BEMIDJI, Minn. — Barb Hanus, assistant professor of technological studies at Bemidji State University, will preview a communication imaging technology of the future during a 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, Academy of Lifelong Learning lecture in room 100 of Bridgeman Hall on the Bemidji State campus. The 90-minute program, entitled “Understanding the World of 3D Stereoscopic Imaging,” is open to the public at no charge.

To facilitate attendance, a van will shuttle individuals from the Center for Research and Innovation to Bridgeman Hall at 9:30 a.m. Attendees may also register for BSU parking passes during a Tuesday, Sept. 23, Academy of Lifelong Learning lecture at 10 a.m. in the CRI, located at 3801 Bemidji Avenue North.

Stereoscopic 3D imaging is a technique that records and projects three-dimensional information to create the illusion of depth in an image. These modern technologies are popular in computer graphics, but have found significant applications in diverse fields including air traffic control, medical diagnostics, industrial training and weather projection.

During the session, participants will experience a 3D stereoscopic projection system and view true three-dimensional graphics, animations and digital video. Hanus will also discuss how the technologies might find everyday uses in the near future.

“In the past 100 years, technological advances have had a dramatic effect on the way humans perceive communication on a one-to-one basis or to the masses,” said Hanus. “Those technological changes have dictated what is accepted as normal in our day-to-day lives. We now consider color digital imaging in everything from phones to the Internet, cameras and HDTV as normal. The lecture will introduce what communication may be like in five or 10 years and explain the technology in basic terms.

“This technology will change how we use imagery to communicate,” Hanus said. “Walking at the Mall of America, you will see virtual images of performers talking about products inside a store or virtual products will float out of display windows as you walk by.”

Hanus has been researching 3D display systems and producing 3D stereoscopic images for the past three years. She has been teaching in design technology at Bemidji State for over 20 years. She earned bachelor’s degrees in industrial technology education and in vocational education from Minnesota State University-Moorhead. She also has over 10 years of experience as an art director of an advertising agency, television station and other business enterprises. She was the first female president of Iota Alpha, a professional association for industrial technology educators.

The presentation is part of a Tuesday morning lecture series sponsored by the Academy of Lifelong Learning and coordinated by the CRI. The ALL offers humanities-based programs that are made possible in part with private donations and BSU support.

Individuals who wish to be added to the ALL mailing list or have questions about this program should contact the Center for Research and Innovation at (218) 755-4900; toll free, (888) 738-3224; e-mail, cri@bemidjistate.edu; or at http://www.cri-bsu.org.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Sept. 30 – 10 a.m. – Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation hosts Academy of Lifelong Learning lecture on 3D stereoscopic imaging. Presenter: Dr. Barb Hanus, professor of technological studies at Bemidji State University. Location: Bridgeman Hall, Bemidji State campus. Transportation: Van departs CRI, located at 3801 Bemidji Ave. N., at 9:30 a.m. Cost: free. For information: (218) 755-4900; (888) 738-3224; http://www.cri-bsu.org.