Coming Up: 2004 Engineering Lecture Series Offers Animation, Mars and VR
Fall lecture series promises inside scoop on big-screen animation, the Mars Rover missions and virtual reality therapy
- This year’s Engineering Lecture Series will include an inside-Mission-Control perspective on the Mars Rover landings as well as the latest news from the ongoing exploration of the Red Planet. (Image: NASA)
Alumni and friends of the College of Engineering will have a chance this fall to hear from several of the UW’s world-class researchers and their guests on some of today’s hot technology topics during the 2004 Engineering Lecture Series.
All lectures will be in Kane Hall and will be followed by an informal meet-the-speakers coffee and cookies reception. Reservations will open online begining Aug. 25 through the UW Alumni Association. Interested parties can also call the association at (206) 543-0540.
Lecture dates and topics for this year are:
-
Oct. 5: Nemo, Gollum and the Science of Digital Filmmaking
UW Computer Science & Engineering Professor Steve Seitz will team up with Loren Carpenter, founder of Pixar Animation Studios, to take audience members behind the big screen and reveal how advances in technology are being used to create increasingly realistic animated films and the amazing special effects seen in such productions as Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., The Lord of the Rings and Shrek.
Oct. 26: Exploring the Red Planet: The Mars Rover Landings
UW Aeronautics and Astronautics Chair Adam Bruckner will be joined by Rob Grover, an A&A grad and former student of Bruckner’s who is now entry, descent and landing systems engineer on both of the Mars Rover landings. Hear stories from Mission Control on the night of the landings and get the latest information from the ongoing exploration of Red Planet.
Nov. 9: Virtual Healing: Virtual Reality as More Than Fun and Games
UW researcher Hunter Hoffman is at the center of groundbreaking research into the use of virtual reality for therapy. He has successfully used VR to help people overcome spider phobia and deal with mental anguish of the 9/11 terror attacks. In presenting some of his latest research, he will take audience members into a virtual world where he and his team are helping patients at Harborview Medical Center endure the excruciating pain of severe burn treatment. Learn how donning a VR helmet can help accelerate healing.
The series is co-sponsored by the College of Engineering and the UWAA.