SF Marina

San Francisco's Marina District
October 17, 1989

 Loma Prieta Earthquake

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SF Marina District

Marina Green- SF 2012

Proposed Walking Tour of Historic Downtown San Jose

The James Lick Observatory Project

Yesterday,  I met with representatives of the University of California Santa Cruz to discuss the potential James Lick Observatory project. We had a very productive meeting and  it was nice to talk with folks who understood the technology and how it could be leveraged to their advantage.

There were two primary areas of interest from the university's perspective; education and engineering.

EDUCATION:

This was pretty straight forward conversation. How do we take the knowledge and resources of the most famous observatory in the world and bring it to the classroom? Could we develop online lesson plans? Virtual and Augmented Reality elements? Online competitions, games or engineering challenges?

ENGINEERING: JLO is in need of some retrofits and repairs.

The observatory's 36" refractor was the largest telescope in the world at the time of its installation. It is still one of the largest in the world and definitely one of the most famous. This 25,000 lbs. telescope is mounted on a floor that is raised and lowered using four (4) large hydraulic pistons. Raising and lowering the floor/telescope allows scientist to adjust to objects that are lower/higher on the horizon. (Ingenious technology given the observatory was built in the 1880s!) 

One problem is the hydraulic lift isn't working which means they are limited in its use. Guest/researchers/visitors are not able to access the main telescope as they typically would. Depending upon the position of earth in relation to other celestial bodies, there are large areas of the sky that are difficult if not impossible to view through the telescope. In addition, the problem with the lift means researchers and visitors must access the telescope via narrow staircases. Best case scenarios means that only a couple of people at a time can actually access the telescope

They need to repair the hydraulic lift system and restore the floor to proper operating condition. For this, they would like to have an as-exist model of the floor, hydraulics and mechanical system that can be used for condition monitoring, design and/or reverse engineering the equipment. 

Secondly, the capacity of the main dome is only 49 ppl at a time. This is based upon fire code occupancy rates established after the 1906 earthquake. They would like to have a 3D model of the dome to design additional access/egress points that would allow them to increase capacity of the space and open things up to a larger audiences. (JLO has evening events and programs that are open to the public.) 

A detailed model of the facility will also allow the UC to design new elements such as handrails, stairs and other components of the facility that are aesthetically pleasing, maintain the integrity of the site and most importantly provide a safe environment for researchers and guest. They need to upgrade these components but they want to insure that any new elements fit within the parameters of the original design. Any new railing, stairs, doorways need to look as though they were part of the original 1880 design. This can be accomplished by scanning existing equipment, printing 3D prototypes and having them cast by metallurgist. 

Believe it or not, there are many, many residents of San Jose/Silicon Valley who have no idea of the significance of this world renowned observatory. This is not a local "attraction", it's not a regional landmark. This is world famous institution that has been at the forefront of technology for 130 years! From Einstein's Theory of Relativity to the discovery of extrasolar planets, this observatory is recognized around the world by leading members of the scientific community. Indeed, Silicon Valley can trace its technology roots back to Mt. Hamilton in 1888. This is both a working scientific facility and historic monument with the potential of being a world class astronomy museum!

The priority is the digital documentation of the MEP systems that operate the main floor and. This is Step #1!

This is a wonderful opportunity for all stakeholders. We can use the expertise of students/faculty and professionals from a variety of disciplines and vocations; animators, architects, civil engineers, computer sciences, construction, DMA, history, interior design, journalism, geomatics/surveyors and urban planners. If you are interested in participating in the groundbreaking project, please feel free to drop me an email message. I'll be reaching out to some of you individually for advice and support (You know who you are 😊)

Exciting times ahead! 

The Olympic Project For Human Rights

Games of the XIX Olympiad
October 17, 1968 
Mexico, City

50th ANNIVERSARY

THE OLYMPIC PROJECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

It’s an iconic image: Two athletes raise their fists on the Olympic podium. The photograph, taken after the 200 meter race at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, turned African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos from track-and-field stars into the center of a roiling controversy over their raised-fist salute, a symbol of black power and the human rights movement at large...https://www.history.com/news/1968-mexico-city-olympics-black-power-protest-backlash.

This was an extremely turbulent time in our history; a mere 6 months after the assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Four months following the assassination of Robert Kennedy. Protest against the Vietnam War were gaining momentum on college campuses across the country. Less than a month after these Olympic Games, Richard Nixon would be elected President of the United States.

10 days before the opening of the Summer Games, an unarmed group of protesters assembled in Mexico City’s Three Cultures Square to plan the next move of the growing Mexican students’ movement. The Mexican government sent in bulldozers to disperse the thousands gathered, and troops fired into the crowd, killing between four (the government’s official count) and 3,000 students.

