September 5, 2017
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
Our University is noted for its strong programs in optics, music, audio engineering, vision science, brain and cognitive science, neuroscience, and a broad range of other engineering disciplines. So we are well positioned to take a leading role in finding novel ways to apply emerging augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) technologies in fields like health and education, in addition to interactive games and media. David Williams, AS&E dean of research and professor of optics, and Mark Bocko, chair of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences, have been working for several months with more than 50 researchers from 16 River Campus, Medical Center, and Eastman School departments to organize an AR/VR initiative that could:
- provide exciting research opportunities for our students
- stimulate collaboration with industry
- serve as the bedrock for a regional AR/VR cluster.
Those efforts are beginning to bear fruit. The University recently invested more than $450,000 in seed funding for 10 AR/VR projects, of which nine involve Hajim School faculty members.
For example:
Mark Bocko is developing a quantitative framework for spatial sound characterization. Ehsan Hoque of computer science is working with Ania Busza of neurology on a mixed reality smart glass virtual arm for motor recovery in stroke. Zhiyao Duan of electrical and computer engineering and Ming-Lun Lee of audio and music engineering are working with Matthew Brown of the Eastman School on adding high quality spatial audio to 3D-VR-360 recordings for live streaming and building a VR video database.
Thomas Howard of electrical and computer engineering is working on an interactive multi-modal augmented reality interface for robotic manipulation, navigation, and exploration. Edmund Lalor of biomedical engineering is collaborating with John Foxe of neuroscience on characterizing the neurophysiology of multi-sensory integration in natural and virtual reality environments. Jiebo Luo of computer science is working with Matthew Brown and with Michael Hasselberg and Wendi Cross of psychiatry on exploration of VR/AR in behavioral healthcare on a computerized cognitive behavior therapy platform.
Ross Maddox of biomedical engineering, Zhiyao Duan, and Chenliang Xu of computer science are collaborating on real-time synthesis of a virtual talking face from acoustic speech. Andrew White of chemical engineering is working with Brendan Mort of the Center for Integrated Research Computing and April Luehmann of the Warner School on an interactive mixed reality space that will bridge computational modeling with undergraduate laboratory experiences. Geunyoung Yoon of optics is developing an optical approach to overcoming vergence-accommodation conflicts that can cause such discomfort and fatigue for people wearing VR headsets.
AR/VR is among the emerging technologies that will be highlighted at the Light and Sound Interactive trade show and conference next Tuesday through Thursday, September 12 to 14, at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. Admission is free. This will be a great opportunity to network with companies and interact with researchers engaged in AR/VR, games and interactive media, cinema, music and audio, imaging, displays and lighting, healthcare, and optics and photonics. Students please note: These are fast-growing markets with good job opportunities. Visit the Light and Sound interactive website for more information.
I’d like to encourage all new freshmen and transfer students to join the Hajim School’s Facebook page, and to stop by the Dean’s Office, Lattimore 301, to pick up your Hajim School t-shirt if you missed the distribution of them during the Academic Open House event during orientation.
In a world of “alternative facts” and public skepticism toward scientific findings on a range of topics, it is more important than ever that we as researchers do a good job of communicating our work to a wide audience. A group of fellow faculty members and researchers from our University and RIT invite you to join them from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, September 18 for a workshop entitled “Improv for Faculty. Unlock Your Presentation Skills.” You can learn more and reserve a spot by contacting tracey-baas@urmc.rochester.edu by September 15.
If you’re at the annual Clothesline Festival this weekend, September 9 and 10, be sure to drop by the Memorial Art Gallery’s Vanden Brul Pavilion (the sky lit sculpture garden linking the 1968 wing to the Cutler Union) to see the first and second place winning images of this year’s Art of Science Competition. They were submitted by Dalia Mitchell and Kilean Lucas.
I join the rest of our community in hoping for a speedy recovery in Houston. Our thoughts are with any of our alumni who have been affected by the catastrophic flooding there. Students from the Houston area will have received by now an email from the Dean of Students Office letting them know of the resources available to help them through this difficult situation, including the CARE Network. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your Hajim School and department advisors if you need additional support.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
