Marc Olano, associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering, offered attendees of TEDxTowson 2016 a look into how technology has changed the way we perceive reality. “New technology has started blurring the lines between the real and the virtual,” he said at the May 5 event.

Olano walked his audience through the adoption of new technologies, from the “experimental stage” of their development, to being increasingly available but still very expensive and largely inaccessible, to becoming commonly available.

3D printers took center stage in Olano’s talk, and he began by showing the audience an item made by a 3D printer in the late 1980s, when the end product was much less important than the basic achievement of printing in 3D. “I have absolutely no idea what this thing is, but hey, it was made by a 3D printer,” he shared. “It is something that did not exist before, was a virtual object, and was 3D printed.”

The 3D printers available now are more durable and precise than those that existed a few decades ago, and much more common. Today, the fact that someone makes a 3D print is not tremendously exciting, Olano suggested, it’s all about what materials they are using, what they are making, and how that item can be used.

A tactile graph, developed at UMBC by Amy Hurst, assistant professor of information systems, is one example of a 3D-printed item that serves a interesting and important purpose, Olano explained, showing the graph to the audience. The object allows people without sight to understand how graphs are used to communicate information, as well as conveying the data in the graph itself.

In addition to exploring how 3D printers turn virtual objects into real, tangible objects, Olano discussed advances in virtual reality (VR) technologies. VR, he explained, allows a person to become immersed in a new world. VR goggles are a common way to create this experience and are becoming increasingly sophisticated and accessible. “It can give you that convincing sense of presence,” he said.

Watch Olano’s full TEDxTowson talk. (His talk begins around 44:30.)

Images: Marc Olano during the opening of the 3D Scanning Room at UMBC. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

Wilson Compton, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), visited UMBC on April 20, meeting with President Freeman A. Hrabowski, Vice President for Research Karl V. Steiner, and other distinguished faculty. Michael Summers, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and recent electee to the National Academy of Sciences, discussed his groundbreaking HIV research with Compton. Compton also made a presentation to UMBC faculty about NIDA’s goals and opportunities for researchers, ensuring that UMBC faculty are aware of the range of resources available to them.

Joe Frascella, senior science advisor to the director of NIDA and previous director of the division of clinical neuroscience and behavior research at NIDA, is currently at based UMBC in the Office of the Vice President for Research under a one-year Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) agreement. He is working with UMBC faculty to increase awareness of NIH research opportunities, mentoring students and faculty on grant-writing strategies, and establishing collaborations between NIH institutes and UMBC. He is also working to boost diversity at NIH by expanding connections between UMBC and NIH.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with students and faculty at UMBC during this year,” said Frascella. “I have been very impressed with the unique strengths of UMBC to attract and prepare students from a broad variety of backgrounds for future careers, especially in the biomedical field. My goal is to establish long-term relationships and learn from UMBC how NIH could enhance its own programs.”

Image: President Hrabowski signs a copy of his book for Wilson Compton, deputy director of NIDA.

John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and Pepsi-Cola and currently entrepreneur and investor in high-tech startups, visited the Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST) at UMBC on April 15 to learn more about the innovative work conducted by CAST researchers. Sculley met with Govind Rao, CAST director and professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering, as well as staff and students.

President Freeman Hrabowski and Karl V. Steiner, vice president for research, welcomed Sculley and his wife, Diane, to campus.

“It is an honor to share some of the exciting and path-breaking research underway at UMBC with an internationally recognized technology leader like John Sculley,” said Karl Steiner. “The world-class work that Govind Rao and his outstanding team at CAST are pursuing has the potential to change some well-established paradigms.”

Sculley was particularly interested in learning more about CAST’s “biologics on demand” program, part of the BioMOD program supported by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). He also spoke with team members about a non-invasive respiration and glucose sensor project and a low-cost cardboard neonatal incubator for developing nations.

Image: John Sculley and wife, Diane, visit with CAST students, staff, and faculty at UMBC.