Mexican Police Beating a Protester During a Student March, Days Before Hundreds of Students Were Shot and Killed by Mexican Soldiers

Carlos and Smith were deeply affected by these events and the plight of marginalized people around the world. “It was a cry for freedom and for human rights,” Smith told Smithsonian magazine in 2008. “We had to be seen because we couldn’t be heard.”

Backlash from the protest was harsh and swift. The IOC expelled Smith and Carlos from the Olympic Games, giving them 48 hours to leave the Olympic Village.The IOC then threatened to expel the entire US Olympic Team.

The backlash didn't end there. Peter Norman the Olympic Silver Medalist from Australia supported his fellow Olympians’ protest, in part because of the intolerance he had witnessed in Australia. Norman, a teacher and guided by his Salvation Army faith, took part in the Black Power salute because of this opposition to racism and the White Australia Policy. His decision to stand in solidarity with his fellow athletes would have dire consequences upon his return to Australia. In spite of posting the fastest times in Australia, by far, he was snubbed by the Australian Olympic Team in 1972. Rather than allow Peter Norman to represent their country, Australia decided not to send a sprinter at all.

Join us in acknowledging and celebrating the bravery and sacrifice of these elite athletes whose social consciousness inspired one of the most iconic moments in sport. 

The San Jose State University Institute for The Study of Sport, Society and Change, VIP Reception and Grand Opening of "The Power Of Protest" featuring artifacts from the Dr. Harry Edwards Collection, Speed City Era and more. Thursday September 6th from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library on the campus of San Jose State University

September 6th

Associated Oil

The Life and Times of The Kelley Mansion

"The Life and Times of the Kelley Mansion"

A historical timeline of the Kelley Mansion and ranch...
San Jose, CA.

The Kelley Mansion

Another student project from the Reality Capture Technology Engineering Program 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uFObD8iMVE&feature=youtu.be

The 2018 Reality Capture Summer Engineering Camp opens July 2nd...



This year's digital documentation projects:

The Pacific Hotel

The Bank of Italy

The Portuguese Imperio

Dr. Warburton's Office

History Park San Jose

2017 Reality Capture Technology Summer Camp @ History Park

July 3-14, 2017- Engineering Projects

Team #1- The Trolley Barn @ History Park

Team #2- The Nelson-Deluz House

Team #3- The Pasetta House

Team #4- The Portuguese Historical Museum (Imperio)

Working out the angles...

Team #1: Trolley Barn

Mike Sodergren, Israel Perez-King, Denise Gip, Ryan Luong

The Team

Digital Documentation of the Trolley Barn at History

Park

Hardware: FARO 350s Terrestrial Laser Scanner

Software: FARO Scene 6.2

Resolution: 1/5

Quality: 1/4

Number of Scans: 41

Average Scan Duration: 6minutes, 35seconds

The historic Associated Oil Station at History Park

One of several outstanding engineering projects from this year's Reality Capture Technology Summer Camp at History Park
Large Group Project: 413,389,716 Data Points
Hardware: FARO 350s Terrestrial Laser Scanner
Software: FARO Scene 6.2

My Team

A Silicon Valley Icon: The Tech Museum of Innovation

Inspiring the Innovator in Everyone

Coming Soon in 3D- The Tech Museum of Innovation
Silicon Valley's Iconic Museum is located in the heart of downtown San Jose
2015 Winner of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

Project Specifications
705,324,567 Data Points
Hardware: FARO Technologies 330X Terrestrial Laser Scanner
Software: Autodesk Recap
Resolution: 1/4

July 3-14, 2017  
5th Annual Reality Capture Summer Technology Camp

The Reality Capture Summer Technology Camp is a unique project driven STEAM program that introduces students to the engineering process through state of the art technology. Utilizing laser scanning/digital documentation techniques, students actively take part in creating a digital archive of the region’s cultural heritage while using civil engineering tools to resolve complex geospatial challenges. 

Locations:

History Park in is the location/campus of the proposed program. History Park contains 34 historic structures and encompasses 14+ acres in central San Jose. The History San Jose Collection Center has more than 500,000 artifacts that students can archive and digitally document.

Associated Oil Station

Cogswell College in San Jose is one of the world’s premiere digital animation and audio engineering colleges. Cogswell engineering alumni work at iconic industry leaders like Disney, DreamWorks Animation, PIXAR Studios, Industrial Light and Magic, EA Sports, LucasFilm and many others. The combination of Cogswell’s artistic, engineering influence and historic, archival focus of History Park is the ideal blend of Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics.

