L2Ork--World's First Linux Laptop Orchestra will be at Kids' Tech on Feb. 27th!

Exhibit Title: Introducing L2Ork -- World's First Linux Laptop Orchestra

http://l2ork.music.vt.edu

Abstract:
Imagine an orchestra where performers instead of playing traditional instruments perform using networked laptops, wiimotes, nunchuks, and hemispherical speakers fashioned out of IKEA wooden salad bowls. While this may sound like a truly odd combination, laptop's ability to fulfill many different roles has enabled us to design an entirely new kind of an ensemble as well as to explore novel ways on how to combine Arts, Sciences, and Education at an unbeatable price.

Visitors will have an opportunity to have a hands-on experience playing several L2Ork instruments, learn why we use hemispherical speakers and wiimotes, listen to compositions specifically written for the ensemble, as well as find out more about unique opportunities offered by the laptop-based ensemble.

Bio:
Dr. Ivica Ico Bukvic is an assistant professor in music composition & technology at Virginia Tech. He is the founder and director of the Digital Interactive Sound and Intermedia Studio (DISIS) and World's first Linux Laptop Orchestra (L2Ork), assistant co-director for the Collaborative for Creative Technologies in the Arts and Design (CCTAD) interdisciplinary program, a member of the Center for Human-Computer Interaction (CHCI), and as a faculty (by courtesy) in departments of Computer Science and Art & Art History.

Dr. Williams' lab will be exhibiting on Feb. 27th at KTU!

Exhibit title- How can you print your ideas in 3D?

Abstract-
Why settle for printing pictures of your new ideas, when you can print them physically in 3D? At this booth, participants will get a chance to interact with 3D Printing technology.

Starting from a three-dimensional computer drawing, a 3D Printer creates objects by depositing material for the part one cross-sectional layer at a time. The technology is primarily used to help engineers to quickly create prototypes of new products that they are designing. In addition on improving these machines to enable them to make end-use parts from metal, researchers are trying to create smaller scale 3Dprinters that could fit on your desk at home!

Visitors will be able to see this technology in action! A desktop 3D Printer will be on display (a Fab@Home machine, video avialable here and will be creating objects out of fun materials like cake frosting, cheez whiz, and clay. Examples of parts made by other types of 3D printers will also be on display for visitors to interact with.
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Dr. Williams is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech with a joint appointment in the Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Education departments. The construction of the Fab@Home machine on display at KTU has been funded by a grant sponsored by the Virginia Tech Arts Initiative. Through this project, the team is integrating the Fab@Home system into schools to provide a context for teaching students basic math, science, and engineering principles. When not at KTU, the Fab@Home machine is on display at the Kent Square Experiential Gallery. To learn more
about this project, and some of Dr. Williams's other research projects, please visit: http://www.me.vt.edu/dreams/

Garner lab will be exhibiting on Feb. 27th at KTU!

The Garner lab is known for its innovative biomedical and computational research – Dr. Harold “Skip” Garner holds several patents and continues to advance the field of optics and microscopy by finding new ways to diagnose and treat common illnesses, such as cancer. The Garner lab exhibit will show off its newest microscope – the Evos XL (manufactured by AMG), which is the first of its kind. This microscope is unique, because the interface is entirely by monitor – so no binoculars to look through! Using this microscope, children will view the many tiny, bizarre animals that are found in pond water. While the Evos XL is an example of the incredible advancements in microscopy and increasingly cool and complex devices that are now available, the basic concept of microscopy is still simple – in fact, you can make your very own microscope using a matchbox, clear plastic, and petroleum jelly. Children will make their own microscopes at this Garner exhibit – view a variety of things using both the new Garner lab microscope and their own custom microscopes. They can take their little microscopes home to look at other things – and with a little imagination, they can transform common, boring household items into cool, alien worlds not easily visible by the naked eye.

Assistive Technologies Depart. at VT, SW Virginia Assistive Technology Systems, the Training & Technical Assistance Center will exhibit on Feb. 27th!

Abstract: Assistive Technologies are any device or service that can give access or independence to individuals with disabilities. There are assistive technology (AT) solutions for learning, communicating, working, and recreating. Many of these devices and programs are readily available or built into items we use every day. Come see our exhibit and experience AT tools that can benefit everyone. Items demonstrated will be pens that can record lectures, programs that read text aloud, screen magnifiers that enlarge objects on the computer screen, modified keyboards and mice, and one device that uses mind control to move a ball.

Represented at this exhibit will be the Assistive Technologies Department at Virginia Tech, Southwest Virginia Assistive Technology Systems (SWVATS), the Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC).

The Department of Biochemistry will be exhibiting on Feb. 27th!

