Minutes–May 22, 2008 StartWest Meeting

June 3rd, 2008 Posted in Technology News

StartWest Meeting

May 22, 2008

Sheridan College

Main Street Campus

Welcome

Introductions/New York Minute:

· Anne Gunn—co-chair of StartWest: Continue to check out the website for articles of interest, newsletters, and updates (www.startwest.net). Anne would also like to suggest a topic for the next meeting (June/July)—virtualization technology. Since there are so many aspects to virtualization technology, it may be best to have a work session or information session instead of a formal presentation.

· Ted Lapis—interested in wireless automation technologies.

· Jerry Burgess—working with digital photography technologies to create 360° photographs

· Val Burgess—Burgess Design Group: working on a WWII POW camp project that she’d like to build in a virtual reality platform to educate people about the conditions in the camp.

· Mark Thoney—Wyolution: creating innovative web design solutions.

· Alan Telck—AgTerra Technologies

· Zachary Gray—Big Horn Valve and Wyoming Silicon: working on projects for NASA and the Navy with Big Horn Valve, and working on technologies for NSF with Wyoming Silicon.

· Debra Kayser—Sheridan College: Computer Science and Business Professor at Sheridan College.

· Deb Anderson—SolveIT: SolveIT is using virtualization technologies for data backup. SolveIT is also offering a support portal allowing secure remote access to computers and devices monitored by SolveIT.

· Kurt Layher—Sheridan Media: news director for Sheridan Media, covering the StartWest meeting.

AgTerra Technologies Presentation, Alan Telck

AgTerra Technologies is a solutions provider, modifying and packaging pre-existing technologies into functional packages for agribusiness. AgTerra is a specialist in Agriculture Information Systems, providing internet-based systems, GIS software, digital pen and paper technologies, and voice recognition technologies. AgTerra is a certified Microsoft Partner, and a certified partner of ESRI (world’s largest provider of geographic systems). AgTerra’s customers include the sugar industry, seed companies, natural resources companies, and some energy companies.

There is a misconception about agriculture information systems—many people don’t understand the need for technology in what has been considered a low-tech field. Technologies in agriculture can reduce information latency, increase efficiency, and make data available immediately, in real time. Mobilizing data collection can help to reduce risk and provide companies with a competitive advantage in production and quality of crops among their network of growers. Record keeping is of utmost importance in ensuring food safety and traceability.

AgTerra uses many available technologies in its packages to business. Web services, GIS/GPS, tablet and pocket PCs, digital pen and paper, voice recognition, smart tags, and in the field data collection units are all tools that AgTerra uses in creating solutions packages for its clients. By using a web-based platform, AgTerra creates a more competitive solutions package for clients.

AgTerra’s AgTrac software package allows companies to manage contracts with producers, monitoring crop production records, providing harvest management, records food safety and traceability, and allows communications between growers. Reports generated in AgTrac allow farmers to track crop quality compared to other growers. AgTerra licenses software packages to companies directly; if a grower is not producing a crop for a company, that grower cannot access data in the system. This helps to ensure that farmers renew contracts with companies in the future.

AgTrac has administrative functions, allowing companies to set up user profiles for managers, pesticide applicators, growers, etc. Admin functions also allow companies to set their data parameters to track and monitor field size, pesticide applications, etc. Data collected can be used to create algorithms to track the best growing days, harvest, crop quality, and crop yields. Harvest management is particularly important—growers are paid on quantity and quality of their crops; harvest reports can compare crops between growers. AgTrac also provides crop storage management, utilizing various technologies, like infrared imaging, to use crops more efficiently with less waste.

AgTerra also provides GIS mapping technologies. By utilizing a geodatabase core, data input can be merged with existing maps and data to generate smart maps and smart reports. This GIS technology allows companies and growers to visualize data, showing disease locations, quality crop locations, irrigation needs, etc. These technologies allow clients to visualize things that can’t be seen from a database. GIS technologies can also be used to map research plot data, showing climate trends or disease spread. Data from scouting operations can also be uploaded to be mapped. GIS mapping technologies are becoming particularly important as genetically modified organisms are introduced into crop production. Growers who are producing crops that are not genetically altered must monitor crops closely to ensure that cross-pollination does not occur; GIS technologies can map fields of crops and buffer zones between genetically modified crops and natural crops.

