Daily Archives: May 23, 2017

Duluth East robotics wins state title – Prairie Business

Posted: May 23, 2017 at 10:54 pm

Duluth East joined with teams from Warroad and East Ridge of Woodbury to win a best-two-of-three final against an alliance of teams from Greenbush-Middle River, Edina and Prior Lake.

The alliance that included the Daredevils lost the first finals match before regrouping and hitting its stride to win the final two matches and claim the state crown.

Its the second state robotics title for Duluth East, which also won a state title in 2015 as part of alliance that also included East Ridge. Duluth East and Esko represented the Northland in the 2017 FIRST Robotics World Championship last month in St. Louis.

FIRST Robotics teams must build and operate their own robot, but during competition they form alliances with other teams.

This year's challenge, called Steamworks, required teams to build robots that picked up balls and put them into a "boiler." The more balls that went into the boiler, the more "steam" was created in the boiler to power an "airship." The robots needed to move gears to the airship, where students put the gears together to power the ship. In the final part of the competition, the robots pulled themselves up a rope to board the ship.

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Hempfield takes top honors at national robotics competition – Tribune-Review

Posted: at 10:54 pm

Updated 10 hours ago

Armed with a thick rectangle of titanium spinning at 17,500 RPM, Hempfield Area High School's ELI robot took on all comers and won a national robotics competition over the weekend at California University of Pennsylvania.

In the culmination of a year of late nights, last-minute tweaks and flying sparks, Hempfield won its first grand championship in the National Robotics League competition. They not only beat all the other robots in gladiator-style combat but also took first place for their thick binder of design documents and blueprints and an interviews with judges about the process.

"We went for the biggest, hardest-hitting weapon Hempfield's ever seen," said team member Joel Aston.

When it connected, the spinning weapon sent opponents flying as high as 15 feet in the air.

"A table saw is one pound going at 7,000 RPMs," said team president Colin Phillips. "This is 3 12 pounds going at 17,500 RPMs."

For three minutes at a time, remotely-operated robots from more than 60 teams competed one-on-one inside a protected arena. The winner either disabled the other robot or won on points from judges based on damage dealt.

Hempfield's ELI won the final round against Disko, the entry from Carnegie Mellon University's robotics club. A team from Pine-Richland won a separate category for best-engineered robot.

The Hempfield team started designing its robot at the beginning of the school year but made tweaks as recently as the weeks between winning the regional competition and the start of nationals on Friday, Phillips said.

Students would skip other classes and stay after school to work on the robot, making up their missed work later. Once, when the team's manufacturing partner, Washington Township-based Composidie Inc., suddenly moved a deadline for making parts, three weeks' worth of blueprint revisions had to be condensed into three days.

"I didn't go to class for three days and stayed here until 3 a.m.," Phillips said.

Other teachers were understanding of the work that the students put in, said advisor Craig Siniawski, noting how many teachers and staff came to the competitions to root for the team. One of his favorite parts of the process was sitting at lunch with an economics teacher, discussing the various trade-offs the team made in designing and building their robot, he said.

The team skipped armor around the outside that would protect their wheels but gave ELI bumpers with rounded corners so the robot would tip back onto its wheels if knocked onto its side. Its front axle was vulnerable to attack, but getting close to it put opponents in range of ELI's weapon.

Siniawski said the blueprints the team produced had to be professional-quality for Composidie to manufacture certain parts. Other pieces, like the battery pack, were made on the 3-D printer in Siniawski's classroom.

In all, the team took home $4,000 in prize money, plus another $2,500 and a giant Craftsman tool chest for competing in an optional battle that didn't count toward the tournament.

But the best reward was everything the participants learned about engineering, design and manufacturing, and all the contacts and experience they made within the manufacturing industry, said William Padnos, director of youth engagement for the National Robotics League and executive director of BotsIQ, the regional robotics competition that doubles as a workforce development program for the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Tooling & Machining Foundation.

"We try to connect the schools with local manufacturers, who help the schools with expertise and mentoring on career pathways," Padnos said. "Our goal is to engage the manufacturers of the next generation. ... I don't really care if they win a single round."

Matthew Santoni is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724 836 6660, msantoni@tribweb.com or via Twitter @msantoni.

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Cabrillo HS students kick off 3-day robotics competition – Lompoc Record

Posted: at 10:54 pm

Cabrillo High School junior Mildred Cortez said Tuesday morning that she had been looking forward to this week since her freshman year at the school.

