According to MITs Technology Review, most of the companies working on these wearable head mounted displays started out building systems for the military. My interest in wearable devices is centered around consumer products for recreation and leisure time, however it’s fascinating to see some of these companies building innovative communication products for industries like aviation and hospitality first, in order to generate enough revenue and research to get themselves into the consumer market.

RECON INSTRUMENTS

One of my favorite applications for wearable displays is used for augmented reality while participating in snow and dirt sports like snowboarding and dirt biking. Recon Instruments makes micro optic displays that are are completely non-obtrusive for front and peripheral vision and provide real-time information on speed, jump analytics, distance, temperature and much more. Recon’s MOD Live GPS micro optic displays snap into Recon-ready goggles and connect to Android devices (iOS coming soon) via Bluetooth. They just recently partnered with with Smith Optics and Scott sports so I’m expecting we’ll start seeing more of these on the slopes quite soon.

Click here to view the embedded video.

ZEAL OPTICS

A fellow MCDM student, Derek Walker, recently posted a video of another goggle device for snow and dirt sports that records video, takes pictures and has an in-goggle viewfinder. These won’t be available for another year, but I really like the way they’ve integrated a head mounted camera.

Click here to view the embedded video.

More info: http://business.transworld.net/84405/news/zeal-optics-launches-ion-goggle-at-outdoor-retailer/

LUMUS OPTICAL

“Offering a new way of living, working, communicating and viewing content (including Internet, movies, TV and video games) anywhere and anytime, Lumus-enabled displays take vision to the ultimate level by redefining what you see on the go“

According to their website, Lumus is the “leading enabler of wearable displays”. Their technologies are currently being used by pilots in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. National Guard. Instead of developing displays from start to finish, Lumus sells their Optical Engine Modules under OEM agreements to leading consumer electronics manufacturers, who then market lines of products integrated with Lumus technology. By doing this they have penetrated a wide range of markets but don’t neccessily have control over how their technology is being used.

One fascinating tidbit from their site helps to explain the need for this type of product: Manufacturers and cellular service providers alike are demanding a portable personal display solution that will ensure an optimal large-screen viewing experience, thereby guaranteeing the success of their products and services. Ari Grobman, business development manager for Lumus, guesses that consumer devices will appear in “two years, maybe less.”

Credit / More info: http://www.lumus-optical.com/

VUZIX

“The Company’s products, personal display devices that offer users a portable high quality viewing experience; provide solutions for mobility, thermal sighting systems, tactical wearable displays and virtual and augmented reality.”

Credit: GizmoWatch
Vuzix won two innovation awards at CES for advanced 3D glasses and a new monocular see-through head mounted display (HMD). Their new 3D Mobile Video Eyewear looks pretty slick and connects to nearly anything with HDMI or any other type of video out. They provide a big screen experience (75″ from as seen from 10 feet away) and cost about the same as a plasma TV, $599. The new monocular see-through HMD for idustrial use is intended for things like viewing the schematics of a machine while looking at it and will go on sale later in 2012 for $5,000 to $10,000.

Vuzix has been developing their display technology for military and industrial applications since 1997. In 2005 they jumped into what they call the “consumer Video Eyewear market”. The company is focused on making its video eyewear the standard mobile equipment for watching news, sports, music videos and movies, and for playing video games on the go.

More info: http://www.vuzix.com/

SENSICS

SmartGoggles are by far the ugliest head mounted display I’ve seen but they have some cool features including a 360 degree view, 720p display, built-in Android 4.0, head & hand tracking 3D processing, Wifi and Bluetooth. They appear to offer an immersive virtual 3D environment and use 11 cell phone cameras mounted on the front to detect hand and arm gestures allowing the person to interact with what they see. So far they haven’t announced a price but they should be available later in 2012.

Sensics is also developing a see-through SmartGoggle for augmented reality applications.

Click here to view the embedded video.

More info: http://smartgoggles.net/

SONY

According to announcement made on Jan. 5, Sony is working on a 3D head mounted display and has already released a prototype. There’s no word on when it be available but it appears to be intended for watching videos and playing video games.

Click here to view the embedded video.

