybe needed for the video component of the multimediaappficatkm. Since stm3,_g, shooting, and editingof video material is alien to most information systemspecialists, the multiple types of media that must beproduced and integrated into a multimedia applicationnecessitate the _ of a project developmentteam with expertise from different disciplines.

Accomplishments to Date

Although the ST[ Program Multimedia InitiativeProject Plan was written in June of 1991, the wojectlost an initial battle for scarce wogramresulting in the project's being placed on hold for aperiod of over one year. The project was revitalized inJanuaryof 1992 when it became apparent that theNASA scientific communi W was moving rapidly intomultimedia publishing. This led the STI Program torecognize that it needed to rapidly develop amultimedia capabilities base in order to effectively

perform its mission of disseminating information. Theproject plan was updated to reflect currem Ptogrmndirection, and three introdect_ seblrojects we_iden_'_d and __

Non-PrintProject

The Non-print Project was given highest priorityand consequently has received the most attention to

date. The Non-print Project Plan was finalized in

November of 1992. This project will enable the STIProgram to effectively handle non-print in an opera-tional Wototype mode in the first quarter of 1993. TheNon-wint project followed a standard informationsystem design methodology. User requirements weregathered through a telephone survey andvideoteleconferences with an advisory group withNASA-wide representation. The project has beenproceeding according to plan and is ahead of projectedcvmplelion date for several milestones. The initial

focus of the Non-print ProJectisvideomaterial. As aresult of this woject, The STI Program's Center forAerospace Information (CASI) will become the centralrepository for NASA-produced videos. The CASI willbe able to archive and replicate videos for Programusers on a mass basis as early as first quarter 1993. TheNASA STI Program will provide handling and dissemi-nation of other varieties of non-print on a more limitedbasis. The Program will also begin to serve as thesource for videotapes of NASA Select televisionprograms in 1993. In conjunction with the Non-printProject, STI Program staff members have participatedin the CENDI Interagency Standards Working Groupfor the Handling of Video and Other Non-print STI.

This group has recently completed a set of guidelinesfor non-print information that details items such as

minimal acceptable quality, packaging, etc.

Performance Support System

The Performance Support System Project Plan wascompleted in January, 1992. The Performance SupportSystem will utilize a rapid prototyping methodology toprovide comprehensive information support at thedeskmpto STIProgramstaff members. As definedbyGloria Gefy, a peff(mnance support system authority,

an eaectronicperformance support system is an inte-grated electronic environmentthatisavailable to andeasily accessible by each staff member and is str_turedto provide immediate,individualizedon-line access to

the full range of information, software, guidance,advice and assistance, data, images, took, and assess-meritand monitoring systems to permit job perfor-

mance with minimal suppo_ and intervention by others.The STI Pedcrmance Support System project extendsthis definition to include animated images, full motionvideo, the pre,sentalion ofinformation from differentperspectives, and simulation that can portray and testconflicting theories. This project is currendy enteringthe design stage where the details of carrying out theproject plan will be defined. Central to the concept of

the STI Program Perfcrmance Support System is thefact that few people prefer to read text from the currentgeneration of computer screens. Thus, the project

4

emphasisisbasedon tbe fact that _eing images mdhearing sounds is the natural way for people to receiveinformation. 1"hisproject will provide an initial proof-

of-cocgept for delivery of multimedia information tousers within the STI Program framework. The timeline

for the project will begin after the revival of thedevelopment hardware and software that will bediscussed later. A later phase oftbe project will extendthe initial prototype to provide performance SUl_On forNASA scientists in a specific discipline. The disciplineofchoicewillbedeterminedinconjunction with theSTI Program User's Group.

GlobalChange Project

The NASA STIProgramGlobalChangeProjectis

thenewestoftheSTIProgramMultimediaInitiative

projects.The currentproJectactivityiscentereduponuserdiscussionsand developmentofacomwehensive

project plan. Although this project is still on thedrawing board, it also has the grealest poumtial forbenefit through multimedia information delivery.is because global change data includes _entsDom multiple instruments both simultaneously and over

time. Researchezs say that these disparate data eachrevealsome aspect of a physical phenomenon. Furtherstudy of suchdatamay involvecombiningthedatawith

empirical models or numerical simulations. Inaddition,correlative data analysis both implies looking atdifferent data sets in the same way and requiresmultiple ways to study the same or different data.Visualization of earth science data suchasglobalchangedatasetspmvid_ theresearcherwitha key tounderstanding multiparameter data sets. v Suchinformation can be further enhanced through the use ofmultimedia. Rather than viewing one or several videos,dealingwith simulationsoftware,viewing images anddam, and reading a teclmical relx_ the research_ canbe presented with the infot_aation as a unified wholethrough the use of multimedia. Alternately, as technol-ogy advartcus, the researcher could be provided with acomprehensive fully immersive virtual reality system.

The STI Program Global Change projects goal is toprovide global change information in multimediaformat to university level and beyond w_earcher_ The

project concept is based on the premise that multimediacan add value and foster understanding of globalchange data. In addition, the huge volume of globalchangeinformationavailablecanbemade moreaccessible to _ through an easily navigablemultimedia user interface. Tbe lust phase of thisproject will deliver a Woaxyl_ multimedia globalchangeinformation system that will demousuate the

value to be added by multimediadeliveryofselected

global change infm'mafion.The follow-on phase could

address acomwebe_ive globalchangesystemthatwill

benefituniversitystudmtsandprofessionalresearchers.

Thisprojectwouldutilizeaglobalchangecontent

advisor and us_ outreach specialists in addidon to theregular project team members. Discussions withindust_ multimedia developers who have expressedinter_ in a joint venture for this project ale underway.

Multimedia Project Development Team

The NASA STI Program Multimedia ProjectDevelopment Team to date includes two individualswith expertise in video production, one individual with

graphics production expertise, one withcommunica-tionsand marketing expertise, and one with project

management and computer programmingexpertise.Althoughoneoftenreadsofthedifficultymultimediaprojectteamshave in communicatingwith each oth_,this has not beea a problem thus far. However, it isinteresting to note the vastly different perspectives thatthe team members bring to the effort that clearly arisesfromthedifferentdisciplinesandbusinesscultures

from which they come. As is oftenthe case, the video

people clearly emphasize content, which is of primaryimportaw,e in a multimedia g_pik.afion, whereas thecomlmtm"pmgrmmner may be overheard mentioningtime-based video data. The group is working to make

their diffc_ringbackgrounds an asset to the projectsothat they can pull togeth_ to deliver effective STIProgram multimedia applications.

Clmllen_es

As with most new information technology applica-the NASA STI Program Multimedia Initiative is

facing a number of difficult challenges that can impactthe success ofthe projecL To date, some of thechallenges have been ovew,ome, but others still presentdifficulty.

Cultural and Organizational

The most immediate challenge to the inuxxluction

of multimedia technology into the STI Program wasencouate_! at the Multimedia Initiative project's birth.In order to begin work on the project after it was_ the project had m be markea_dwiminthe 5"1'IProgram because staff who were oriented to

work with patx='-based information needed to recon-sider their job functions. Staff members ran the gamutfrom early adopters of new technology to those whowm not yet truly comformbie wilh the oft"_ automa-

r

tion network that had been introduced several years

ago. In the middle was a large group that was quitecomfortable with the way things were and was not ableto see the value of committing program resources to

something that appeared to be a futuristic technologyl_c multimedia. The _ efforts at markcting the

Multimedia Initiative internally did not succeed end theresources necessary to go forward with the woject werenot allocated. However, the early Multimedia Initiativestaff members were confident that multimedia technol-

ogy would be required by the Program in the short-termand condnued to make the case. Eventually after

muldple documents, confctcw, e lXesentadons, andattemptsatrobustcost-benefitanalyses, the project

appeared to be gaining momentum. The real keys mgaining staff support were ptqesenmdonsfrom severalNASA Centersshowingthattheyweremovingintomultimedian_dly coupledwithademonsuationofthe

very s_ multimedia application, "Columbus."Theseilems marked a turning pointandduringthenextbudget iteration, limited funding was made available forthe project.

As the MultimediaInitiative and its subwojectshave progressed, the availability of project implementa-lion plans and standard information system life cycledocumentation fitting the design framework referencemodel has served tolendcredibility totheMultimedia

Initiativesuiteofprojects.Itisasthoughem presenceof familiar documentation made these somewhat

unfamiliar projects acceptable to traditional systemdesigners.

Standards

There is currently no standard for multimedia sinceit is the blending of many different technologiesprovided by a diverse group of vendors fzom the verydiffereat market areas of computers and home elecuon-ks. Howcvcz, the Interactive Multimedia Association(IMA)begananInteractiveMultimediaAssociation

Committee Compatibility Project in 1988 to developrecommendations that would permit multimedia

applications portability across a variety of hardware/software platforms. The committee began by focusingon interactive video applications in the MS-DOSenvironment with the objective of later exlmndin 8 theirinitiatives to other operating systems and multimedia

technologies. The IMA Compeu'oility Project hasformed a number of committees to address specific

compau'oility issues. 3

Other groups inch as the Institute of Electronic andElectrical Engineers ComputingSociety(IEEF._S)are

also addressing compatibility issues. However,in

today's marketplace, the purchaser of multimediaequipment cannot expect to play applications developedon other systems. Them has been a history of thesuc-ce.ssful porting of applicalions by developers DoraMAC to PC, and there are a few interactive multimediaapplication authoring systems that facilitate suchtransfea',but in the cune_t marketplace, one cannotexpect to interchange multimedia infornmtion.

The standards issue became a major challenge forthe STI Program MultimeAia Initiative because lack ofstandards meant that the development platform choicewould also dictate the delivery platform choice.Results of the NASA STI Program user survey indi-cated that providing initial applications that could runon both Macintosh systems (MACs) andIBM orIBM

compatiblePersonalComputerSystems(PCs)wouldbe

for the Program user community,withlaterdevelopment planned to be available on SUN systemsas welL Although the staff developed a capabilitiesmatrix f_" the systems available at the time, theimpmlant issue of which system would gain the mostusers ov_ time could not be _ because there

wasno way topredictwithcertaintywhich competingmulfimeAia format would become the de facto standard.

Even so, lhe STIProgramdevelopment platform waschosen showy after the project was revitalized inJanuary of 1992, At that time, there were multiplemultimedia platform development choices,some ofwhich were geared toward vm'ydifferent end-us_markets. Apple had not yet released its QuickTuneextension to the Macintosh system software, and theMotion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) compressionstandard was still being defined. New product releasesand product retiremmts were the o_kr of the day. Inthe eyes of the Multimedia Initiative project staffmembers who were choosing the system components, amore volatile marketplace would be impossible to fred.

Inspiteofthevolatile marketplace and the lackofstandards,theMultimediaInitiativestaffappfied a

modifiedve_ion of the High TechnologyMan-Machine Performance Evaluation Plan (HTPE),developed at Lawrence Live_ore National Laboratory,to the multimedia hardwareJsoftwafe selection processand made a recommendation that specific hardware andsoftware be procured initially with latex procurementsto follow as the marketplw.e settled. The initialhardware and softwm'e chosen is minimal but fits within

the bedset and is being _ with Ihe understand-ing emt an additional procurement will come later. Inseveral cases, hardware or software has been retiredorsuperseded by newer products. In sw,h instances, thereplacement item is presented in the table. All compo-heats will not necessarily res/de on the same computer.

Table #3

STI Program Multimedia Components

Hardware Key Software

Apple Quadra 950with 32 Mb RAM,2 Mb VRAM, 1.2 GbExternal Hard Disk

Macromind Suite ofProducts includingDirector, Accelerator,3-D, Mediamaker, etc.

