The Digital Hollywood Experience

See Past Event Photos

Watch Live Webcast Videos

Sponsorship - Click Here

 

Thursday, November 14th, 2019

STEM, Space Industries and Hollywood

2:15 PM - 3:15 PM
Sesson I: Ahmanson Hall, Live Webcast

Space Innovators: VR/AR/XR - Experiments in Technology & Design

Rob Ray, Senior Designer, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Penka Kouneva, Leading Games Composer, “NASA AR installations”, “The Mummy VR at IMAX VR

Susan Ip-Jewell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mars Academy USA

David Birnbaum, Design Director, Immersion Corporation, Moderator

 

David Birnbaum, Design Director at Immersion Corporation, leads a team responsible for developing the tactile aesthetics of emerging technologies. Most recently he’s been focused on bringing the sense of touch to mobile video and ads. Driven by a desire to tell stories with the sense of touch and to bring emotion and realism to digital experiences, David has been creating haptic experiences for over 10 years, in which time he’s been named as an inventor on over 70 patents in the fields of user experience, wearables, gaming, medical devices, mobile communication, and rich interactive media. He holds a B.S. in Music Industry from USC and a M.A. in Music Technology from McGill University.

 

Penka Kouneva, Leading Games Composer: Composer Penka Kouneva is known as an exceptional talent and "an artist of uncommon passion" (Billboard). Her scoring credits include the games Prince of Persia and Transformers, The Mummy VR game, mobile games, VR experiences and feature films (Sony ng.

Pictures' Devil's Whisper). Penka also composed for the American Astronauts on a $30M NASA exhibit Heroes and Legends, permanently housed at the Kennedy Space Center.  Her score for 3D films and AR installations was recorded with large orchestra. She is a Universal Music-released composer (The Woman Astronaut, Rebirth of Id). Penka is a winner of the Sundance Composer Fellowship, Game Audio Network Guild's 2015 Recognition Award and other honors. She is passionate about innovation, storytelling, and mentori

 

Rob Ray is a Senior Designer in the Human-Centered Design Group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. At the JPL, Rob leads the human-centered design practice for ProtoSpace, the Lab’s flagship augmented reality (AR) platform for scientists and engineers. ProtoSpace uses AR technologies to transform 3-D CAD drawings into immersive collaborative problem-solving experiences. As the design lead for ProtoSpace Rob works to make ProtoSpace something akin to a rollercoaster ride that boiled the perfect egg – a simultaneity of spectacle and utility. Rob is also a visual artist and co-host of the Opposable Thumbs creative-challenge podcast.

 

Susan Ip-Jewell has been a leader, innovator, speaker and educator in the areas of space exploration, space medicine, "Let's get S.T.E.A.M.E.D". edutainment, and Astropreneurship. She has garnered extensive knowledge and skills in astronautics, exponential technology space medicine and human factors. She has trained in building crew teams for exploratory expeditions and analog missions in isolated and extreme environments. Her extensive background in building teams and excellent business and communication skills has led to the formation of Mars Academy USA (MAU) and pioneering the MARS MEDICS ANALOG ASTRONAUT TRAINING PROGRAM.  and Space Surgery Institute (SSI). These organizations are focused on developing, simulation-based learning training programs, technological and innovative concepts, VRAR sim training “edutainment” content to improve quality of lives for Space and Earth, promote "Let's get S.T.E.A.M.E.D" education, and pioneer visionary ideas for human space exploration and future settlements on Mars and Moon. Currently, she is focused on developing Mars Academy USA (MAU), a 21st century academy offering experiential learning and unique simulation programs for NextGen young astronauts, professionals, scientists, and astropreneurs. She is the recipient of many awards, including the Marie Marvinght Award in Technologies and Innovations for Space" by Aerospace Medical Association recognizing pioneering visionaries in space exploration, and the National Space Society/s ISDC "Living in Space" Award for pioneering future space innovations and enabling development of Martian settlements. Susan is a graduate of International Space University (ISU), a recipient of the Google scholarship to attend Singularity University, SU, Graduate Studies Program (GSP15), at NASA Ames in San Francisco. Susan was co-founder of The Clinic, LLC an early pioneer company offering integrated wellness and telemedicine in Los Angeles. She trained at NASA Johnson Space Center and University of Texas Medical Branch, Aerospace Residency Summer Aviation and Space Medicine Program. Participated as first tier support team.in NASA funded HI-SEAS, Hawaii Space Exploration Analogue Simulation project, a 120 day Mars analog study and Commander for upcoming Mar's Society's Mars Desert Research MarsVR simulation Crew197. President/Founder The Clinic Integrated Telehealth & Multi-Media Health Branding Co. Trained as a Medical Scientist in Depart of Molecular Therapeutics & Drug Discovery, National Cancer Institute, NIH and UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Depart of Medical & Molecular Pharmacology. A TV/radio/social media health Expert (CBS, Fox, ABC, NBC). Recipient of NIH fellowships: Cancer Research Training Award & National Research Scientist Award.