More info: http://www.pcworld.com/article/215745/sony_shows_futuristic_3d_headmounted_display.html

KOPIN

“Golden-i is the world’s first hands-free and wireless headset computer. Golden-i will revolutionize the way we naturally interface with computers and intuitively interact with our virtually enhanced surroundings.”

The Golden-i device has been out for awhile but was on display at CES. Like Sensics SmartGoggles, the Golden-i device has a built-in processor, Bluetooth and Wifi. It runs Windows CE embedded and is controlled by gestures and voice. This device’s display sits just below your natural line of sight and appears to be 15″ when it’s in focus.

Credit: Techiser

More info: http://www.mygoldeni.com/

EPSON

These glasses didn’t make it on stage at CES, I just really like the picture. According to The Verge, they went on sale in Japan back in November for around $643. They simulate a screen that is 320″ wide from about 65 feet away at a resolution of 960×540 and have built-in Wifi.

Credit: PC Watch

More info: http://global.epson.com/newsroom/2011/news_20111109.html

One of the things I found most interesting while researching these displays is that the software needed for augmented reality is far ahead of the hardware. The companies like Recon that are actually creating new markets have integrated software and hardware while other companies like Lumus are just focused on creating the best display. At this point it’s still hard to speculate just how viable head mounted displays will become, but if they’re anything like Bluetooth audio headsets we’re in for a major transition in how we communicate and see the world around us.

Always interested in hearing your thoughts. Would you drop some cash on a head mounted display device and what features are you interested in? Have you heard of any others that looking interesting?

Related Posts

• January 17, 2012 -- Why I think CES matters (3)
• January 12, 2012 -- Your Phone Was Probably Made in a Sweatshop (5)
• January 9, 2012 -- Trying to be Chic AND Geek for the Consumer Electronics Show (0)
• November 29, 2011 -- Getting Schooled in Wearables (9)
• November 25, 2011 -- To Connect or Not to Connect? (11)

One of the first technologies I was introduced to here at Uni Bremen was a Microsoft Surface Table. While it may not be such a futuristic technology, there is definitely a lot of research in applications currently being done that will make it a more widely used technology in the near future. One of my friends is working on some collaboration software for the Surface Table for his masters thesis and asked me to participate in some research he was doing. This particular table in the TZI lab is several years old and uses a projector and double-sided mirror. A multi-touch sensor grid is laid on top of the mirror and the table uses Microsoft’s latest Surface SDK running on Windows 7. The study I participated in required four people to work together to assemble puzzle pieces for four separate puzzles. While this may sound like a simple task, let me assure you that it can become rather complicated unless everyone works together.

I was quite intrigued by the whole experience and I’m contemplating making my own table when I return home for further experiment. While doing a little research of my ow,n I found that multi-touch tables are relatively cheap and easy to build. Check out Hack a Day’s page for more info.

Surface Tables are being used in quite a few public venues these days including retails stores, universities, libraries, museums, restaurants, hotels and concert halls. They’re also being put to use in offices for a wide range of collaborative tasks including mapping, designing and organizing content.

Kinect for the PC
While the Kinect attached to the Xbox 360 has a been in the consumer market for about a year now, I’ve recently just got a taste of it’s possibilities when connected to a PC. While working on a small research project for Uni Bremen’s Artificial Intelligence group, I discovered a handful of apps for Windows 7 and even OS X and Linux that can control desktop applications such as web browsers, media players and even PowerPoint. Below is a brief list of the software titles I’ve found:

• KinEmote (free)
• Kinect PowerPoint Control (free)
• Evoluce – Win&I (39,90 €)
• So touch Air Presenter ($821)

Based on what I’ve seen, I would have to agree with a recent article in the Wall Street Journal that asserted “The Kinect has been Microsoft’s strongest argument against those who say it cannot innovate.”

Microsoft originally released their own SDK for Windows 7 under a non-commercial license agreement that forbid the sale of software based on the SDK, however several other SDKs including Open NI have been used to get around the roadblock and allow developers to make a few bucks off their brilliant use of the hardware. According to Chris Nuttall of the Financial Times, “Hundreds of commercial applications are under development” and Microsoft has said that they will sell a commercial version of the Kinect for Windows SDK to businesses early in 2012.

That’s not all, recently Microsoft announced that they would be officially rolling out Kinect for Windows soon and rumors have been floating around that a new device will be released in 2012 that is accurate enough to read lips. With all of these recent announcements, it appears that the folks across the water in Redmond will continue to do some amazing things with the Kinect hardware.

Several other large companies including Verizon have invested in developing software for the Kinect that will allow their customers to use gesture based controls. Verizon recently announced that FiOS customers can now signup for their Xbox LIVE service that allows full control of their TV using the Kinect.

While the following video is still gaming related, it is one of the coolest uses of the Kinect for Windows 7 I’ve seen so far.

As always, I’m curious to hear your thoughts.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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On the first day we covered what wearable computing is and the history behind basic computing going all the way back to the 1950s. It was quite fascinating to see how the purposes for using computers has evolved over the years. It all started with specific tasks and business computing in the 50s & 60s, then in the 80s we had the addition of more entertainment computing and in the 90s communication and information computing became mainstream. Looking at the history of wearable devices (not necessarily computers) we quickly discussed eye glasses, watches and Bluetooth devices. Dr. Lawo, our professor, related that when wearable Bluetooth ear pieces first began selling in stores he had his doubts that they would ever become mainstream. He admitted he was quite wrong and that the next wave of wearables, possibly with a built-in eye piece and CPU (as seen in the picture of me below) just might become as ubiquitous as the bluetooth ear piece.

Looking at the purposes behind wearable computing we learned that wearables should support the user in doing a primary task (i.e. navigation) while not distracting the user or becoming obtrusive. We also learned that wearables should have seamless integration with the environmental and social context of the user.

Next we looked at the interactive design process for developing wearables that includes interviewing the full range of target users, sketching concepts, creating mockups, and then testing the users with every aspect of the device. Some of the main concerns in wearable prototyping involve building for a wide range of body sizes, safety, hygiene and ruggedness. Another major concern with wearables is wiring. Just like with a pair of headphones, wiring with wearables is rather delicate and stressed connection points often cause failure.

One of the examples of the first wearable computers we talked about was developed by Symbol Technologies for United Parcel Services (UPS) package loaders in 1995. The wearable device that Symbol was tasked with creating needed to miniaturize and consolidate three key components; the display/keyboard, CPU and barcode scanner. The Ws 1000 (pictured here on the right) that Symbol Technologies developed may not seem fancy today, but it’s quite interesting to think about how much more efficient the package loaders may have become after being equipped with this technology.

We also ventured out of the classroom to check out some of the wearables in development that Uni Bremen has in their lab. One of my favorites was the washable O’Neil snowboard jacket with an integrated MP3 player developed by Infineon. Others included a coat for flight attendants with a keypad built into the arm, a pair of coveralls for forestry workers with a built-in device for stopping machinery such a chain saw if it comes in close proximity to the worker and an eye display with built in bar code scanner that can help warehouse workers sort through their inventory.

Finally we talked about Steve Mann and Humanistic Intelligence, an information processing apparatus that is inextricably intertwined with the natural capabilities of our human body and intelligence. As you can see in the video below from last year, Steve Mann has been in the wearable computer since it’s inception and he believes that they can ultimately lead to better human communication.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Related Posts

• January 24, 2012 -- Will 2013 be the year of video glasses and augmented reality? (1)
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Qwiki has opened its alpha release to the public since January. With its stated objective to “deliver information in a format that’s quintessentially human – via storytelling instead of search”, Qwiki has generated great interest, even hyped by media as the “next Google.”

Qwiki turns text based search into a multimedia experience that is similar to combining search results of Google, YouTube and Wikipedia all on the same page. Test drives show Qwiki is more interesting than practical at this point, although it holds great promises in areas that perhaps wasn’t initially intended.

Here are two reasons Qwiki will not replace Google:

• First, Qwiki is indexed to words, not sentences, which is its greatest limitation to replace search. From its inception, it is suited for only a subset of subjects. This is the same way that Wikipedia has been so successful yet never a threat to Google.
• Second, while multimedia is great for those who seek the story, the format severely limits the amount of information presented on the screen. Video and voice is inherently time consuming, they are great for interaction, entertainment, education and illustration. But they are inefficient as carriers of raw information.

