Melete, another addition to the Center for Computation and Technology’s supercomputer family, provides new academic research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students alike.
The supercomputer, which gets its name from the Greek muse of thought, was acquired by the CCT for a four-year research project, in collaboration with Southern University.
“We have 11 different departments represented,” said Brygg Ullmer, principal investigator of the Melete project and associate professor of computer science, with a joint appointment in the CCT.
Melete can provide a level of interaction in classroom settings that other machines cannot, such as rendering large, 3-D objects like human bodies or bridges.
Computer engineering senior Kathyrn Williams is working on a project to use the large windows in the CCT’s new building — the Louisiana Digital Media Center — to create digital art.
These changes to the windows are expected to be a type of interactive stained glass, Williams said.
The animation and 3-D capabilities of Melete will also attract more filmmakers to Louisiana’s growing presence in the film industry.
Machines like Melete will help attract larger numbers of the necessary human resources for filming, Ullmer said.
“Special effects people in the area can use it to do their editing before sending it to Hollywood,” Ullmer said.
Combining modern industry capabilities with computers, in a society where technology is constantly growing, is one of the CCT’s primary goals.
“When I think about inspiring a 12-year-old to create something, showing them a big black box doesn’t cut it,” Ullmer said.
“When I think about inspiring a 12 year old to create something, showing them a big black box doesn’t cut it.”