GIS maps can also be overlaid with soil maps, which are now available in digital formats. Historic production records have traditionally been merged with soil maps and soil data to create algorithms of production and yields. However, AgTerra’s technologies allow data to be merged to create visual depictions of soil conditions and crop algorithms. By allowing clients to spatially view tabular data, numbers and figures come to life. Once data is understood, it can be applied to crop production, like using pest control in areas susceptible to pests.

AgTerra’s technologies also allow clients to create smart reports, inserting field maps and generated data into reports so clients can sign and send. This can assist growers in streamlining the reporting process for crops, as well as show specifically where reported crops are growing, rather than writing coordinates or field descriptions. Record-keeping is of utmost importance to food safety and compliance of growers. The Bioterrorism Act of 2002 requires that growers keep records of crops. Reports generated can also assist in audit and review processes.

Satellite images of crops allow companies and growers to zoom into fields, showing the crop infield. This data can allow growers and companies to troubleshoot crops in early stages of problems, resolving irrigation issues, fertilization issues, and pest issues before a crop is ruined. Data gathered through AgTerra’s GIS system can be shared through Google Earth.

AgTerra has also developed WriteTEQ, a digital pen and paper solution. Utilizing special paper with unique dot patterns and customized forms, the digital pen is able to track its location on the paper and associate new records to their proper location in the database. With the aid of an infrared camera, the digital pen records handwritten strokes. After syncing, the handwritten strokes are translated to text and then integrated into the database. Data accuracy is verified when data is uploaded; WriteTEQ technology is compatible with tablet PCs. Data can also be incorporated into GIS maps. One of the advantages of WriteTEQ is that it works in areas and environments where computers are not practical or where most other computers cannot function. WriteTEQ digital pens are water resistant and may be used with waterproof Rite-in-the-Rain paper. Digital pens will work in dark conditions, as well as write upside down (ink cartridge is pressurized). The digital pen has a battery life of approximately 16 hours, and charges while data is uploaded. Companies and growers can use the digital pen on many different forms simultaneously; when the pen is synced, the data is automatically associated with the proper form and uploaded to the appropriate database.

AgTerra is also working with VoiceViewer, a program that translates voice to text. VoiceViewer technology provides prompts for data input, and will transfer data into the database once uploaded. VoiceViewer and WriteTEQ technologies provide efficiency in data collection, as well as work with AgTrac and GIS to provide data visualization.

AgTerra uses GoToMeeting to sell their technology solutions to companies over the internet. Voice over IP technologies make selling solutions simpler. AgTerra will meet with clients and prospects face-to-face; however, internet technologies make it easy to base a business in Sheridan and compete globally.

Second Life Presentation, Debra Kayser

Second Life is a 3D interactive, user-created virtual world. Using an avatar, you can interact with objects and people in the Second Life world. Second Life’s virtual realty has sound. Users can recreate art and places, as well as stream audio/video for assignments and meetings. Second Life offers classes so users can learn how to design worlds, items, art, and objects in the Second Life world.

Second Life is a proprietary-based system that you interact with; there are no governing bodies; rules, terms, and conditions can all change at any time. Users retain intellectual property rights over their creations in Second Life. Users can buy and sell within Second Life using the Second Life currency; since users pay for Second Life currency with real money, Second Life sales can be converted into real dollars and have real value. Membership in Second Life is free; however, users must purchase a premium membership to buy and sell in Second Life.

Second Life is a different way to interact online; rather than just typing and text, you can interact in a virtual world. For example, rather than logging into your bank’s website and transacting business via typing and clicking, you can walk into a virtual bank, speak to a “virtual” teller, and transact business in virtual reality. Second Life is similar to AOL, when internet service first became available. AOL has a proprietary network; it can now interact with other browsers and technologies, but the features available through AOL are property of AOL. Virtual reality technologies may grow in popularity, and Second Life may need to expand to interact with other platforms and providers. There are currently 13 million “residents” in Second Life, with $348,000 in transactions in the past month alone.

Second Life has high bandwidth requirements to accommodate graphics, sound, and set-up. Gaining knowledge of Second Life, as well as a knowledge of how to design items in Second Life takes time. To set up on Second Life, with “land” and “buildings” could cost approximately $5,000. Currently, Second Life is being marketed to a younger crowd; if you’re looking to Second Life as a marketing tool, check your demographics. Use of Second Life is mostly social.

Currently, there is not much competition between virtual reality platforms. Other virtual reality platforms do not have the traffic of Second Life. Nintendo’s Wii technology allows users to play together and compete in a virtual world; however, Wii’s technology is not currently competing with Second Life.