Raster Ops24 Bit Monitor

NEC

Double-SpeedCD-ROM Drive

System 7.0QuickTime

"Authorware Professional

Adobe Premiere

Raster Ops ExpressoProfessional SlideScanner

New Video EyeQCapture/Delivew System

vueospigot

NEC PC VCR

Kodak Digital CameraSystem

MacSpeakem

* Chosenfor applicationportabilitybetweenMac & PC

As thispaperis written, tie long-awaitedsystemcornpm_ts m'ejustbeginningm Krive at the ST[Programofl'ces. The earlierobservationabout,thevolatility of the marketplace has been realized since

most major system components have been replacedwith newer items over the course of the procmcmcnL

Networkin_Multimedia

The MultimediaInitiativeprojectteamrecognizes

the need to provide networked multimedia applications.

Application _velopmmt wouldbeI¢Ipedby allowingteam members toshax¢componentsofthedevelopment

system. Aldmugh netwoddng multimedia at the LocalAxcaNetwork(LAN) levelhasbeenaccomplishedby

groupssuchasStarlightNetwork,s,theSTI Prooam's

LAN is builtupon_ segmentsandsh¢,_l

bandwidth.The cutoutsystemcannotsupportmultiple

streamsofvideoinformation.Althoughtheproject

team c_mdevelop initial applications without benefit ofnetwork information exchange, the success of thePerformance Support System will hinge upon theabilitytodelivertheinformationovertheLAN. Since

thec_t LAN is scheduledto be replaced in the next

year,networkedmultimedia may be in the STIProgram's future. Although not mentioned previously,a key m successful ne_voAing is comlxession of videodam. Even with a 50:.1 comlxesdonratio,deliveryof24 bit color at 30 fi'ames per second (NTSC full motion

video) requires a 15 Mbit/sec bandwidth. If multipleusersrequirevideoinformation,theLAN mustbeable

tosuplmrttheaggregatebandwidth.LANs now have

greater bandwidth than available wide area networks.TI, for inslance, has a bandwidth of 1.544 Mbits/sec.

Although the Multimedia Initiative would like todeliver multimedia information over wick area net-

works, it appears that the Initiative will have to wait forthe National Research and Educadon Network (NREN)

m accomplish this.

IntellectualPropertyRights

The ST[ Program Multimedia Initiative willheavily u"tdizeNASA and odmr C_vez_ment-producedinfommlion resources that are not copyrighted. So,intellectual property rights are not likely to present asgreat a problem as for ode_ involved in multimedia.The Initiative must still deal with the fact that copyrightlawsapply to visuals, sound, software, and any other

flintbelongs tosomeom else.The procedures

for gaining rights to material such as video clipsor

mu_c differfromthoseofsoftwareandprintpubllca-

ibm. Alsothereissome questionastod¢ scopeofd¢

rights once granted. Do the fights extend to"publica-tion" in a multimedia application?Questionsregardingintellectual property rights and multimedia are justbe_nnmg to be addressee According to COMDEX/Fall '91 "Intellectual Property: Issues and Challenges inMultimedia" session panelist, _ Davis ITI,"Every lime a new technologycomes along, there's a

period of 10 m 15 years with litigation. It hat.nedwith movies. There was a whole series of cases when

"IV came along, then cable TV; now with videodiscsand CD. "5

The Vislon

The STI Program Multimedia Initiafive's goal is tohave the NASA users gain the benefits that multimediainformation delivery c_mprovide. While we havediscussed the advantages of a unified inte_ace tomultiple types of information, the ability to presentinformation from different persp_fives, the ability to_3mbine data with empirical models or numericalsimulations, and other benefits, the Program _alizesthat the Multimedia Initiative staff cannot anticipate all

of the ways through which a multimedia informationdelivery system can be used to incmtse the effective-hess of information dei/very to researchers withinNASA and other orgnnizatkms. That is why theInitiative is using the rapid pmtotyplng method ofdevelopment. This _h will allow our users toperticipate in our multimedia systems design through

use and evaluation of the prototypes that will feedd_ign changes. Thus, the details of our "MultimediaInitiative Vision" will be defined in an evolutionaryfashion by our users.

