BNN Research

3D Graphics, Digital Video and Cinema, Remote Sensing, Sensor Networks, Web-Based Databases and Interfaces, and RFID technology.

Educational Background

B.Sc. Physics (McGill University)

M.Sc. Agricultural Physics (McGill U.) - Aircraft Remote Sensing and Statistical Analysis

Ph.D.(Honours) Renewable Resources (Agricultural Physics) (McGill U.) -  Meteorological Radar Remote Sensing and Theoretical Turbulence Models.

Post-Doctoral Fellow - University of Utah - Radar and LiDAR Remote Sensing for High Atmospheric Cloud Studies.

3D Graphics and Digital Cinema

After working in a small software company for a couple of years I got a chance to work at Silicon Graphics Inc (SGI) - the inventors of 3D graphics acceleration for computers, as a systems engineer.  In trying to find my place in my new job I found that almost every aspect of computer technology were well covered by the other SEs on staff - all except one - 3D Graphics.  A considerable amount of study later and I became a 3D Graphics Guru, and expert in 3D VR systems and an expert in the area of large scale 3D graphics systems.

An opportunity came up to work with IMAX on a solution for Digital Cinema.  The solution at the time was based on SGI Onyx graphics supercomputers and I got the chance to head up the technical side of the project.  The solution was assembled at DKP70MM in Santa Monica California.  Myself and an engineer spent many weeks working too many hours to develop a solution.  The objective was to drive two 1920x1200 displays (left and right eye) on IMAX's large format screen with 4 projectors.  The solution worked spectacularly.

My last gig with SGI brought me to Niagara College where they were setting up a VR solution for manufacturing.  I joined Niagara College shortly after the sale of the system to help set up the Center for Advanced Visualization with the new business manager Toni Williams...

3D VR and the Center for Advanced Visualization (CFAV)

Business manager Toni Williams invited Earl Rowe of the PeaceBridge Authority to the facility to show them 3D VR in our immersive studio.  Mr. Rowe realized that 3D VR was the best and easiest way to show the public the potential replacement bridges for the current PeaceBridge.  At the same time we realized that the most likely market for 3D VR visualization services would be land use projects that must be presented to the public - in short - the easiest way to explain an engineer's intent to the public is to create a VR simulation and allow people to see it from any angle.  Revenues for the facility shot up and success was achieved.

Portable VR: One of the most important developments that we undertook at this early stage was moving away from the fixed VR presentation facility and creating a mobile VR presentation capability on portalbe computing platfroms.  nVidia had just released its first laptop mobile graphics processor.  Having kept in touch with my friends at SGI we developed a small VR visualization tool for PCs running OpenGL.  The new tool could run 3D models of almost the same size as the fixed VR equipment at the facility.

Research

At this time the facility expanded into research as governement funding agents began to recognize colleges as valid research entities. As of this year I have received nearly 10 grants totalling over $5 million in funding for VR and AR technology development.  The evolution of this technology to agriculture was a natural consequence of a small project with Len Crispino of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC).  At this juncture the focus changed to applying VR technology and techniques to agriculture. This gave me a chance to return to my roots in remote sensing and data analysis.

Precision Agriculture and PrAgMatic

Precision agriculture is all about being able to position variability within a farm field.  Positioning resolutions of better than 1 meter are required in order to be able to create an inventory of the plants that make up a farm field and to keep track of their development over a growing season.  PA is heavily dependent on the ability to measure and record everything that affects a farm field at high temporal and spatial resolutions.