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TEXTURE VOL 5 ISSUE 1
2008
O R L A N D O ’ S
T E C H N O L O G Y
L A N D S C A P E
LIGHTEN UP Orlando leads the way in optics and photonics research
GREEN POWER
Clean energy advances in Central Florida
PROFILE: DOM MEFFE Our Hometown “Serial Entrepreneur”
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ORLANDO’S TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE
Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission President & CEO Texture Executive Publisher Raymond Gilley Vice President, Marketing Texture Associate Publisher Maureen Brockman
TEXTURE SPRING/SUMMER 2008 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1
Departments
Vice President, Tech Industry Development Texture Editor John Fremstad Director, Business Development Texture Project Support Amy Edge Director, Public Relations Texture Project Support Jennifer Wakefield
FROM THE EDITOR 5 TECH TRENDS 6
Director, Publications & Web Design Texture Project Support Lisa Addy
TALENT POOL 8 INTERFACE 10
Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.
OFF THE WIRE 12 PEAK PERFORMER 18
President Texture Publisher Gary Sain
SPECIAL FX 26 INNOVATION ALLEY 28
Vice President of Publications Texture Associate Publisher Deborah Kicklighter Henrichs
NEW COs 34 INTELLIGENT FORMS OF LIFESTYLE 36
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Features POWERING THE GREEN 14 ENERGY REVOLUTION
Associate V.P. of Advertising Sales Sheryl Taylor 407.354.5568 Contributing Writers Justin Campfield, Michael Candelaria, Todd Deery, Jackie Kelvington, Scott Leon, Susan Loden, G.K. Sharman
LASER SHARP FOCUS 20
Central Florida zooms in on the top spot for optics and photonics research.
Contributing Photographers Phelan Ebenhack, Charles Hodges
OPENING DOORS 30
Metro Orlando – full of potential for Hispanic entrepreneurs.
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Publication Artists Michele Mitchell and Ranae Ledebuhr Production Coordinators Shelley Hampton and Dennis Lessard
Leaders in the energy industry are transforming Central Florida into a green powerhouse.
On the cover: Laser beam and prism generate a spectacular display of “green power” at CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics at UCF.
Managing Editor Jessica Chapman
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This publication is sponsored in part by the Orange County Government’s Economic Stimulus Package 2.0 and the University of Central Florida. Texture magazine is produced by everything ink, a division of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.® (Orlando CVB), for the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. Orlando CVB: 6700 Forum Drive, Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32821, Phone 407.363.5841, Fax 407.370.5021. Texture magazine assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, negatives or transparencies. Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission 301 East Pine Street, Suite 900 Orlando, Fla 32801. Phone: 407.422.7159 or 888.TOP.CITY. Fax: 407.425.6428. E-mail: info@orlandoedc.com. Advertising information: 407.354.5512. Copyright 2008 Metro Orlando EDC. All rights reserved. Any reproduction in whole or in part without the express written consent of Orlando CVB, on behalf of the EDC, is prohibited. Printed in the U.S.A.
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Somebody call me a
DOCTOR
“You better call me a doctor ... feelin’ no pain“ — Van Halen
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We scrubbed in ... we were prepared ... the patient was ready ... Thankfully for the patient, I was just observing while Dr. Patel, with the help of the da Vinci ® Robot, completed another successful operation. Although this may seem like a scene from a Sci-Fi movie, it is actually a growing reality here in Central Florida and across the nation. A new era is dawning in surgical procedures thanks to the cutting-edge technology of the da Vinci® Robot and the da Vinci® surgery system. This innovative robotics tool provides doctors with a minimally invasive application in which to perform complex operations. Providing benefits to both patient and surgeon, the da Vinci® Robot combines remotely operated robotic arms equipped with minute surgical instruments and
John Fremstad
3D real-time imaging to allow for an increased level of precision, versatility, and control in intricate procedures. Advantageous to the patient, this advanced medical practice affords benefits of reduced pain, diminished scarring and complications, less blood loss, lower risk of infection and a faster recovery. Not only is this happening in operating rooms in Central Florida, but from a business perspective it’s headquartered here. The Global Robotics Institute (GBI) at Florida Hospital is a world-class, multispecialty surgical program comprised of leading urologic, gynecologic, colorectal, and cardiac physicians dedicated to providing superior patient care through the use of robot-assisted laparoscopic technology. GBI is a destination program for both patients and physicians: Patients
come from all over the world to receive the latest surgical treatment options, and each year nearly 7,000 international and domestic doctors are trained in the most innovative procedures and technologies at Florida Hospital’s Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement. Now, along with major simulation and laser companies, leading research institutions and hospital systems call Metro Orlando “home” for business. It is clear that the life science and biotechnology sector has gained tremendous momentum here. As robotics, simulation and optics push the “new knowledge” phase, and rapid discoveries lead to commercialization, the industry is likely to accelerate rapidly and Metro Orlando will benefit. We will experience significant advantages in the coming decade. There is nowhere else on the planet that can rival our strength in entertainment, simulation, film production, interactive media ... and the life sciences. This issue of Texture looks at another powerhouse tech industry in our region: optics and photonics This community is a world leader in using light to speed communications, detect disease, and multiple other uses. We also take a look at numerous innovative people and their companies. Examine our region’s texture, engage in this conversation and enjoy the experience.