Cortez worked closely alongside fellow junior Veronica Nolasco on Tuesday to put the finishing touches on an ROV, or remotely operated vehicle, that the students had designed and built over the past couple months with another classmate. Later that afternoon, the girls would put their creation to the test in Cabrillos on-campus pool as part of the schools annual interclass ROV competition.

This is a big part of why most people look forward to junior year, so they can build something cool, like underwater robots, Cortez said. Its just something you always think about.

The annual contest, which began in 2005, kicked off Tuesday and is slated to continue through Thursday. About 180 students, spanning six classes, are participating in the event. The students, working mostly in groups of three, built about 50 ROVs between them and will spend the three-day competition running the robots through underwater tests that include an obstacle course, a relay race and a tug-of-war battle.

Its not as easy as it looks, Nolasco said of building and controlling the ROVs. Its definitely a challenge.

This years contest was organized by Jennifer Mason, the program director for Cabrillos robotics classes. Mason, who teaches an advanced integrated science class, said it is precisely because of that challenge faced by the students that she considers the event to be so successful.

We put so much time and effort into what we do here and its really cool to see the kids and what theyve done from start to finish, Mason said prior to taking her class to the pool Tuesday. I have girls in the class who had never picked up tools before and now they know the difference between a flathead and a Phillips screwdriver.

There are kids who think they could never do this, and then they do it, she added. Its just awesome and exciting to see the thrill on their face when theyre done with their project.

The STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program is intended to give the students up-close experience with real-world skills while also learning state standards in several topics, including Earth science, chemistry and physics, among others.

The projects also span across multiple classes.

Some of the students used their time in separate graphic design classes to develop logos for their respective ROV teams. Sean Dziobaka took advantage of the skills he acquired in a separate innovations class to design new propellers for his teams ROV. He then created those propellers with a 3-D printer.

Its a lot of hands-on experience, he said.

In addition to running their robots through the competitions, each of the student teams also goes through an interview with a panel of experts in the field. Among the panelists this year are members of the aquatics program at the UCSB and professionals from defense contractor Raytheon.

At the end, the students will be awarded prizes in a range of categories.

Several of the students said theyve found the program to be beneficial beyond the classroom.

Miranda Vargas, a senior, enjoyed the program so much last year that she became a teaching assistant for Mason, primarily so she could work with this years group of students. She said her team went through its struggles last year, but it was all worth it.

A lot of it has helped in ways that I didnt think it would, she said, noting that it gave her a better understanding of basic engineering concepts.

That sentiment was shared by Brandin Goldsberry, a junior and a member of the same team as Dziobaka.

Its a lot of fun, thats for sure, Goldsberry said. Some people in this class had never picked up tools before, and now theyre learning how to do circuits, screws, basic construction principles its definitely a lot of fun.

Science teacher Chris Ladwig, whose class was the first to take over the pool deck Tuesday, said the program is also commendable for its inclusiveness.

Its really neat because a lot of robotics programs that get attention are maybe one class or one after-school group, and its maybe a dozen kids at a huge expense, he said. Whereas here, its six classes and the robots are relatively inexpensive. So this touches a huge number of kids. Its not just the honors or AP kids.

Cortez said she didnt know much about wiring or electrical components before getting involved in this program. She said she can envision several applications where the skills learned in the Cabrillo class will pay off outside of academics.

I definitely think itll be an advantage in the future and not just something fun that we did in high school, she said.

Willis Jacobson covers the city of Lompoc for Lee Central Coast Newspapers. Follow him on Twitter @WJacobsonLR.

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Get in the game with Virtual Reality – 13abc Action News

Posted: at 10:51 pm

NEW YORK (AP) - Baseball games will soon arrive on virtual-reality headsets.

Video in the new At Bat VR app wont be in VR. Rather, the app places you behind home plate and shows you graphical depictions of each pitch, including a colored streak (red for strikes and green for balls) tracing the balls trajectory. The data come from sensors Major League Baseball already has installed in all of its stadiums.

The app also lets you hover over icons to see the speed and type of each pitch, as well as which parts of a strike zone is strong or weak for a particular batter. Traditional TV coverage of the games will appear on a virtual screen in front of you, alongside play-by-play information and individual player stats.

Its more information that casual baseball fans will want, but hard-core fans might get a kick from having this perspective supplement what they see with regular TV cameras. Baseballs regular At Bat app does have some of this information, but not in 3-D and not while watching video.

At Bat VR will also have a section for 360-degree video packages, but not of actual games.

