Science Nation - Geo-Immersion Makes Maps Come Alive

Imagine a virtual computer simulation that reflects the world around you in real-time. Before you ever leave your home, a wealth of images and information about the world around you is at your finger-tips. Facial recognition might give information about the location of your friends, or maybe you want the latest scoop about the specials at local restaurants, or the real time locations and estimated arrival and departures of commuter trains. According to the Integrated Media Systems Center (IMSC), there's an app for all that, and more. The IMSC was launched in 1996, with funding from the National Science Foundation. The current virtual reality technology the Center has been creating and implementing at the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles is called Geo-Immersion. Center director Cyrus Shahabi envisions the technology being used at other college campuses and institutions for applications ranging from social networking to enhancing security.