Google’s strength is still with the simplicity and efficiency of text, as it can transmit and present the most information on the least screen for the searcher to choose from. Google is not always correct, but it doesn’t need to be. Users provide their own intelligence. Qwiki, on the other hand, attempts to digest and select information, and “tell the story” with sound and video. Therefore it is a much more difficult task to present the “right” information to the audience. For example, the word “Washington” could have different meanings. Qwiki has done a better job with its search prompt feature, which displays multiple items as user types, thus allowing the audience to participate in the selection. As shown, the word “Amazon” brought up a number of different subjects.

Qwiki as a search tool is elementary at best, its multimedia style of presentation is more pretty than it is useful for in-depth information. But Qwiki has its shining places.

It is naturally suited for people and places, as well as entertainment, scientific and educational subjects.

Its social media potential is also promising, as it can be the hub of a particular subject, which extends to conversation between interested parties. Qwiki also said that it will provide a service later this year that allows people to merge their Facebook and LinkedIn data, along with other online content, into a personal “Qwiki”.

Qwiki has almost instant commercial value due to its word based categorization. For example, companies will use Qwiki as a great PR outlet, cities can promote tourism, and new film launches will find its multimedia format a natural fit.

Qwiki is not the future of search, but it may be among the new contenders in online media to watch for.

Most Commented Posts

• November 21, 2008 -- Crowdsourcing: Name the New MCDM Center! (37)
• November 9, 2009 -- An Ode to Contemplation (32)
• October 14, 2011 -- MCDM’s Toast to a Bully (30)
• February 25, 2008 -- Flip Video Vlog: Codecs and You! (25)
• November 9, 2010 -- Windows Phone 7: Could Mobile Gaming Be Microsoft’s Ticket? (21)

Here’s the full Q&A:

Q: What’s the story behind Rootmetrics? How did it get started?

A: RootMetrics began in 2008 and was founded by a team of folks with strong ties to and many years of experience in the mobile community. The goal of the company was to break the historical convention of mobile performance residing in a black box, where it was completely unavailable to the public or to mobile suppliers. RootMetrics continues to promote transparency by putting the consumer first. We measure mobile performance from a consumer’s point of view and ensure that everyone has access to the data. Put simply, by downloading and using our app, you are creating the most up-to-date, publicly available map of mobile service and carrier coverage.

Q: How do you help people find the best cellular carrier for their needs?

A: Through our smartphone apps and the maps that you can find on our website and at CNET, we arm consumers with the true picture of mobile performance based on millions of data points. Using these tools, anyone can review signal strength, data speeds and overall mobile performance at a broad regional level, or down to your own street level. Each view of our maps compares carrier data side-by-side, so that you can see how carriers stack up against each other at that location.

Q: What has the demand for your service been like and what do you for-see the demand will be in the future?

A: We’ve seen great demand for our service and have received numerous positive press reviews. As smartphone adoption and mobile technologies continue their steep trajectory of growth, we foresee increased need for our application. We know that consumers are increasingly frustrated with mobile performance and are confused by the conflicting carrier messages in the marketplace. Because we source our data directly from the consumer rather than the carrier, we can provide mobile performance clarity and deliver data that is objective and accurate.

Q: We noticed that you seem to have a lot of data for major US cities, but how do you plan to gather more data in rural areas?

A: Every day, consumers from all across the country send us new data points that add to our mapping of rural areas. The more that people across the country send us samples, the more representative our maps and reports become of the true consumer experience at any location. We will continue measuring mobile performance in major U.S. markets and also look forward to seeing the hyper-localized areas of the maps fill in as word of our application spreads.

Q: Are there any other services with similar functionality?

A: There are a few other services that offer some elements of our functionality, but we are the only app available for iPhone and Android that offers views of both signal strength and data performance and allows consumers to test their networks to add samples to our maps.

Q: Has tracking and publishing this data pressured companies to expand coverage in poorly served areas? Do you think it will in the future?

A: We are just beginning to see how carriers are responding to this data. Infrastructure changes and coverage expansions are often time consuming and expensive propositions, so we don’t expect changes to happen overnight. However, carriers are very interested in the data that we are reporting and are using it to identify challenges in the ways that consumers experience their networks so that they can make changes and improvements.

Q: Are we moving toward a future of “best” mobile coverage on all networks everywhere? When will we get there?

A: At this point, it’s hard to say. Some of the regulations in the US in the mobile industry make it a bit more difficult to do this quickly; however, with our data, everyone will be equipped to make the best choice of carrier no matter their location.

Q: Are you currently working on a WP7 or Blackberry app or have you decided to stick with Android and iPhone only? If no WP7 or Blackberry, why?

A: We are focused on the Android and iOS systems right now as they are the platforms showing the most significant growth and the strongest consumer adoption. However, should BlackBerry and Windows gain deeper consumer adoption in the near future, we will look into apps to support those platforms.

More about RootMetrics:

RootMetrics.com | Facebook | Twitter | Download App

Signed a new contract lately or in the market? Let us know how it’s working out…

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• November 9, 2009 -- An Ode to Contemplation (32)
• October 14, 2011 -- MCDM’s Toast to a Bully (30)
• February 25, 2008 -- Flip Video Vlog: Codecs and You! (25)
• November 9, 2010 -- Windows Phone 7: Could Mobile Gaming Be Microsoft’s Ticket? (21)

Click here to view the embedded video.

While Dan Savage could not be at the ceremony to personally accept the award, he did send along this video that was shown to attendees:

Adam Brotman VP of Starbucks Digital Ventures was on hand to accept his award on behalf of Starbuck’s and Yahoo’s Digital Network initiative:

On Friday night, students in the MCDM program presented their work in the first annual MCDM screen Summit.  The video below features a few of the highlights of some of the work that MCDM students have been doing over the last year.

Click here to view the embedded video.

A hearty and sincere congratulations from all of us at Flip the Media to this year’s graduates.  Go forth and make the change!

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• January 18, 2012 -- MCDM Town Hall on Sunday (0)
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“Media Space: Entertainment & Content” was the award-winning episode that featured alternate reality gaming entrepreneur Elan Lee in its debut season, discussing his pioneering work in entertainment and immersive gaming.

“Media Space is our very public effort to connect to what’s next in technology and communication. Elan Lee’s pioneering work in reinventing storytelling clearly foreshadows how we’ll all be interacting with media in the years to come,” said host and MCDM Director Hanson Hosein. “I’m thrilled that we’ve won this recognition for such cutting-edge subject matter – it’s truly the best of what we do.”

John Haslam, General Manager of UWTV, said “It’s wonderful to receive industry recognition for these shows, which represented a shift in our programming to bring more original, entertaining and thought-provoking shows to UWTV. We are continuing our mission to create more original programming, including new arts shows premiering this spring, that showcase the people and stories from the University of Washington.”

The Telly Awards honors outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and web commercials, videos and films. The field of over 13,000 entries includes work from advertising agencies, production companies, and network TV stations.

About UWTV
A service of the University of Washington, UWTV is a multi-platform media organization connecting the region and the world to the University of Washington on air, online and via mobile devices. Learn more at uwtv.org.

Media Space Production Team:

Hanson Hosein – Host
Scott Berkun – Guest Commentator
Scott Macklin – Executive Producer
Greg Young – Producer
Beth Koemans – Production Associate
Melissa BV Wilkes – Production Associate
Paul Thompson – Technical Director
Derek Hay – Technical Director
Carl Cathcart  – Technical Production
Paul Johnson – Audio Engineer
Bruce Fisher – Camera Operator
Phil Rezek – Camera Operator
Nadia Moore – Makeup
Kim Spaulding – Teleprompter
Jerry Morin – Engineer
Davis Coffey – Engineer
Lisa Merlin – Production Coordinator

Most Commented Posts

• November 21, 2008 -- Crowdsourcing: Name the New MCDM Center! (37)
• November 9, 2009 -- An Ode to Contemplation (32)
• October 14, 2011 -- MCDM’s Toast to a Bully (30)
• February 25, 2008 -- Flip Video Vlog: Codecs and You! (25)
• November 9, 2010 -- Windows Phone 7: Could Mobile Gaming Be Microsoft’s Ticket? (21)

Crowdsourcing

I had kept word that I was attending the conference from my parents. I also had to block my sisters from my Facebook updates about the trip to Puerto Rico. I had known for months. My plan was to surprise my mother at the mall, grocery store, or where ever she might be.

