The Outsider (Outsider #1) ✔️

Chapter 19 : A Project Takes Shape

Completing the call, Dusk returned to where Luke was standing. She saw that everyone was actually waiting for her to return.

"Daniel, now that Dusk has finished her call, lets talk about it. Dusk has a problem in her Hardware Course. She is learning chip architecture, but the 3D design system is very costly. Few of the students can afford them. Learning from the normal books does not help as much and the 3D books are expensive."

"Oh, I can buy her those books. It's not a problem! I remember those things, pretty expensive."

Dusk immediately raised her hands in protest. "No! I cannot allow you to do that. You have done enough already."

Daniel looked confused, "So what do you want to do? You want to lose part of your studies or delay learning just because you don't have the right tools. That is stupid."

"Actually, I can make the 3D images and walk-through myself from the books and designs. I am good with algorithm. I have to learn imaging algorithms anyway. The problem is that there isn't enough spare computing power available at the university. What is available is expensive and has to be paid for. Luke suggested ... we may be able to use some spare systems at your office." She replied hesitantly.

Daniel agreed immediately, "Sure, no problem at all. We have lots of computers, powerful ones. You can always check for spare capacity and use them. You can come here at night. But what you are trying to do is not easy work. It's a lot of efforts."

"Daniel Sir, I am willing to put in efforts to any extent required."

"Just a minute. If I understand this discussion correctly, Dusk, you are saying that your learning is suffering because you do not have the proper textbooks? How is that? The university is supposed to have all of that." Rosemary interjected.

"Princess, the university has textbooks. It has design specifications, design diagrams. But some students are using 3D images of the same things we have in textbooks. It makes the learning so much better and easier. Seeing it there in VR is so much better than trying to imagine it in the books. But those 3D VR images are very expensive. I can't afford it."

Rosemary thought for a few minutes and then replied, "So if I understand, there must be many other students whose learning is affected by this. Some may even give up the subject because they cannot understand it. Right?"

Dusk nodded her head and both Daniel and Luke agreed that this was a problem at times. Teaching aids would improve if 3D images were more widely available instead of current textbooks.

"And Dusk, you can make these, just what is missing is computing power?" Rosemary asked again.

"It's not that simple actually. Yes, huge computing power is required. That is why few people can do it. The ones who do it then sell it for a high price because its... rare. But at the same time, design and walkthrough algorithms need to be written, which is also very difficult. Then the actual imaging is not easy either. It needs high end scanners and imagers, unless you make it manually from the scratch." Daniel explained.

"Suppose, Ms. Hale, the computing power was made available, and if you got guidance from your professors and from Daniel's team here, can you do it?" Rosemary asked a third time.

"I need a few other equipment like some very good Imaging Scanners that Luke... Mr Jones... talked of... But yes, given these things, I can do it."

Rosemary turned to Luke, "What would be the cost of all these? Including the cost of this girl's efforts and Daniel's men who will do the algorithm and whatmayoucallit?"

Daniel and Luke both looked at each other. It was a difficult question. Daniel spoke first, "If you were to do it differently, and make VR engine that can take the scans and convert them into 3D images and walkthrough, it would make more sense. All told, with equipment time and computing time-costed instead of being bought, time for algorithms, etc, I would say about $1.75 million.