Virtual Spaces to Physical Places: Startup in Atlanta uses VR to interpret, 3D print design plans

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Visualization is critical to the existence of the interior design and architecture industries; both would not exist without some sort of visual element. Vippo, an Atlanta-based startup, wants to bring piece of mind to designers, contractors and their clients when creating the perfect space, and will do so, thanks to its new VR planning technology, VIMaec. It’s good news for those who do not have a design, contracting or engineering background.

“So part of the beauty of our technology is we can incorporate all the engineering files and the architectural files into one, and that can be seen in both in VR or as an executable on any computer that you have. This can help an owner actually experience the space that they want to build as opposed to getting a 2D set of paper plans and trying to imagine it,” Vippo CEO and co-founder, Kirkland Brooks said.

The VIMaec technology will allow multiple paths of information to be combined, which is great since there are, normally, many hands and minds working on a single project at a time. “A major differentiator separating [Vippo] from the competition is being able to incorporate the engineering plans, something most architectural visualization firms aren’t doing,” Brooks said. The combination of information from designers and architects allows for quick error detection, which reduces costs and improves the time efficiency when completing a project. “One thing that you could do is actually save quite a bit of money by being able to see if there are glaring issues and being able to take care of that in the software as opposed to having to do massive change orders later,” Brooks continued.

Designs can also be brought to life via 3D printing. “Physical models have been used throughout time to show architectural design. At Vippo, we continue that tradition with our own style of physical modeling capabilities. These models can be produced quickly and cost-effectively, using 3D printed processes,” a quotation from the Vippo website said.

According to Brooks, VR modeling technology is going to be the future of designing.

Are you advancing VR to bridge learning gaps or to make a job more efficient? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is a Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services to the state of Georgia. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Georgia, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Preventing School Shootings in Texas: App encourages youth to collaborate with officials

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In a world dominated by smartphone usage, a developer has created a solution for bridging the gap between an unlikely duo: law enforcement officials and students. How so? By way of an app, of course.

Developed by Microassist, a primary training vendor for the State of Texas, the DPS (Department of Public Safety) application, iWatch Texas, will allow teachers, students and parents to report anything deemed suspicious, which in return could save numerous lives.

“It’s the first statewide mobile app of its kind in the U.S. that helps citizens track, identify and report on potential criminal activity. With the rise of the mobile generation, organizations with mission critical content – like DPS – greatly benefit from expanding their reach to a wider and technologically oriented audience,” said Microassist’s CEO, Sanjay Nasta in an official press release on the company’s website.

“Making sure the information is forwarded to the correct agency is a big part of this. Before, the information might now go to the right people, might not go in a timely manner, might not be there when the information is needed,” said Lieutenant Nick Bristow of the Collin County Sheriff’s Office. “[The application] gives law enforcement and school administrators a chance to intervene before it’s too late.”

The app already encompasses useful features, such as information on most wanted fugitives, sex offenders and human trafficking. Reports are transmitted to the Austin Regional Intelligence Center (North Texas Fusion Center in McKinney for the Dallas/Fort Worth area) where the information is then vetted and passed along to analysts from local, state and federal agencies. The information is used to gather intelligence and vet security threats, and is then passed on to local law enforcement agencies and school districts, respectively.

The suspicious activity reporting feature mentioned in this article will have a separate application in the future, according to an article by NBCDFW. The iWatch Texas application, along with an official overview, can be found by clicking here.

Are you developing an application that can save lives? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Saving Lives—with Wallpaper?: Researchers design wallpaper that detects fire

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If you’re redecorating your home, consider wallpaper; it may save your life.

At the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Ying-Jie Zhu and a team of researchers have developed a wallpaper that is made from environmentally friendly, non-flammable materials. On top of this impressive feat, the wallpaper can also prevent the spread of a fire and set off an alarm when there is a fire present. This development is great news for those who wish to be a bit more conscious of their interior surroundings. Traditional wallpaper is highly flammable because it is made up of plant cellulose fibers–not exactly something you want to line your walls with should you wish to prevent a fire from spreading.

The flame retardant paper is thanks to the same component that is found in bones and teeth: hydroxyapatite. The nanowires that are within the paper are coated with the hydroxyapatite substance. In an interview with Phys.org, Zhu said “the fire-resistant wallpaper has a white color, mechanical robustness, and high flexibility, it can be processed into various shapes, dyed with different colors, and printed with a commercial printer. Therefore, the fire alarm fire-resistant wallpaper has promising applications in high-safety interior decoration to save human lives and reduce the loss of property in a fire disaster.”