In closing, there are some successful multimediaapplications that we would like to share to allow you tomake a personal _t of the poUmfial formultimedia. To date, there are not many scientific andtechnical information applications of multimedia.However, one application of note is the Arctk DamInteractive (ADD CD-ROM prototype. ADI wasproduced by the U.S. Geok_ Survey (USGS) andincludes data provided by Don Cavalieri of NASAGoddard. USGS calls this application a promtYI_hypermedia system. ADI includes animation and soldbut no full motion video. The ADI disc was lnxxiucedby the U.S. Geological Survey to stimulate discussionon new and innovative methods for disseminating

global change data and information. It is a compen-dium of interdisciplinary information end data on theArc_c regiou. We acquired this disc in researching ourMultimedia Initiative's Global Change Project.

There me many other multimedia applications thatshould be simted. We will mention a few of the manyapplications that cut across disciplines. There is theinteractive disc on the Gulf War titled "Desert Storm"

that was produced by a joint venture between Wam_New Media and T'tmenmgazine. There ase also severalmajor applications supImcted by IBM including"Ulysses," "Hamlet,""MartinLutherKing,"the"DeclarationofIndependence,"andthe"AmericanIndians."The SmithsonianInstitutionhasbeea

working on a netwoAed educational multimediaapplication called "Classrooms Without Walls." It will

provide au:ess to isrge databases of visml and andioinfmmation on a LAN.

IBM's "Columbus: A Journey to Discovery" isbetter seen than discussed. However, we will present abrief summary here for those who will not have anoppommity to view the application. Columbus is thefirst in IBIWs Discovere_ Series. IBM descn'bes the

DiscoversSeriesof programs as "seeking to providenavigational tools that allow teachers and students toexplore interrelated malefials from large databases ofinformation." 2 IBM developed Columbus in conjunc-

tim with Robert Abel of SynapseTechnologies. Thismultimedia application includes 180 hours of interac-

five material According to Robert Abel, the program isnot only about Columbus, but "it uses Columbus as ametaphor for a changing view of the universe." 2According to Paul Evans of IBM, Columbus providesmultiple points of view on its content and demonstrates"the complex inte_.onnectedm_s of knowledge."2In considering this application, you can see some of theadvantages of multimedia presentation. Join us in ourvision by extending this application of technology tosee the potential for multimedia in the incw_h'blyrichun/vefse of scientific and technical information.

References

l* A Strategic Direction. NASA Scientific andTechnical Information Program, Washington, D.C.1991.

2. "IBM Presents Columbus and the Classics."

Multimedia & Videod_cMonitor, May, 1991.

3. "IMA CompatibilityProjectProceedings."Volume I,IssueI.September,1991.

. "lnvision Multimedia Awards 1993 Call for

Enlries." New Media: Multimedia Technologiesfor Desktop Computer Users. November, 1992.

. "Tmeractive Multimedia White Paper: Promise andPiO_alls." Knowledge Industry Publications, Inc.1991.

. Osborn, Hugh. "Media Computers, Motivation,and Informal Education:Gutenberg 20007"Learning withlnteractiw Multimedia: Developingand UsingMultimedia Tools in Education.Microsoft Press, Redmond, Washington. 1990.

. Treinish, Lloyd. "Conelafive Data Analysis in theEarth Sciences." IEEE Computer Graphics &Applications, May, 1992.

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This paperrelatesthe experienceofthe NASA Scientific andTechnicalInformationProgramin introducingmultimediawithinthe STI Programframework. A discussionofmultimediatechnologyisincludedto providecontextfor the STI Programeffort. The STI Program'sMultimediaInitiativeis discussedindetail. Parallelsand differencesbetweenmultimediaandtraditionalinformationsystemsprojectdevelopmentare highlighted.Challengesfaced bythe programin initiatingitsmultimediaprojectare summarizedalongwithlessonsieamed. The paperconcludeswithasynopsisof the benefitsthe programhopesto provideitsusersthrough the introductionof multimediaillustratedby examples of successfulmultimedia projects.

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multimedia, information

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