20+ Years of Design, Technology & More
20+ Years of Design, Technology & More
If you love to learn about fossils and human ancestors then this is the perfect resource. A couple years ago Autodesk (including myself) and Dr. Louise Leakey of the Turkana Basin Institute started this project of placing the lab and…
While capturing 3D geometry with a standard digital camera is challenging and takes advanced technology, capturing 3D geometry underwater can be even more difficult. Difficult because of the optical changes and physical demand to operate in subsurface environment while trying…
While writing your own software or apps, or even coding your own web page is not for everyone it is for some a very enjoyable hobby or career. The Hour of Code for the Computer Science Education Week is designed to expose people to coding or programming in hopes some may find it as their calling.
In life we need to be exposed to a little bit of everything especially when we are young to help find our passion, talent, and where we fit in. Those who know me know that I am a huge supporter of getting more young people involved in design, engineering, math, and science. So here is an opportunity to expose someone to computer science which is mainly logic and math but a great career with many opportunities and fun.
For six decades and three generations, the Leakey family has dedicated themselves to uncovering, understanding and promoting the story of our origins. They have been systematically discovering evidence of our ancestry in East Africa. The Leakey team have collected thousands of fossils of human ancestors and other animals, as well as stone tools and other artifacts that are stored permanently in the National Museums of Kenya and at the Turkana Basin Institute (www.turkanabasin.org).
Aware of the general inaccessibility of these national treasures in their current locations, Dr. Louise Leakey, a third generation of the ‘fossil hunter’ family, took it upon herself to find a way to make them globally accessible for educators, kids, and science enthusiasts. Inspired by the possibilities presented by new capture and digitization technologies, about two years ago Dr. Louise Leakey began a fruitful collaboration with Autodesk (www.autodesk.com). Together, the team captured 3D digital models of the most significant fossils, and built a beautiful, interactive web site to host them.
How do you digitize the Smithsonian artifacts in 3D?
Ask the Laser Cowboys right now on Reddit! http://s.si.edu/1hLnOD3
I am here with Smithsonian's 3D capturing experts the "Laser Cowboys" Adam Metallo and Vince Rossi, 3D Program Officers, Smithsonian Institution Digitization Program at the famed Smithsonian Castle in Washington DC for a Reddit AMA session. The Reddit AMA session will run until 1PM Eastern today Friday November 15th,2013. Adam and Vince use many 3D capture techniques such as laser scanning, microCT, photogrammetry and more to capture the objects and collection at the Smithsonian.
The Smithsonian X 3D Event is this week in Washington DC. Autodesk is a very proud sponsor of this special event that will amaze and change the way you may experience museums and research in the future.
The Smithsonian X 3D event is now sold out to attedning in person but there will be a live webcast at 3d.si.edu as well as the event archived for later viewing. Autodesk's very own Amar Hanspal, Senior Vice-President of Information Modeling and Platform Products and Brian Matthews, Vice President and Group CTO, Reality Capture will be speaking at this event
We're looking for the best, the brightest, and the most innovative and creative faculty, students, and researchers that you know, and we need your assistance in encouraging them to apply to the IDEA Studio - Autodesk's unique scholar-in-residence program. The IDEA Studio is now accepting proposals for residencies that will take place in November 2013 through January 2014, and proposals are due May 15.
This was a quote from our Autodesk Chief Technology Officer Jeff Kowalski on the partnership with medical research firm Organovo.
The San Francisco Exploratorium has long been a place for kids and adults alike to explore science and technology, but it is moving. The Exploratorium is moving to the historic Embarcadero waterfront at pier 15 in 2013 and closing the current location in the Palace of Fine Arts in a couple weeks.
One of the people that the Exploratorium helped get interested in science and technology was Autodesk’s very own Brian Mathews who is now the Group CTO for the IPG group. Brian mentioned it made such an impact on him that he wanted to help document the existing Exploratorium in 3D using Reality Capture methods such as laser scanning and photogrammetry. Laser scanning projects a laser beam and captures the x,y,z and other attributes at a very high speed to create a 3D point cloud to be used as a digital reference of the objects and space. Photogrammetry is where you take a series of photos and then software creates a 3D textured model. Autodesk currently has a free software for computers as well as iPhone and the iPad 123D Catch where you can take photos of an object and create a 3D model. Brian is using an advanced version of the technology that we are working on.
Some may have attended or seen the fun Cage Match on “3D Printing is a Toy” with 12 year old prodigy Schuyler St.Leger last week. I even wore the Nacho Libra mask and cape in an unsuccessful attempt to intimidate Schuyler. This was really a no win debate for my position that 3D printing is a toy.
First: he is a cute and well spoken 12 year old kid that is passionate about 3D printing rating on enthusiasm meter of a scale 1-10 he pegs it at 99, and he really is smarter than most 30 year olds with a degree.
Second: 3D Printing is here to stay and will only get better and used in many more ways to benefit everyone.
My only point to be made during the entertaining fun event was that while I do fully believe in 3D printing, currently for most it is just printing small plastic toys with some limited exceptions.