Contact: Ranjit Arab, University Relations, (785) 864-8855.
LAWRENCE--How can you get an in-depth tour of the Chesapeake Bay without leaving Topeka? Just attend the University Pavilion at the Kansas Technology Showcase.
Some of the most fascinating technological developments in higher education will be on display this week in the University Pavilion of the showcase, which will be at the Topeka Expocenter from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 20 and 21.
The pavilion will feature displays by the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Emporia State University and Fort Hays State University.
Among the KU contributions will be a demonstration of the Immersadesk system, a video display system that projects virtual images on a 5-foot-wide screen. One of the demos that the KU researchers hope to run is a tour of Chesapeake Bay, said Michael Grobe, assistant director of academic computing at KU.
Jerry Niebaum, assistant vice-chancellor at KU, said the showcase was a wonderful opportunity to update the people of Kansas on the latest technological developments of higher education, business, industry and state government.
"We got a lot of folks thinking about technology," Niebaum said of the success of last year's showcase, which drew more than 4,500 attendees. "They really left with the understanding that the universities are leading the state in technology areas."
Along with the Immersadesk system, the University Pavilion will feature demonstrations on the Internet2, advancements in distance learning technology, high-tech racing cars built by college students, and a 3-D veterinary operation--the first ever in Kansas.
Grobe, meanwhile, said that while virtual reality games are already in use, they pale in significance to the features of the Immersadesk, which allows participants to work together to build virtual environments.
"There are a lot of people who spend their time in virtual worlds together," Grobe said. "But what they are primarily trying to do is shoot each other. Immersadesk, on the other hand, offers a collaborative experience that opened my eyes to the possibilities of virtual reality, and I hope it will do the same for the people who attend the showcase."
Passes for free admission to the two-day event are available at the KU Computing Center.