John S. Fremstad Metro Orlando EDC vice president, Tech Industry Development & Texture editor
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REALITY
An Entirely New By Scott Leon
MIXED REALITY COULD BE A BREAKTHROUGH IN TREATING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES
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PHOTO COURTESY OF MEDIA CONVERGENCE LABORATORY, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
Recovering from a traumatic brain injury can be as distressing as the event that caused it. Often it requires the injuried individual to re-learn entire aspects of everyday life, from making coffee to tying shoelaces. It’s a labor-intensive process in which only a few transitional learning centers around the U.S. specialize, and the current methodology doesn’t always work well once the he or she returns home.
Some feel that these learning centers fall short because they use generic situations – rather than those specific to the individual – to teach and rehabilitate. Research currently being conducted by UCF’s Institute for Simulation and Training (IST) and its Media Convergence Lab using mixed reality could change all that.
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“Right now the standard procedure for treating people with brain injuries is to rehabilitate in the hospital, then in a transitional learning center and finally back home,” says Eileen Smith, Director of Experiential Learning at UCF and one of the leaders of the ‘Kitchen Project.’ “Normally patients just re-learn
their way around a generic room at a learning center, but studies show that when the person transitions back to their own homes things can go very badly.” The project’s basic premise when it began in 2005 was that a person would learn faster and more effectively in a specific, but still highly controlled, set-
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ting versus a generic one. “We chose a kitchen for our project because it’s the most dangerous room in the house,” says Smith. “We wanted to see what would happen if we recreated a patient’s actual kitchen and moved it into our lab. We thought that if we could laser scan, photograph and video tape a kitchen, by the time the patient was ready to enter a transitional learning center, we could have a replica of their kitchen ready for him to work in.” Obviously researchers and clinics can’t actually build an exact copy of every patient’s kitchen, but through the use of virtual reality and real objects, a medium referred to as mixed reality, the exact room and its contents are recreated. The Media Convergence Lab at UCF excels at this type of virtual reality. “We use real cabinetry, cups, plates and such that we can configure as necessary — all initially painted in a uniform color, ‘chromagreen’ — and then we overlay the specific finishes, colors and textures with virtual images. Patients wear a head-mounted display, but when they move a cup in the simulation, they are actually picking up a real cup, moving it, for instance, from a cabinet to a counter. We make the cabinets and counter look like those in their own kitchen, allowing spatial training based on the person’s home. Just as importantly for our research, however, the headgear also tracks where and how the person moves over time, allowing us to quantify the progress. “For example, with our first test patient we documented that at Day One he was all over the place attempting to make coffee, cereal and toast a bagel. It was a little like following Jeffy around the house in the comic strip Family Circus. By Day Eight, the difference was startling. His time for these tasks dropped by half and we could document the progress and his pattern exactly. Interestingly, we found that he could not remember the researchers’ names or even explain the steps he took to accomplish the tasks, but he could do them. The results actually tell us a lot about the cognitive process.” Smith feels that the need for more transitional learning centers will increase,
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especially with more and more people surviving serious head injuries, whether industrial, accidental or combat related, due to better medical care. As a result, UCF’s current focus has become making the engine for the mixed-reality program readily available. With the help of San Diego-based Virtual Reality Medical Centers (VRMC), and funding from the Air Force and the National Science Foundation (NSF) they are doing just that. “When we found out about the mixed-reality research going on at UCF’s Institute for Simulation and Training we wanted to be involved,” says Dr. Mark Wiederhold, president of VRMC. “They are the world leaders in mixed-reality technology and we knew that, combined with our expertise, we could make the Mixed Reality Rehabili-tation System (MRRS) possible. It was a natural fit.” VRMC specializes in using virtual reality to help treat phobias, such as the fear of flying, at a number of clinics on the West Coast. “Smith’s team has the expertise in the clinical aspects of the technology and research; we offer the know-how for making it practical in a clinical setting. We’ve conducted over 6,000 sessions of virtual reality treatments and now we want to help make this new technology available wherever
it’s needed, not just at a few centers nationwide. To do this, we are creating an entirely new company with the help of UCF’s incubator program and the plan is to open the first clinic in Orlando. “It’s a dynamic area of research. The MRRS has tremendous implications for treating traumatic brain injuries. The next step in this joint project is largely funded by the NSF and has theoretical implications for studying mixed reality’s effect on neurogenesis, or the growth of new neurons,” says Wiederhold. Smith also believes that future theoretical applications for this technology could include determining stress levels under a variety of conditions, including combat or job-related situations and possibly even treating autism. “We are very excited about the prospects of the MRRS and working with the team here at UCF, to build the new company,” says Angela Salva, President of the start-up company for VRMC, which has yet to be named. “Eventually this may lead to other forms of physical and cognitive therapies, but it will definitely lead to making mixed reality a more accessible and effective treatment for all types of brain injuries in the near future.” x
BREAKTHROUGHS IN AUTISM