Everyone’s reaction to my plan – that’s a bad idea. Even the taxi driver on the way to Condado from Fajardo turned back while driving and looked at me square in the eyes and said, “Mijo, la vas a matar.” He was not the only local who concurred that I was going to give my mother a heart attack. So, I called my mother that afternoon. “Guess where I am?” A few seconds of silence goes by followed by “Get the **** out of here! How can that be?” Said a very stunned Señora, or as she will very happily point out to you, Señorita.

Whenever Katherine and I talked about presenting at an oceanography conference it always seemed strange. People would reply, “I thought you were into video or photography.”

Yes, we are into video. No, we aren’t oceanographers. “So, why are you presenting at an oceanography conference?”

My mother grew more confused and perplexed when I explained the reasons why I was in San Juan presenting at an International Oceanography Conference.

Carlos Miguel Sanchez & Julia Rodriguez (Dad and Mom)

Intelligent Design

Last summer, Katherine and I were invited by Bob Morris, a biological oceanographer and adjunct faculty in the School of Oceanography, to spend two weeks aboard the UW research vessel, the Thomas G. Thompson, 200 miles off the coast of Oregon documenting the research, teaching activities, and life in general onboard the ship. Our goal was to produce short videos as an outreach component for a grant proposal Bob has been revising. And produce short videos we did — seven videos in two weeks onboard. That’s one every other day. Not to mention shooting thousands of still images.

Through this collaboration, and with strong encouragement from Bob, we submitted abstracts last fall to present in a special session at the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) conference, this year being held in Puerto Rico. Our session: “Improved Broader Impacts = Enhanced Scientific Impacts.” Or as the session guide said:

“Conveying scientific research to the public is increasing in importance to scientists and society. Scientists are required to include broader impact activities to obtain or leverage funding, strengthen status within peer groups, and enhance graduate student professional development. In addition, scientists are often intrinsically motivated to share their research with the world.”

The session after us: Interactions Between Aquatic Microbial Eukaryotes: Intracellular to Community Processes. And so it is that our niche at the conference starts to make sense. Our abstracts were approved, and with support from the School of Oceanography and the MCDM the opportunity to present our videos at an international conference became a reality.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Twenty-Four

The following takes place between 6 am and 9 am

The router continued mocking me for hours, “You can turn me off and on as many times as you like but I am not cooperating!”  It’s less than twenty-four hours and neither of us has our presentations done. Katherine made her presentation using Prezi, mine was in pieces between Final Cut Pro and Keynote but I needed to verify research numbers via the Internet. Not sure how cloud computing works without a connection!

The following takes place vetween 9 am and 12 pm

My patience had been depleted a few days ago. I was now as relaxed as Mike Tyson’s fist. “Mr. Router, don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”  So, I did the only thing you can, and for the first time in my life I wrote a nearly ALL CAPS E-MAIL to the hotel owner!

The following takes place between 12 pm and 12:15 pm

The owner, to my surprise, replied promptly. I can’t remember exactly but I think I said something along the line of “Without a working Wi-Fi connection I won’t be able to write a good review after my stay.” Ah, social networks, the golden age for stalkers and blackmail.

The following takes place between 12:15 pm and 4:15 pm

My passive-aggressive email worked! A brand new router was delivered to the hotel room and actually works! Now to get some real work done… until my parents show up.

The following takes place between 4:15 pm and 4:17 pm

In the midst of a rainstorm my dad stops the car in the middle of traffic and I hop in their mini SUV. All smiles as they turn to look at me. We don’t move for a couple of minutes. Car horns are blazing all around us.

The following takes place between 4:17 pm and 6:17 pm

It took us an hour and a half to travel 12 miles to my parent’s house. I didn’t mind, as it was fun to hear them yak and argue about everything and nothing all at once. That is what 43 years of marriage will do to you.

The following takes place between 6:17 pm and 7:17 pm

My mother begins to cook her amazing Pollo Guisado. My father turns on the news on a small TV in front of the kitchen table. He then goes on and on about the recent crime fad on the island, “toughs” shooting each other at the mall in broad daylight.

The following takes place between 7:17 pm and 8:17 pm

I begin to stuff my pie hole in a very ungraceful but satisfying way: dipping tostones in the stew.