The nanowires that connect to the alarm are dependent on the burn off of graphene oxide–the material that, when completely burned off, cannot complete the circuit and set off the alarm. The researchers found this substance burned off too quickly, thus only set the alarm off for three seconds–not long enough to awaken a sound sleeper. To overcome this problem, the researchers modified the graphene with polydopamine, a natural polymer, which reduces the thermal response of the compound, thus allowing the alarm to sound for over five minutes. Graphene oxide also acts as an insulating material for electricity at room temperature, and when exposed to heat, becomes highly conductive–perfect for a sensor to set off an alarm.

The researchers hope to expand and increase production of the wallpaper while remaining environmentally conscious.

For a more information on the wallpaper, please click here.

 

Are you developing a technology or material that can save lives? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:
Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes.
Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

“Gaming for Everyone”: Microsoft designs accessibility controller for Xbox One

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Playing the latest game on an Xbox is an easy, straightforward process for most–at least when using the controller. There’s the triggers, bumpers, face buttons, a directional pad, sticks and the iconic green guide button in the center. The question is, if you’re a gamer like Mike Luckett, how do you continue to play the latest games when the controller does not accommodate the needs of a person who has lost all finger control? After a motorcycle accident, Luckett severed his C6 spinal cord, and despite being able to move his hands, he lost the ability to control his fingers. After telling CNET he “nearly decided to quit gaming,” Luckett won’t have to.

Microsoft has developed an accessible controller for those who can’t use the traditional one, appropriately naming it the Xbox Adaptive Controller. The new controller, for $99.99, allows users of all abilities to plug switches, buttons, pressure-sensitive tubes and other attachments as desired. “We’re coming up on 2 billion people playing video games on this planet,” said Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft’s Xbox team. “As an industry, when you start to hit that kind of impact act in terms of the broad base of people that interact with your art form, I do think we have a social responsibility.”

Image: Microsoft

For specific details on how this innovative controller works, CNET observed Luckett and said that “the key feature of the Xbox Adaptive Controller is that it has ports in its back that represent each button on a standard controller. So if Luckett needs the right-trigger button to be placed just near his elbow, for example, he can put one there and then plug it into the back of the adaptive controller. Now all he has to do is tap the button, and it registers as if he’d pulled the trigger on a standard controller.”

The Xbox Adaptive Controller will be available sometime this year. A detailed development timeline and more information about the controller can be found by clicking here.

Are you developing a technology that improves the lives of those with accessibility needs? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Albuquerque builds $35 Million high-tech R&D hub!

Innovate ABQ

Construction of the first building in Albuquerque’s high-tech research and development hub has officially begun in Central and Broadway Downtown.

The $35 million, 160,000-square-foot facility will house the University of New Mexico’s tech-transfer office and Innovation Academy, along with start-ups and partners involved in collective efforts to build a bustling, high-tech business zone in the heart of Albuquerque. The building will also provide housing for students studying in the entrepreneurial education programs and launching businesses.

Citizens of Albuquerque are very excited about the construction progression of the city’s R&D hub and are eager to be the first to take a tour when it is due for completion in August 2017, they believe the facility will forever change Albuquerque’s downtown skyline and will revitalize the whole area.

The R&D hub will facilitate education for entrepreneurs, provide lab facilities for state research universities and will reserve 2,000 square feet for the Air Force Research Laboratory to open a tech-transfer office.

It is already predicted that the University of New Mexico will intake 500 students into their own academy section of the R&D facility. This Academy will allow students to receive direct experience and real-world skills in entrepreneurship. The academy will consist of meeting areas, classrooms, individual working spaces and a state-of-the-art visualization room.

Academy Director, Robert DelCampo, describes the R&D hub as a one-stop shop, as students will live upstairs in trendy apartments, work on new technology and business ideas downstairs, and then walk to the Supporting Technology Transfer Center next door to get help taking their developments to the market.

While building such an innovation facility may be a huge investment, New Mexico state board strongly supports encouraging the future of its current and upcoming generations. Innovation is the future, without innovation, fresh ideas cannot be developed, resulting in the demise of projects and organizations.

The people of Albuquerque identified the need to significantly invest in the future of its entrepreneurs, business owners and organizations, by building this R&D facility, and are highly optimistic about the positive future outcomes resulting from it.

If you are an entrepreneur, business owner or are simply wanting to know more about R&D and how you may be eligible for the R&D Tax credit, contact a Swanson Reed specialist today.