Program Goals:

1.      Introduce students to engineering through hands on projects with state of the art hardware and software.

2.      Encourage students to pursue careers in education, engineering, science and technology.

3.      Provide participants with a unique experience that prepares them for the next step in their professional development

4.      Build bridges and connect pathways to facilitate our participant’s transition to institutions of higher education, trade unions or entrepreneurship.

5.      To train and retain local talent for the expanding Silicon Valley workforce.

6.      To create a program that benefits both the participants and the greater community

There are several objectives in route to our stated goals. Most importantly, engaging the next generation of educators, engineers, innovators and scientist in the digital documentation of the region’s cultural history is considered a key element and critical to the success of the program.

Our programs teach students to use state of the art reality capture technology to create 3D models of historic San Jose homes, artifacts and property. The program empowers students by giving them the technical skills, guidance and opportunity to document their environment using the same technology that is used in archeology, architecture, construction, design, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, forensic investigations, surveying and geometrics. Based upon the principles of advanced geometry and trigonometry, our program(s) are creating a digital record of our cultural heritage and environment for future researcher, educators and scientist. This is a unique, hands-on, action based program that focuses on the practical application of technology rather than extensive lecture and class work.  Our partners include the Santa Clara County Office of Education, History Park, JFK University and the Silicon Valley Black Chamber of Commerce.

Trolley Barn

During the first week of camp, students learn to use laser scanners to capture dimensional and structural data from buildings at History Park in San Jose. The second week of camp, students learn to process laser scan data using state of the art 3D software at the campus of Cogswell College.

The educational benefits of such a unique project are only one aspect of our long range goal. The development of a 3D historic cultural archive will provide guest, visitors and users with access to historic research and data that would otherwise only be available to people live in the Bay Area and can visit History Park by appointment. Our data will be available online and accessible from any internet ready computer, tablet or workstation in the world.

The establishment of this project represents a paradigm shift in education and access to information. The digital database created through this project will be archived at History Park. The data can be used for research, planning, seismic analysis, environmental monitoring, education, historic preservation and tourism. The end product will affect the way cities, regions and business entities conduct outreach as well as influence new trends in tourism and visitor services.

Portuguese History Museum

Deliverables and Outcomes

Upon completion of our program, student/participants will be able to:

1.      Identify, define and solve geospatial engineering challenges

2.      Critically evaluate information

3.      Function effectively in a team atmosphere

4.      Operate laser scanning/civil engineering technology

5.      Utilize a minimum of two (2) forms of industry related software

6.      Collect/Import data from field work in preparation for processing

7.      Plan, coordinate and manage complex geospatial data collection projects

8.      Produce and maintain a comprehensive project specific engineering journal

9.      Complete a digital documentation project at History Park as assigned

     This Summer's Projects- 

Nelson- DeLuz House

1. The Historic Trolley Barn
2. The Portuguese History Museum
3. The Associated Oil Station
4. The Nelson DeLuz House
5. Cogswell Polytechnic College

Summer Technology Camp Dates

July 3^rd – July 7^th 

HISTORY PARK  1650 Senter Road San Jose, Ca.

Monday July 3^rd                        9:00am to 4:00pm

Tuesday July 4^th                        Holiday

Wednesday July 5^th                  9:00am to 4:00pm

Thursday July 6^th                     9:00am to 4:00pm

Friday July 7^th                           9:00am to 4:00pm

July 10^th- July 14^th

COGSWELL COLLEGE  191 Baypointe Parkway, San Jose CA.

Monday July 10^th                    9:00am to 4:00pm

Tuesday July 11^th                    9:00am to 4:00pm

Wednesday July 12^th               9:00am to 4:00pm

Cogswell College

Thursday July 13^th                  9:00am to 4:00pm

Friday July 14^th                       9:00am to 4:00pm

The Historic Kelley Mansion, San Jose CA.

Built in 1912, the Kelley Mansion was destroyed by 2 alarm fire in 2012...

In 1861 Judge Lawrence Archer purchased 160 acres just outside of San José’s city limits. He named the property around Coyote Creek “Lone Oak.” Archer moved his family in 1869, from their downtown home to a two-story house surrounded by elaborate gardens and accessed by two avenues lined with pepper, cypress and eucalyptus trees. There he grew orchards of prunes, apricots, walnuts, and was especially proud of his cherries. A well respected resident and attorney, Archer came to California in 1852 and settled in San Jose in 1853. Active in community service, he was Mayor of San José in 1856 and 1878; a County Judge from 1867 – 71; and served at State Assemblyman from 1875 – 76. Archer left his “Lone Oak” property to his only daughter, Louise Archer Flavin Kelley. She inherited the land in 1910 and it became known as “Ar-Kel” an abbreviation of her maiden and married names...From HSJ webapage. www.historysanjoseorg

The San Jose Woman's Club

Documenting the Historic

       San Jose Woman's Club

San Jose Landmark #32

75 South 11th Street

A formal organization since 1894, the San Jose Woman's Club has a rich and interesting history.
This fall, young ladies from Notre Dame High School's engineering club will laser scan the historic  building in anticipation of the club's planned retrofit.