Exhibitor title- DNA is the Recipe of Life

Abstract- In this hands-on activity, students will extract DNA from strawberries. DNA is often called the recipe of life as it provides instructions for cells in most living things. DNA can easily be extracted from strawberries which contain 6 copies of their genome. Faculty and Biochemistry students will help with the DNA extraction, and participants can take home the DNA on a stick.
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Dr. Glenda Gillaspy is leading this exhibit. In the Gillaspy lab, we are interested in how plants sense and respond to their environment. Specifically, the lab is focusing on enzymes that can break down the second messenger inositol triphosphate (IP3), which many organisms use to respond to various signals. For example, plants may respond to the presence of light or a change in gravity by initiating the rapid synthesis of IP3 which then triggers the release of intracellular calcium in the cell. To stop this signaling process, IP3 must be made inactive by sequential removal of its three phosphate groups. We have cloned the genes encoding 15 inositol phosphatases from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana for our studies. This is a small, cruciferous plant which has a short life cycle, completely sequenced genome, and is amenable to both genetics and genetic transformation. To gain a better understanding of how plants use IP3 in signaling, we have constructed transgenic plants which have altered levels of the inositol phosphatases and IP3 levels. Based on their growth and development, we know that these plants are altered in their signaling responses which could help us design future strategies to combat drought and low nutrient soils.

The Techsupport Community at Virginia Tech will be at the Feb. 27th hands-on event!

"Computing and Gaming through the Ages"

Abstract: An exhibit of computing through the ages. Come see what gaming looked like in the 70's and 80's! Ever wonder what a "punch card" or a "slide rule" looked like? What did kids in the 70's use to listen to their favorite music? (Hint: There were no MP3 players!) Find out what year the Internet was born. Kids will have a chance to take a sneak peek into Computers Through the Ages: The Evolution of Computing. We will have several dinosaur computers and gaming units on display as well as a PowerPoint presentation highlighting their evolution.

The Techsupport Community at Virginia Tech is a collaborative discussion group, facilitated by a listserv, of Central and Departmental Information Technology faculty and staff. "

Physics department will be exhibiting on Feb. 27th!

Exhibitor title- Why Physics is Fun

Abstract- Electricity, Magnetism, Mechanics, Optics and Pressure Demos
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About the Physics program
Our program consists of undergraduate students in physics who have a passion for teaching physics to kids of all ages. They present hands on experiments in mechanics, electricity and magnetism, optics, and pressure.

EngineerGirl! – Survival Design Challenge

Hi everyone,

I just got this link from Rick Barrow in the Office of Ed Research & Outreach (VA Assistive Technology System) and I thought you all may be interested. Its a contest for EngineerGirl.

Best,
Kristy

Feb. 27th exhibit- The Fun Side of Computing

Abstract:

First and foremost, this exhibit shows some of the coolest things that can be done with freely available software today. It showcases some incredibly engaging flash games as well as complex programs that are enjoyable as well as educational. Kids will get a chance to learn important, fundamental computer skills in a fun, hands-on environment. Activities include using Google Earth to locate landmarks and other places of interest, playing Light Bot to see the fun side of programming, and Fantastic Contraption to hone problem-solving abilities in a fun and easy-going atmosphere. The exhibit also features a curriculum designed to teach kids basic programming concepts. The curriculum is based on Storytelling Alice, a drag-and-drop programming education tool.

CS^2 (Computer Science Community Service) is a student-run organization at Virginia Tech, whose mission is to reach the community by encouraging technology education. Efforts include weekly visits by volunteers to various sites in the community to teach basic computing concepts to the young, the elderly, and those that generally “fall through the cracks” in technology education.

Feb. 27th hands-on exhibit- Delivering Your Message for the 21st Century

Abstract:
Create a fun and easy video for posting to Youtube or to send to your family and friends. Choose your message, choose your background, and start recording. Learn to communicate in ways your parents could only imagine! We'll help you get it posted and you'll leave with information on how to share the video with your friends and family.

The InnovationSpace at Virginia Tech is a multimedia lab open to students, faculty, staff and the community. It offers equipment for video editing, audio recording, and other multimedia software. The InnovationSpace is located in 1140 Torgersen Hall. The InnovationSpace partners with faculty to create active and engaged learning for today's students.

Feb. 27th hands-on exhibit- Looking Down is Looking Up! How aerial photography and Satellite Imagery are Used in Natural Resource Management

Geospatial tools, which include geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), and remote sensing provide us with an understanding of the earth. In this activity, participants will be able to identify changes on the earth's surface. We will examine two different time periods, and participants will explore, estimate, and measure general changes in land use and land cover during these two time periods.

Dr. McGee is a faculty member in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation in the College of Natural Resources. He serves as the Virginia Geospatial Extension Specialist through Virginia Cooperative Extension. Additional information about the Virginia Geospatial Extension Program can be found here: http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep