Material / Image Research Lab (MIRL)

The Urban Simulation Team at UCLA is working on some really interesting projects that recreate environments at levels from satellite imagery to the finest details, and even video tours.  Their biggest project is Virtual LA, an attempt to recreate the entire Los Angeles area, which will have numerous uses for architects and urban planners.  Other projects include transportation system studies of LA, and virtual models of UCSB.  They’ve also worked on some historical recreations, including Trajan’s Forum, Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, and, the latest, the World Columbian Exposition of 1893 (Chicago).