UNews - 3-D

On the forefront of an emerging science

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:05:42 +0000

Humans have long wished to see beyond what our limited vision permits. For proof, consider the invention of microscopes, telescopes and satellites. Today at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, researchers are using state-of-the-art digital imaging technologies to view even more areas – within the body and across the planet – that would otherwise be inaccessible to mortal eyes. Along the way, vast amounts of data are being collected.

"Solutions to the world's biggest problems can be resolved with high-quality, reliable data," says Dr. Daniel Weeks, the U of L's vice-president (research). "Our researchers are gathering, analyzing and making data more useful so important decisions can be made faster and more easily."

The emerging science of digital imaging is being pushed by researchers across disciplines at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

For example, using sensors to acquire information about the Earth's surface (a process called remote sensing) can help farmers evaluate the health of their crops. In medicine, similarly, magnetic resonance imaging, which produces 3-D images of soft tissue, can enable doctors to assess a patient's brain after a stroke.

For these reasons, and many more, imaging was named one of the top 20 greatest engineering achievements of the 20th century by the National Academy of Engineering in the United States. Indeed, imaging is effecting enormous change in multiple fields. In recent years, the U of L has attracted numerous international imaging-science researchers in such diverse disciplines as physics, astronomy, kinesiology, geography, neuroscience and new media. As a result, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ identified imaging as a key area for growth.

There are many on-campus facilities dedicated to supporting imaging research at the U of L. They include two remote-sensing laboratories, a brain-imaging centre and a soon-to-be completed and unique-in-Canada facility for calibrating remote-sensing instruments. Also, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is home to a satellite-receiving station that is operated in conjunction with Iunctus Geomatics Corp., founded by U of L alumnus Ryan Johnson (BSc '98, MSc '00).

Two researchers benefiting from those facilities are Dr. Craig Coburn of the Department of Geography and Dr. Albert Cross of the Departments of Neuroscience, and Physics and Astronomy.

Coburn is finding new ways to solve problems with, and extract information from, remotely sensed data. He has built remote-sensing instruments for such clients as the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. And while the official use of the instruments is classified, Coburn speculates their job may be to spot disturbances in soil. This data could indicate the presence of landmines, for example.

"Imaging is about more than pictures," says Coburn, reflecting broadly on the field. "These are scientific-grade research instruments floating in space and they can provide a lot of valuable information if we know how to render the image."

The same is true of neuroimaging instruments, says Cross. "Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we can track activity in the brain and unravel how the brain is organized."

An MRI physicist, Cross is developing new, minimally invasive techniques for neuroimaging. Using lab rats, Cross is studying the efficacy of manganese as a way to produce contrast changes in regions of the brain that correspond to prior experiences during MRI scans.

Imaging science can effect tremendous change in many fields, Weeks believes. On that note, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ plans to broaden the impact of its imaging science research. "We're reaching out to potential partners in China, India and Germany, for instance. By finding new collaborators and exploring new avenues of discovery together, we can further increase the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's global footprint in this exciting area of investigation."

Extraterrestrial

Long before Star Trek popularized the phrase, "To boldly go where no man has gone before," humanity has been interested in the cosmos. But sending people deep into space is dangerous and expensive. Fortunately, extraterrestrial imaging enables us to find faraway stars, galaxies and planets, and puts the universe in closer reach.

Neuroimaging

We already have proof that the brain is a powerful tool. You do, after all, remember the location of your keys (most days). But in what areas of the brain does thinking actually happen? And how does the whole system work? By providing images of the brain as it goes about its business, neuroimaging offers important insights about the process of cognition.

Motion capture

Movement is something many of us take for granted. But researchers know there's more to human motion than heaving yourself out of bed, running around with a to-do list and then crashing on the couch. What are the subtle mechanics of motion? Knowing this information will advance our understanding of how bodies move, and will benefit everything from the fine arts to the field of kinesiology.

Atmospheric

The air that surrounds our planet may appear clear some days and a smoggy soup on others. But no matter the atmosphere's appearance, there's always a mix of gases up there. Some have little impact on our weather. Others, like carbon dioxide, are dramatically changing our climate. Atmospheric imaging researchers study the composition of the Earth's atmosphere and detect the trace gases that can be climatic game-changers.

Satellite

We've come a long way from the days of setting out on long expeditions to record the contours and features of the land. Today, we look above to satellites for a big-picture view of the planet. But small details are significant, too. For instance, what's happening on the Earth's surface in each region of the world? Satellite imaging enables us to see such phenomena as deforestation and the development of deserts.

The art of illusion

trevor.kenney — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:35:29 +0000

For as long as he can remember, U of L alumnus David Hoffos (BFA '94) has been fascinated with magic, illusion, trickery and deception.

