August 19, 1999
How would you like to run the actual course of a 2002 Olympic ski event?
It will soon be possible over the internet.
A group of BYU students is developing a web site they call "Virtual Olympics."
Central Utah Correspondent Amy Westerby has the story.
He's got no snow and no skis, but it's no problem for BYU grad student Brian Zaugg.
He helped design a computer program that will take him racing down a course at a...say Park City Olympic ski venue, with the click of a mouse.
From there, he can take a 3-D flight to just about anywhere on the Wasatch Front.
"I HAVE TO FOLLOW THE ROADS OR I GET COMPLETELY LOST.""
The page uses aerial photographs taken by the U.S. Geological Survey--photos so detailed you can actually see hiking trails in the canyons.
Brian draped the photos over a geometric framework of sorts.
"EACH ONE OF THE VERTICIES OF THESE TRIANGLES IS A POINT OF ELEVATION DATA."
And that's what makes the mountains, mountanous.
The buildings came next.
So far, Brian's only finished BYU's campus.
But imagine visitors to Utah being able to actually see the distance between their hotel and say, the ice skating venues.
Brian Zaugg/BYU Graduate Student: "IT'LL BE NEAT TO VIRTUALLY FLY INTO THE SALT LAKE AIRPORT AND GET IN THE BUS AND DRIVE THROUGH DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE TO YOUR HOTEL, CHECK OUT EVEN THE INSIDE OF YOUR HOTEL."
Brian hopes advertisers will want to "piggy-back" on his virtual tour of Utah--pay to give Olympic visitors a unique perspective.
It's one that won't let Brian feel the wind in his hair, but maybe someday feel the profits in his pockets.
The students still have to make the 3-D buildings, add more Olympic venues and work out some bugs, so it will be another year before you can pull up "Virtual Olympics" on your computer.
But they promise it will be worth the wait.
