Special Feature Interactive Compuer Graphics: Poised for Takeoff?

After 15 years of development, much promise, but limited use, is interactive computer graphics finally due for a sharp growth spurt? If the mood projected at the Fourth Annual Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques held in San Jose recently is any indication, the answer would seem to be yes. On the hardware side, costs are coming down and capability is going up, reflecting trends that have characterized the computer industry in recent years. On the software side, although programming for computer-aided design tends to be specialized and hence not broadly available, many standardized display packages are on the market.1 In applications, there is activity in more than 25 areas, ranging from stereotaxic surgery to landfills after strip mining.