In addition to documenting the property for preservation purposes, the data will be used to assist the architects and contractors during the both the planning and construction phase of the retrofit, process. The significance of having the pre-engineering work on the building completed by these young ladies is what makes this project noteworthy. Introducing the next generation of designers and engineers to this technology, while studying one of the oldest women's organizations in the Bay Area is a truly unique opportunity.

The beautiful Spanish Revival Building on South Eleventh Street was completed in 1929. Currently, the building is still used as the clubhouse for the SJ Woman's Club however the building is a favorite

rental location for weddings and special events.

Under professional supervision, the documentation process will begin with a formal research on the structure, including blueprint review and visual inspections.
The students will develop a logistical plan and scan plot for the building and property based upon the client's requirements.
The scanning process is scheduled and the documentation completed, the data is processed into a 3D point cloud.
The point cloud will be developed into a fly-through model for the Woman's Club webpage.
The raw point cloud will be given to the SJ Woman's Club's architect for use as a 3D blueprint. The point cloud can be imported into AutoCAD or Revit software for planning, design or engineering.

The project is expected to take place over the course of a semester. However, the actual scanning and processing will take little more than a week total. The extended schedule is necessary to accomodate the demands of the students normal academic requirements and engineering/robotics club responsibilities.

Look for a follow-up blog post, a fly-through video and white paper by the students around December

of 2016.

For more on the history of the San Jose Woman's Club, visit them online at http://www.sjwomansclub.org/about_us.html

Reality Capture Technology Summer Camp

Coming This July, The Reality Capture Technology Training Center will host our second annual summer technology camp at History Park in San Jose. The week long camp provides participants with hands on experience using state of the art laser scanning and photogrammetry technology to digitally document the historic buildings and artifacts at History Park. The data from the buildings and artifacts documented by the student/participants becomes part of the History San Jose archives and will eventually be featured in a major 3D exhibition.

Laser Scan from 2014 Summer Camp
by Aaron and Adam Rhetta

 Current reality capture technology allows users to collect billions of point measurements fast and safely, then register scans to create an accurate photo realistic unified 3D point cloud model. The overall benefit of the 3D model is extreme accuracy of the data collected and the ability to seamlessly transfer knowledge and information from user to user, user to client or user to the general public.

Whether you have an interest in art, animation, architecture, building/construction, design, engineering, forensic investigation, geomatics, operations or surveying, reality capture technology will play a major role in the future of these and related vocations.

Laser Scan by
Brittany Bradley and Liz York
JFK University

We are looking for students from 8th grade through 12th grade who are interested in participating in the summer technology camp.Students must be residents of Santa Clara County and must commit to the entire week long program.

We are also looking for college interns with an interest in architecture, computer science (software), construction, engineering, photography, surveying or related fields who are interested in learning about new technology.

Laser Scan X Section of
the Historic Pasetta House

Camp Schedule:
July 13th   9:00am to 4:00pm
July 14th   9:00am to 4:00pm
July 15th   9:00am to 4:00pm
July 16th   9:00am to 4:00pm
July 17th   9:00am to 4:00pm

...at the Historic Pacific Hotel at History Park in San Jose. 

The Reality Capture Technology Training Center was established with several objectives in mind. Objective One (1); to digitally document the artifacts, buildings and property at History Park. Objective Two (2); Expand the reach and scope of History San Jose's archives through 3D exhibits. Objective Three (3); to introduce students to engineering, mathematics and science through a hands on experiences with reality capture technology. Objective Four (4);provide

Leica 6000s  Laser Scanner

supplemental technology resources for public schools and STEAM educators. Objective Five (5); to provide student/participants with marketable, 21st century job skills

Our goals are as follows, Goal One (1);to establish a sustainable technology training center and resource for our students and educators. Goal Two (2);to inspire students to pursue higher education and/or find a career path through local labor organizations. Goal Three (3) to digitally document the architecture, property and history of San Jose. 

 Much of the documentation of our historic buildings and artifacts are done by students and interns, under the supervision of industry professionals. 

3D Focus