The following takes place between 8:17 pm and 8:30 pm

Mami laughs as she tells me to slow down while I eat. I don’t head her warning and my favorite TV show of all time “Los Simpsons!” begins to play. Don’t get them wrong, they love Los Simpsons, but they begin to deconstruct and argue the pros and cons of Los Simpsons. I laugh and choke with a mouth filled with food. I am home. I am truly my parent’s child and so it is true, “A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.”

The following takes place between 8:17 pm and 9:30 pm

Food coma has taken hold. My parents and I go over a box filled with photos I had been sending my mother for nearly twenty years. The phone rings. On the other end is my older sister Somarie. She is some kind of Sargent in the US Army.  “Guess who is here?” my mother asks.

The following takes place between 10 pm and 6:30 am

As I was coming out of my food coma and getting ready to finalize my presentation I had an epiphany. I scrap the old 15-minute multimedia presentation and start anew.

Flirting With Disaster

We arrive at the convention center two hours before our presentations. Take that hindsight!  There was broadband connectivity at snail-blazing speed at the convention center everywhere but where we needed it — inside the presentation room! The technicians at the multimedia room were only useful in the following ways, “How many technicians does it take to load up a PowerPoint presentation?”

In our case, the tech guy had to call a guy, to get a guy, to get another guy. And so it was for the presenter before us who had to give this talk without slides as the tech guy, again, had to call a guy, to get a guy, to get another guy, who shrugged his shoulders in the background.

Katherine was able to load and use the Prezi minus a YouTube link, even though she had to hold the microphone to the computer so the audience could hear “Head Shrinkers.” She did a fantastic job, even with her phobia of public speaking.

Katherine shows her official ASLO badge in front of the convention center

Where am I? And Why am I Speaking English?

My turn. Presentations don’t faze me anymore. Not because I don’t get nervous but because I am the one presenting, I detach my self and pretend I’m in the audience. No big deal, done this before.

I start my presentation and I look up and see my parents and ask myself, “What are my parents doing here?” All of a sudden I was floored by images long forgotten, like the time when I thought my mom was going to kill me and throw me down a ravine the last time I got kicked out of school,

or the time when my parents took me to see “Jaws” at age four, or when we would stay out all night with friends and neighbors during parrandas, or when I had scarlet fever that nearly killed me, and the time in the early 80s when we captured nearly 90 crabs, a family record.

System Failure

The past, present, and future collided, fighting to reconcile one and other. I knew that I was speaking, people where laughing but I couldn’t tell if they where laughing at me. I truly don’t remember the presentation at all. I can’t bear watching the video and I am pretty sure that I never will. Thank goodness Katherine edited our video presentations. Even Bob Morris commented later that evening, “that was the first time I’ve seen you so nervous.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

All Systems Go!

The presentations were well attended and besides my doomsday predictions we did not have any complaints (the last presentation we gave a faculty member scolded Katherine for her continual use of the phrase, “you know”). We had a large group of scientists in the room stay long after the presentation was over and ask our opinions and advice on how to implement what we talked about during our presentations.

To me the most important part of the whole morning was seeing a steady stream of people coming up to my parents and saying, “You must be very proud.” “Yes, we are,” they replied looking, at me very lovingly and cutting through all the façade only like parents can.

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Dinosaurs Still Roam The Earth

Later that evening we attended a gathering where Ph.D.’s outnumber us thirty-to-two. Like many of these gatherings, the conversation turns into “what do you do?” My standard line is that I am a janitor because this usually ends the conversation very early. This time I refrained from such banter. For the most part the conversations were nice and most saw the value in what we had to offer but there some who did not agree and believed social media and digital storytelling was just a fad and a waste of time.  My response was (in academia), “We will win this battle even if it is one retirement at a time.”

Life Less Ordinary

I hadn’t been feeling very good about my presentation since the moment it ended until a couple of days ago, when Katherine and I both got the following email:

“Congratulations on receiving an outstanding student presentation award at the ASLO 2011 Aquatic Sciences Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico! Awards were given to the top 5% of student presentations as evaluated based on the clarity/effectiveness of presentation, quality of experimental design, clarity of conclusions, and innovation/scientific insight.”

Go Figure.

I saw my parents one more time before I left when we ate Alcapurrias at El Piñones. They asked me when I would be back again. I said probably for a couple of funerals. We laughed, but seriously folks…

Home is where I want to be…

But I guess I am already there.

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