Stephen Beck is half musician, half technician — a creative musical composer and a savvy tech junkie. And his new creation almost mirrors himself.
Beck launched his new supercomputer Thursday in Frey Computing Services. The machine, known as ‘Nemeaux,’ melds art with technological advancement and is the first of its kind in Louisiana dedicated to the research and creation of music, animation, visualization and science models.
Beck, director of the Laboratory of Creative Arts and Technologies, said the unique, 24-Apple-computer cluster is the only supercomputer of its kind devoted to computational arts.
Beck said graduate and undergraduate students will use the supercomputer for animation renderings, digital video, audio composition and gaming.
He also said science professors will use the cluster for biological models and visualizations.
Beck said that with its ease of use and system integration, the supercomputer will accelerate an artist’s creative potential.
“This radically alters the way we can do animation — and teach it,” Beck said.
Beck said he expects the supercomputer will soon be in high demand from students and professors, especially for specialized art and music projects.
“We’re not sure when courses will be able to use the supercomputer, but we want to make it available as soon as we can,” he said, noting that the computer will probably be open for student use within one year.
Brad Cantrell, a recently hired landscape architecture professor, said he hopes to use Nemeaux for visualization and models in architechical design.
Apple representative Jeff Rummel, who Beck said brought the supercomputer to the University within weeks of its order, said that although Apple creates supercomputers for many universities, the company’s CEO, Steve Jobs, took a special interest in Nemeaux because of its animation capabilities.
Jobs is also CEO of Pixar — the computer animation studio that produced box office blockbusters Toy Story, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo.
And Nemeaux’s superb animation abilities come just in time for the international animation festival that will be held in Baton Rouge in April.
Beck said animators from Asia, Europe and the United States will converge on the new Shaw Arts Center and the Old State Capital for three days of animation shows and activities.
“It’s a way of explaining that there is a connection to what people see on the movies and a big computer,” Beck said.