At Bat VR is included with Major League Baseballs existing streaming packages. For live video, that starts at about $87 for the season. At Bat VR is also subject to the usual blackouts for local teams; in such cases, the graphical depictions will still be available, but not the live video within the headset. (Audio is available with the cheaper At Bat Premium subscription for $20; non-paying users get just the graphics and stats.)

The VR app comes out June 1 and works with Android phones and headsets compatible with Googles Daydream VR system. Theres no version for iPhones.

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Virtual Reality Short Film "The 7th Night of Thelema" Screened at Cannes Film Festival – PR Newswire (press release)

Posted: at 10:51 pm

"The main idea was to make a real ritual -- something that could be an act, through virtual reality media, to heal the soul of the viewer," said Director Gianluigi Perrone. "I actively looked for a top-notchVR studio that can produce VR content to the highest industrial standard and ultimately chose Immers Studio after exploring several options."This is one of Perrone's first two films shot in virtual reality and screened at Cannes.

The Cannes Film Festival first introduced screenings of virtual reality short films in 2016. This year, the VR Experience was expanded into a five-day industry program. "The rarity of quality VR content inspires filmmakers to adapt this emerging technology, and Immers Studio has dedicated the last three years to creating original VR content, which can be viewed exclusively via our head-mounted display," said Kirin Lee, CEO of Immerex.

Virtual reality will fundamentally change the way movies are watched, and Immerex, headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, develops a content-rich, end-to-end VR ecosystem to bring users a portal solution for the ultimate cinematic experience.

About ImmerexImmerex, based in Santa Clara, CA, develops a content-rich, end-to-end virtual reality ecosystem to offer industry-leading portable cinematic VR experiences. Immers Studio is the content and production arm of Immerex. Immerex's VR ecosystem includes proprietary VR head-mounted displays and a tightly integrated content portal to provide the best personal viewing experience for ultimate visual enjoyment. The sleek design of the company's hardware and portal allows users to experience a virtual world with true emotion, including premium VR entertainment content, live events and spontaneous life experiences. With international roots and powerful partnerships, Immerex is bringing virtual reality entertainment experiences to mainstream audiences.

Media ContactJenny Ng (415) 591-4002 jenny.ng@bm.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/virtual-reality-short-film-the-7th-night-of-thelema-screened-at-cannes-film-festival-300461147.html

SOURCE Immerex

http://www.immerex.com

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Carne y Arena review – dazzling virtual reality exhibit offers a fresh look at the refugee crisis – The Guardian

Posted: at 10:51 pm

So the envelope is pushed a little further, the limits of cinema questioned a little harder, the rectangular perimeter fence of the movie screen challenged a little bit more confidently.

The Cannes Film Festival has officially selected this immersive and sensually rather amazing VR experience, lasting six or seven minutes, directed by Alejandro Gonzlez Irritu and shot by Emmanuel Lubezki. It is certainly far more interesting, far more alive to the creative and responsive possibilities of the medium, than the rather tame VR experience at last years Venice Film Festival: a dainty, Sunday-school retelling of the life of Jesus.

The Jesus show had undoubted novelty and a sort of earnest high-mindedness and as a VR virgin I enjoyed it. But Carne y Arena (Flesh and Sand) is on a whole different level a dynamic, kinetic experience in which the audience can roam freely about, looking up and down, and around a 360 degree circle.

It takes as its subject immigrants and refugees who have come up through Central America and Mexico, attempting to enter the United States based on first-hand interviews and research.

The experience plunges you into the disorientating and even terrifying situation. You walk into what is effectively an aircraft hangar shed: the installation has been set up at Cannes-Mandelieu airport, twenty minutes drive out from the centre. You take your shoes and socks off in a side room with other peoples boots and shoes littered about, and walk through into a space the size of a tennis court, covered in sand. The VR goggles go on, and you find yourself in a vast, baking scrubland on the US-Mexico border, as scared and hungry refugees trudge up to you over the horizon. Then a helicopter and two SUVs from border patrol show up full of cops with guns who aggressively arrest everyone, all around you.

Night falls and there is a hallucinatory sequence showing refugees being tipped out of a boat. Then things become scarier still. Just when you had become used to wandering up to imaginary cops with their very real-looking semi-automatics, and nervously accustomed yourself to the fact that all their movements are choreographed and that you are to them effectively a ghost, invisible you realise that the software of this exhibition has tracked your position and eyeline. These cops can and do get in your face.

