Fall Updates: Smithsonian, Las Vegas, Maldives, and Palau
The Hydrous at the Smithsonian
Digitizing museum collections for 'open access oceans'
Last month, Hydrous CEO Erika Woolsey delivered a keynote address at the Smithsonian Digitization Fair in Washington D.C. and launched a partnership with the 3D Program at the Smithsonian Digitization Program Office to curate digital models from the coral reef collection at the National Museum of Natural History to support marine education and research.
The Hydrous at Autodesk University
Embracing Tech for Ocean Education
The Hydrous travelled to Las Vegas last week to participate in Autodesk University, a conference of over 10,000 professionals from the architecture, design, manufacturing, technology, and media industries. Dr. Woolsey spoke in the theater and was joined by Hydrous fabrication artist Elle Stapleton in the Lenovo ThinkRevolution booth. Here, they shared the Hydrous mission, discussed coral reefs and climate change, and displayed 3D printed coral models. Best of all, they were featured in the Hydrous virtual reality experience created by Horizon Productions and Lenovo, which allowed viewers to explore ocean habitats, take underwater photographs, and interact with Hydrous 3D models.
The Hydrous in the Maldives
Returning to the frontlines of climate change
The Hydrous team is heading back to the Maldives in early December for our annual expedition to our flagship location. We will 3D model coral reefs with underwater photogrammetry, digitize islands with aerial drones, and will learn about marine biology, climate change, and citizen science with our new partners at Reef Check Maldives.
The Hydrous in Palau
Capturing a diving wonderland in virtual reality
The Hydrous will be traveling to Palau in February/March to begin production of our 360º film using the VRTUL2. The goal is to digitally recreate the experience of diving and share beautiful and threatened ocean ecosystems with everyone. We are partnering with researchers at the California Academy of Sciences, University of Hawaii, and Oxford University to ensure scientific integrity alongside a conservation message.
New tech for ocean education and science literacy
- Immersive virtual environments to bring the ocean to everyone
- Reality capture of coral reefs around the world through underwater photogrammetry
- Partnerships with museums and research institutions, like the Smithsonian and the California Academy of Sciences, to digitize coral reef specimen collections