As a child, he was absorbed with movies like Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. – watching them as many as 20 to 30 times. Later in high school, Hoffos took in almost every Alfred Hitchhock movie at a local repertory theatre.

"I would pick these movies apart," recalls Hoffos. "It wasn't so much the storytelling that drew me in but the details of technique and craft, the special effects, the mechanics of suspense."

Today, as a nationally renowned artist, Hoffos has carried that fascination with motion picture magic into his practice.

David Hoffos, at home with his unique cat.

His current exhibition titled David Hoffos: Scenes from the House Dream, recently on view at the National Gallery of Canada, combines low-tech ingenuity with old and new media to create vignettes where characters are caught in time and space. Taking up 5,000 sq. ft., it is comprised of 20 installations that Hoffos produced between 2003 and 2008.

"It's a rambling labyrinth of miniature dioramas and life-size projections that create a dreamlike space that viewers walk through," explains Hoffos. "I've created 3-D illusions and effects that don't require any special viewing apparatus, you can walk right up to them and experience the illusions – and even understand how they are created."

Using mirrors, television monitors and other basic devices, Hoffos brings seemingly ordinary scenes to life. In one, a ghostly child rides a bicycle up and down a suburban street, oblivious to the fireworks exploding in the sky. In another, a security guard paces an art gallery like a caged tiger. He checks his watch, plays with his keys, ties his shoes. Then there are other scenes where very little appears to be taking place, that is until you notice the curtains eerily blowing or a strange movement behind a crack in the wall.

"My work is all about this line between illusion and reality, between body and spirit, the physical and the non-physical," says Hoffos.

As the title of the exhibition suggests, Hoffos found inspiration for his work in a recurring dream he had about an interior, domestic space.

C.P. Fail, 2008 Single-channel video, audio and mixed-media installation Photo by David Miller

"I didn't know this when I started the project, but a lot of people have this dream, of this space that changes over time in their lives. It often contains hidden spaces – places that represent the past, the present and the future."

And while Hoffos thought he was simply bringing that dream to life, he was surprised at what emerged.

"Now that it is complete, when I look at this labyrinthine experience, this dreamlike journey, it speaks to the modern conditions of anxiety, depression and addiction. These are things I was not consciously putting into the work, but now, when I go through it, I really feel this melancholy, this sense of waiting, and sense of sadness and nostalgia. I never would have guessed that these sensations would come out of what started as a dream about a house."

In the future, Hoffos sees his illusion techniques moving from the gallery to the stage – expanding to dance, theatre and even rock shows. And the possibility of pursuing a childhood dream to create a feature film always lingers in the background.

"Right now that project is still a fantasy," says Hoffos. "But a lot of my work has come from dreams, so who knows?"

For a look at SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

The science of small yields big rewards

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:18:52 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge chemistry professor Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden may work on the tiniest bits of matter, but his research is yielding big things – both for synthetic biology and for U of L students.

Wieden's research program is focused on understanding how antibiotic drugs disable the function of ribosomes. These organelles are the largest units in a bacterial cell, and they synthesize proteins critical to cellular survival. Impeding the ribosome function essentially shuts down a bacterial cell, preventing it from wreaking havoc in the body.

To understand the nuances of this process, Wieden says he's "eavesdropping" on cells by observing molecular processes at the atomic scale and then rendering them in 3-D using computer modeling techniques.

While it may sound theoretical, the research has very practical applications, he explains. "If you understand it, you can reprogram the bacteria for whatever you want it to do."

Eventually, bacteria could function as tiny "machines" of a kind, useful for a wide range of research, medical, industrial and environmental functions.

Genetically engineered biomolecular machines fall under the rubric of synthetic biology. It's a fascination for Wieden and he's committed to introducing this growing research area to students at the U of L.

For the last three years, Wieden has been the faculty advisor for an undergraduate team that competes at an international research competition called iGEM. Created in 2003, the event is held annually at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. Each year, about 100 teams from top-notch universities participate.

The U of L gives the iGEM team dedicated lab space to carry out their research, but it's up to them to figure out the project logistics. To gather the resources they need, students must canvass local businesses to find sponsorship dollars.

"I'm trying to encourage self-guided learning with a spirit of entrepreneurship. They have to find the money to do it," Wieden explains. While he's available to lend his expertise, "I'm just guiding them."

For the students, iGEM is more than an extracurricular activity – it's a tremendous undertaking that challenges students on many levels. In the course of the year-long project, students learn how to run a laboratory, conduct research and find funding – skills they can use either in industry or academia down the road. This offers a hands-on experience that Wieden wishes he'd had.

"I set out to give the students the opposite experience I had as an undergraduate," he says.

While the experience of competing allows U of L students to travel and meet researchers from around the world, the competition really takes place at a molecular level. Student teams are given a kit of biological parts – called biobricks – at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools, they use these parts, along with new parts of their own design, to build biological systems. They then operate these systems in living cells.