Adapting technology to benefit people with disabilities is also a specialty of Cnow, Inc., a Mt. Dora-based company that specializes in “telehealth”, or providing training and solutions via interactive video conferencing. Most recently, Cnow has provided technical support for a remarkable project researching ways in which such technology can be used to help families of autistic children. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the program links families and professionals, providing “live” in-home support from medical and behavioral experts. The protocol for the research, administered by the Celeste Foundation, a non-profit organization also based on Mt. Dora, started with families of autistic children between 2 and 5 years old. Each family began with individualized program development at the closely-affiliated National Institute of Telehealth (NIT), where they worked directly with a team that included behavior analysts, speech pathologists, special educators and clinical psychologists. The families learned strategies and techniques to encourage their child’s behavioral, social, communicative and adaptive skills. They then returned home with a plan for services and a Cnow videoconferencing device that allowed them to connect directly to the Central Florida team of professionals whenever they needed help. To date, results have been impressive. The interactive video medium allowed between 8 and 16 hours per week of communication and over 4,000 “telehealth” consultations. Data show a reduction in family stress and improvement in their perception of their quality of life. Most importantly, significant advances have been made by the autistic children involved. Ultimately, these results have important implications for services that extend into remote training, medical services, behavioral analysis, case management, psychiatric services and education.
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If We Grow Them, They
By Ashley Pinder
WILL WORK
DEVELOPING A HIGH-TECH WORKFORCE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA STARTS BY TEACHING THE TEACHERS.
Whether sending text messages with pictures, updating an iPod, or creating elaborate MySpace pages, today’s kids are electronically oriented by nature. But what they don’t know is that their abilities can put them in a good position when it’s time to enter the workforce.
PHOTOS BY PHELAN EBENHACK (2)
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The question is: how do we get these kids — already so comfortable with technology — to appreciate the basics? “Just tell them they are ‘gaming’ and you can get kids interested in learning algebra and geometry,” says Phil Tillery, who teaches communications technology courses at Timber Creek High School. To get tech-savvy kids to learn math and science, you have to show them how to do it in their own tech language, and to do that you have to inspire instructors to teach in new ways. Tillery uses a program called 3-D Studio Max to simulate the construction of real-life objects on the computer screen. Using Boolean algebraic intersections, he takes his beginning students through a lesson on building a virtual chess set. The students are able to view the objects from four dimensions,
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and animate and move the pieces while measuring the impact of the intersections and manipulating 3-D objects. “I’ve worked with students who were having trouble in their math classes, but while having fun using this program all of a sudden they have an ‘a-ha’ moment and they finally get it,” says Tillery. Tillery learned new ways to engage his students when he and more than 150 other Central Florida educators attended one of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council’s (FHTCC) techCAMPs last year. The signature program of FHTCC’s techPATH educational initiative, techCAMPs are one- to two-day workshops that give middle- and high-school teachers a chance to learn the history of specific technology industries, talk to experts in the field and — most importantly — engage
in hands-on, real world experiences that they can bring back to their classrooms. Since 1998, FHTCC has presented 40 techCAMPs in the 23-county corridor, involving more than 1,600 math, science, technology and career teachers. These techCAMPs have been held with a focus on several corridor industries, including modeling, simulation and training; optics and photonics; and microelectronics. “As teachers it is important to keep ourselves activated,” says James Jones, an engineering teacher at Timber Creek High School. “We ourselves have to change with the ever-changing technology environment.” One benefit of techCAMPs is that they offer teachers novel approaches to math and science lessons. Instead of pointing to a graph in a textbook, teachers can
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engage students by demonstrating with computers, using colorful graphics and simulations to problem-solve. These methods also provide tools for practicing critical thinking. With a mission to cultivate tomorrow’s workforce, techCAMPs also highlight the high-tech careers available in Central Florida by offering tours of local companies and meetings with industry experts. techCAMPs partner with local corporations to describe their day-to-day operations, and to keep teachers in the know about what’s happening in the field. Florida needs to fill a growing hightech workforce. The AeA, a national technology trade association, ranks Florida as the second-fastest growing state in the total number of new high-tech jobs. The November 2007 techCAMP on Modeling, Simulation and Training delivered a jump-start for teachers. Purdue University professor Dr. Chris Hoffman demonstrated a simulation of the planes colliding with the World Trade Center towers on 9-11. His presentation, along
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with hands-on activities, opened the eyes of many teachers who had never been trained to use real-life examples to teach math and science. The teachers also learned to use new integrated software and toured the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) at the Orange County Convention Center. “I/ITSEC is the simulation industry’s most important meeting,� says Jeff Bindell, Ph.D., director of techPATH Educational Consortium and lecturer in physics at the University of Central Florida. “Our educators saw first-hand the wide range of companies — and potential employers — in the industry. Now, they can communicate those opportunities to their students.� Thomas Tyler, a mathematics coach at Evans High School, says, “Just around the corner we are training soldiers and creating video games; those are the types of jobs that will keep students here to work.� The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) strongly advocates hands-on preparation programs.