Its a theatrical triumph. Does it tell us or show us anything meaningful about the refugee issue? Or is it a posh version of the Harrier jump-jet flight simulators at the RAF museum? At first, I was suspicious. It could be a fetishisation or even eroticisation of the refugees suffering sponsored as it is by Prada. But it does tell you one real thing: what it feels like to have a gun pointed at you. For the first time, I had an inkling of what it must be like. You become lowered, lessened you become subhuman, without even a criminals civilian rights. And anyone experiencing this installation can see that this offers only a fraction of what is happening in real life. The good faith of Irritu is plain.

As for whether it really tests the boundaries of cinema thats unproven. Only one person at a time can play. Promenade theatre arguably offers more. And this installation is in fact likely to be comfortably absorbed into the existing world of art galleries, not movie theatres a species of video art that is already well understood. But that is not to downplay the interest of Carne y Arena, and the new and experimental thinking it offers. Innovation is always welcome and necessary.

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Walk with penguins: Virtual reality video shows how it is to live … – The Independent

Posted: at 10:51 pm

They may feature on television with adorable frequency, yet few are aware of how endangered penguins are.

Despite being loved the world over, they are the world's second most threatened group of marine birds, with 10 of the 18 penguinspecies threatened with extinction.

Alongside the challenges of the wild, penguins must now battle competition with fisheries, bycatch, marine pollution, disease, habitat disturbance and climate change.

To raise awareness Birdlife International have released a virtual reality video, transporting viewers into the middle of sub-antarctic penguin colonies. Their challenging journeys back and forth from their families are captured in full HD and 360 degrees.

The worlds largest nature conservation partnership, BirdLife International, worked with London-based virtual reality specialist, Visualise, to create Walk with Penguins, an engaging 3D 360 short nature film aimed at connecting audiences with penguin protection.

To lend your support visithttp://penguin.birdlife.org

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Virtual Reality Could Transform Pornography But There Are Dangers – IFLScience

Posted: at 10:51 pm

Judging by the statistics, a lot of people must have received virtual reality technology for Christmas. Views of virtual reality pornography on one website spiked at 900,000 on Christmas Day 2016, three times what they were a month previously. Today, daily views are almost 250% higher than a year ago.

Virtual reality porn has arrived and with it has come the potential to create whole new immersive experiences. Aside from the headset devices available today, further developments could mean not just 360-degree 3D graphics but also technology that replicates taste, touch and smell.

This new use for virtual reality has been greeted with some of the same moral panic often seen when digital technology impacts sexuality, such as children being exposed to internet porn at a younger age or teenagers sexting each other explicit photos. While these are serious concerns, its worth remembering that every new sexualised use of technology has been threatened to corrupt childhood innocence, from the introduction of mainstream cinema to video tapes.

My colleagues Gavin Wood and Madeline Balaam and I have just published a study into how people might use virtual reality to access pornography as the technology develops. Several media reports focused on the potentially negative uses we highlighted, such as creating revenge porn and consent issues. But we also found that virtual reality has the opportunity to create new, more positive ways of experiencing pornography.

For our study, we asked participants to write a story about an imaginary character called Jack who was about to have his very first virtual reality pornography experience. By analysing the stories, we identified two main themes, one positive and one more worrying.

Some stories illustrated a perfect scenario that completely immersed Jack in a euphoric sexual experience that was beyond his wildest dreams. The seemingly limitless imagination that can be applied to VR porn experiences could potentially open the door to a whole world of new sexual experiences.

But some of the stories also portrayed Jacks experience as precarious, something so good that it started to take over his life or replace his real relationships. This suggests that virtual reality could affect not just pornography but also disrupt the ways we typically think about sex in real life.

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VR slow to catch on with US consumers – Memphis Business Journal

Posted: at 10:51 pm


DigitalTVEurope.net
VR slow to catch on with US consumers
Memphis Business Journal
Virtual reality players acknowledged this trend at the VRLT Summit last month, citing big, expensive headsets and a dearth of content that would entice consumers to make the investment. Today's VR headsets are bulky, they're big, they're tethered, ...
eMarketer: US virtual reality use to climb 110% this yearDigitalTVEurope.net
Augmented reality market is growing, thanks to social network platformsDeccan Chronicle
Augmented reality gains led by Snapchat: ResearchersETTelecom.com
Investopedia
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Baseball coming June 1 to virtual-reality headsets – Miami Herald

Posted: at 10:51 pm


Miami Herald
Baseball coming June 1 to virtual-reality headsets
Miami Herald
Baseball games will soon arrive on virtual-reality headsets. Video in the new At Bat VR app won't be in VR. Rather, the app places you behind home plate and shows you graphical depictions of each pitch. That includes a colored streak red for strikes ...

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Baseball coming June 1 to virtual-reality headsets - Miami Herald

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