The molecular structures the students create are designed for a wide range of real-world purposes. Two years ago, the team engineered bacteria to digest hydrocarbon compounds in tailing ponds in the oil sands and earned gold for their efforts. Last year's team engineered a nano-sized compartment in the unstructured "soup" of bacterial cells in order to store certain genes.

"This molecular structure will be a useful tool for other synthetic biology researchers," Wieden explains.

Winning gold again this year, the 8-person U of L team worked on harvesting solar energy by refining what was termed a bio-battery, focusing on a type of bacteria called cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae) that has photosynthetic properties when exposed to sunlight.

"These projects are leading-edge science that has social relevance," Wieden says.

Building a real-time digital reliquary

trevor.kenney — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:00:58 +0000

Written in Old English by an anonymous poet, The Dream of the Rood is recognized as one of the oldest poems in the English language and among the most beautiful religious works. What many don't know is that much of the poem is carved in runes (ancient symbols) on a 17-ft high stone cross in a Scottish church.

The 8th century Ruthwell Cross is historically linked to two other crosses: the 11th century Brussels Cross, made of oak and thought in the Middle Ages to contain a relic of the "True Cross" from Christ's crucifixion, and the 8th century Bewcastle Cross in England, which is carved of stone. All three bear elements that are thematically related to The Dream of the Rood poem.

In the past, Anglo-Saxon historians were required to travel to Belgium and Great Britain to study these artifacts in all three dimensions. Despite the gains of modern digital photography, the crosses are difficult to capture photographically because of their condition and inconvenient locations. Additionally, even a very high-resolution image cannot capture subtle details, like the techniques used to carve the cross.

"It's not 100 per cent clear whether or not the poem was carved when the Ruthwell Cross was carved," explains U of L English professor Dr. Daniel O'Donnell. Being able to examine the crosses in all three dimensions is the only way for researchers to assess this and many other questions.

To improve access to the objects, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge team is co-ordinating an international effort to create a high-tech alternative. O'Donnell, a medieval literature specialist, is collaborating with U of L professors James Graham (New Media) and Dr. Wendy Osborn (Mathematics and Computing Sciences), computer programmer and U of L graduate Joel Rigby, and researchers from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Leeds and the Università degli studi di Torino, to create an online environment that will allow researchers to view and interact with the crosses virtually, in real-time and in three dimensions.

"After examining the multitude of available new media technologies used by humanities researchers and wanting to create an innovative online system that would significantly improve the standard of interactivity, visual accuracy and authenticity-of-experience, we settled on developing a proprietary digital information retrieval system that would work in combination with a collection of next-generation video game technologies," Graham explains. "We felt that the third dimension was the next logical direction for hypermedia-based research to go, as it allows users to see and intuitively interact with virtual representations of objects they wish to know more about."

To render the crosses in 3-D, high-tech laser scanners will be used to capture every detail of the historic artifacts. The digital scan files will then be converted from the 3-D x,y,z data into a highly efficient texture files – called normal maps – that will then be applied to the surface of the 3-D cross models.

The Visionary Cross research group is also completing an innovative system that will allow researchers to interface directly with external online databases while navigating within the 3-D game environment. Students and researchers examining the relics within the virtual game environment will be able to directly access specific online database information – and even add to that database – simply by clicking on the relevant location on the 3-D virtual object.

Not surprisingly, the project will need heavy-duty technological infrastructure. That's why Osborn, who is the director of the Southern Alberta Digital Library and an expert in data management, is examining the best ways to store the data involved to make its retrieval efficient.

"We're still working on proof-of-concept, so we don't have huge amounts of data yet, but when we go online and people start to add their own data, it could be terabytes of data that come into this," she explains.

To put this in perspective: 1 terabyte is 1,000 gigabytes (GB), and your personal computer probably has about between 1-5 GB of memory. In addition to the massive volume of information, the project will also involve many different kinds of data, which also presents a tremendous challenge, Osborn says.

The Visionary Cross Project is being funded by a two-year, $23,000 grant that Graham, O'Donnell and Osborn received from the U of L Community of Research Excellence Development Opportunities (CREDO) program. The researchers have also applied to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for funding for the next stages of the project.

While the Visionary Cross Project may seem like a radical diversion from most humanities research, O'Donnell explains that humanities researchers have relied on computers since the middle of the 20th century for things like statistical analysis and library cataloguing. But humanities researchers haven't just been the benefactors of technology – they've also created it.

"For example, an awful lot of what allows XML to work essentially comes out of work done in humanities computing," O'Donnell says.

UNews - 3-D

On the forefront of an emerging science

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The art of illusion

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The science of small yields big rewards

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Building a real-time digital reliquary

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