NLM Exhibit

IDI Press Release � May 24, 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Interactive Drama's "Talk in Cyberspace" Premieres at New National Library of Medicine Exhibition May 24, 2001 — The work of Interactive Drama Inc. (IDI) is on display in a newly opened exhibition at the National Library of Medicine (NLM) entitled "The Once and Future Web: From the Telegraph to the Internet and Beyond." The exhibition compares the history and impact of the telegraph and the Internet as two electronic communications technologies that have transformed the world. It also provides a look into the future at what is yet to come as new technologies are developed. IDI's "Talk in Cyberspace" is one of 11 interactive programs in the NLM exhibition. The voice-controlled program-which combines speech recognition and digital video technologies-gives visitors the opportunity to conduct a virtual dialogue with an internationally recognized expert in the field of scientific visualization, Professor Donna Cox. "The magic of dialogue is what we are creating," explains William G. Harless, Ph.D., president and CEO of IDI. The simple act of picking up and speaking into a microphone initiates a realistic 'person-to-person' dialogue with Professor Cox, whose video image fills the screen of a standard personal computer. Direct eye contact and give-and-take conversation with the video character draw the user in. An intelligent prompting system scrolls questions for the user to ask the professor, allowing an uninterrupted conversation with this well-known artist, researcher, and author to unfold. "We believe virtual dialogue will be an important means of preserving the personalities and transferring the knowledge of experts in the 21st century," Harless adds. Donna Cox gained her reputation as the standard-setter for scientific visualization through her work at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Over the past 15 years at NCSA, she has pioneered the "second wave" in computer graphic art with her award-winning work. In 1996, Cox functioned as the associate producer for scientific visualization in the Academy Award-nominated IMAX film "Cosmic Voyage." What distinguishes IDI's "Talk in Cyberspace" program is its unique contribution to independent learning. Users feel as if they are meeting and talking with Professor Cox as they proceed through a give-and-take exchange about scientific visualization, about the collaboration of artists and scientists, and about the impact that the Internet revolution and technology may have on life in the future. Users are able to ask her such questions as:		What is cyberspace?
	How do artists visualize data?
	What is the post-biological revolution?
	What will art be like in the future?

Program users can also see video of Cox's work and ask her questions about it as the video plays. One segment from a sequence created for the IMAX film depicts the formation and collision of galaxies in stunning computer-generated animation. Another features scenes of the "Large Scale Universe" created for an exhibit that can be seen at the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

The "Talk in Cyberspace" program is the latest of over 50 Virtual Conversations� programs developed by IDI. It also unveils Conversim� 2001, a significantly enhanced version of IDI's virtual dialogue software with independent speaker recognition and natural speech. "Talk in Cyberspace" will remain on permanent display in the NLM exhibition, which will be open to the public in Bethesda for one year and then will travel to other parts of the country.

About IDI
IDI's virtual dialogue applications include knowledge expert programs featuring a Nobel laureate, a senior U.S. Congressman, a leader in 21st century health care, and a well-known American journalist. The "lessons learned" programs feature inspiring individuals who have survived traumatic injuries and illnesses and can provide peer support to others faced with similar circumstances. The virtual dialogue method is also embodied in IDI's Spanish and Arabic language training programs. A new patient education series will allow users to interview medical experts about serious health problems, such as breast cancer, and also interview patients who have had the problem.

IDI has been creating voice-activated interactive video simulations since 1984. The company's founders began this research and development at the NLM's Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications. Subsequent R&D has been funded by Small Business Innovation Research grants and contracts from NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

The educational effectiveness of the method has been validated repeatedly in rigorous scientific experiments funded by these agencies. In 1991, IDI was awarded U.S. Patent No. 5,006,987 to protect this unique method of dialogue with a virtual human subject. Subsequently, IDI developed a dynamic, intelligent prompting system to help users conduct a focused and informative dialogue with Virtual Conversations� characters. In 1997, U.S. Patent No. 5,730,603 was awarded to protect the intelligent prompting method. A third patent is pending.

For More Information Contact:

Marcia A. Zier
Interactive Drama Inc.
7900 Wisconsin Avenue Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814
Tel: 301.654.0676
FAX: 301.657.9174
Email: mzier@idrama.com

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