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MEDIA RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Caroline Shawyer, The PR Group
Mob: 0401 496 334,
caroline@prgroup.com.au
Twitter: @cshawyer
Revolutionary virtual laboratory reaches out to Australia,
bringing future of scientific research
‘AlloSphere’ director, Dr JoAnn Kuchera-Morin, to forge links with
local researchers, universities and businesses as guest of
University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and X | Media | Lab
Sydney, November 24 2009 – Australian scientists, researchers, engineers, artists and
businesses will be among the first in the world to hear first-hand about the potential of a ground-
breaking Californian virtual reality research facility known as the AlloSphere.
Enclosed in a three-storey metal sphere, the AlloSphere is a 360-degree virtual reality chamber
which uses the world’s largest dynamically varying digital microscope to transform large scale
data sets into immersive, three dimensional experiences of sight and sound.
From brain function to electron behaviour in atoms, researchers can use the AlloSphere to
visualise, ‘fly-through’ and even listen to their data sets through music – producing new and often
unexpected insights.
The AlloSphere’s director, Dr JoAnn Kuchera-Morin (University of California, Santa Barbara), is in
Australia from November 26-30 to present at X I Media I Lab’s ‘Global Media Cultures’ event at
the Sydney Opera House (Friday 27th
November).
On Thursday 26th November, Dr JoAnn Kuchera-Morin will speak to leading Australian academics
and researchers at the ‘Exploring the AlloSphere Forum’, hosted by the University of
Technology, Sydney in association with the Creative Industries Innovation Centre and X I
Media I Lab. UTS Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research Professor Attila Brungs says: “Researchers
and industry representatives will have an opportunity to hear from and speak with Dr Kuchera-
Morin and explore the business and research potential of the AlloSphere.”
Powered by a super-computer, current projects utilising the AlloSphere include the visualisation
of cosmic background radiation; macroscopic modelling of the human brain using fMRI data;
multi-modal representations of atomic bonds and investigations of quantum mechanics and the
hydrogen atom. "The AlloSphere is a place where you can use all of your senses to find new
patterns in data,” says Dr JoAnn Kuchera-Morin. "You can almost say researchers are shrunk
down to the size of their data, immersed at a perceptual level."
Links:
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Dr JoAnn Kuchera-Morin, event details:
Exploring the AlloSphere Forum:
Thursday 26th November 3pm – 5pm. University of Technology. CB03, Bon Marche Studio, Level
One, 755 Harris Street, Ultimo UTS.
X | Media | Lab:
Friday 27th
November (9am – 5pm) ‘Global Media Cultures’. The Studio, Sydney Opera House.
Dr JoAnn Kuchera-Morin will speak at 11am session.
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ENDS -
About XMediaLab
XMediaLab is the internationally acclaimed professional network and digital media event for the
world’s creative industries. XMediaLab provides assistance with creative industries development,
business development and access to international expertise and finance. Each XMediaLab is a
completely unique event where people with original digital media ideas connect with a superb
international network of independent creative thinkers, technology wizards, commercialisation
XMediaLab returns to the Sydney Opera House on its sixth anniversary. Since it’s founding at
the Sydney Opera House in 2003, 26 XMediaLab events have been held in 10 locations all
around the world including: Melbourne, Singapore, Seoul, Beijing, Suzhou, Mumbai, Auckland,
London, Wellington and Los Angeles.
About UTS and the Creative Industries Innovation Centre
The Creative Industries Innovation Centre (CIIC) is part of the Australian Government’s
Enterprise Connect initiative. The CIIC helps small and medium sized enterprises in the Creative
Industries improve their operations, productivity and competitiveness by providing professional
business advisory and development services.
The CIIC is hosted by the University of Technology, Sydney, and brings together a consortium of
leading corporate, industry and university partners across Australia, committed to working
together to support a thriving creative economy.
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