Teacher Phil Tillery works with junior Samara Sahler, while senior Jorge Reyes operates the Opti Track Calibration Wizard computer program.
“They’re a critical part of effective teaching,� says NSTA spokesperson Kate Meyer. “The Florida High Tech Corridor’s techCAMP programs offer exactly the kind of meaningful lab and simulation activities that build better classroom experiences.� Paul Speitzer, who teaches Introduction to Technology at Discovery Middle School, adds, “Teachers need to be excited with what they’re doing; I am constantly updating my curriculum since I went through techCAMP. Now I feel like I always have new things to share.� x
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A Story By Michael Candelaria
FOR TELEVISION
K I M B E R LY B E L C H E R C O W I N , O W N E R O F PINK SNEAKERS PRODUCTIONS
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If a reality-television show were to be done about Kimberly Belcher Cowin’s career and company, it likely would be been called “Life in the Fast Lane.” After all, Cowin has gone from 1997 University of Florida grad and MTV intern to owner/executive producer of Pink Sneakers Productions faster than you can say, “Lights, camera, action.” Her company develops and produces original programming — reality shows and documentaries — for various networks, including VH1, MTV and ABC. Current works include reality shows “My Big Fat Fabulous Wedding” (VH1) and “Hogan Knows Best” (VH1), along with the documentary series, “True Life: I’m In An Interfaith Relationship” (MTV).
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two series a year for MTV and some other networks.
PHOTOS BY PHELAN EBENHACK
What began as a three-person, homebased hope has grown into a go-to, one-stop, turnkey enterprise, with its own facility in Apopka, Florida that houses 10 edit suites, an audio suite, and some 60 to 80 people on the payroll in any given week. And Cowin, who turns 33 in April, is far from ready to call it a wrap. The plot, she says, is just now thickening.
T Texture: What type of vision did you have at the start of Pink Sneakers? kc Kimberly Belcher Cowin: The initial vision was a little bit smaller than what it has grown into. At the time, I had a lot of anxiety and fear about leaving New York. In this business, there are maybe two or three other production companies that don’t exist in New York or L.A., doing the same type of reality television that we do. So, at the time, I was satisfied with just doing one or
T How has that vision changed? kc Each year, we want to feel like we have grown or done something to challenge ourselves in a different way than the year prior. For 2008, it looks like we’ll be doing an additional series, and last year was our first series for another new network. Really, the goal is to continue growing and continue doing projects that are quality and that get high ratings. T Has any part of the business surprised you in the past seven years? kc How quickly the company grew. When I was at Universal Studios, renting cubes [after moving the business out of her home], we kept adding on and, finally, it was like, “Wow, we really need to move and get our space.” As far as the projects, it was just a matter of people liking to do business with people who are very buttoned up and cross their Ts and dot their Is, and deliver quality, high-ratings projects. Once you start doing that and people start doing business with you, you develop those relationships. Then they want to do more. I just had no idea it would be so quick. T You’ve been able to capture the state of youth and pop culture through reality TV. Do you think the popularity of reality TV will ever die? kc It may slow down a little here or there. But the foundation of reality television is documentaries, and people are always going to be intrigued by other people. That’s just the bottom line, whether it’s morphed into more of an entertainment version of the documentary style of programming. It’s still that people are curious and intrigued by interesting people.
T What is the secret to your success? kc It’s attitude. If you’re going to be spending the majority of the hours of your days at work, people want to enjoy what they’re doing. The hours are long and grueling and crazy sometimes, but we’ve tried to build an environment where we’re having fun. One person with a bad attitude can make everyone’s experience not so much fun. T What are you most proud of? kc I guess I’m most proud of our intern
and apprentice program. We work with a lot of the colleges and universities throughout the state of Florida. We’ll recruit and train the college students. I’ve modeled my experience at MTV, which was always about giving young people a lot of opportunity to grow. A lot of our producers started out as interns.
T What have been the toughest challenges? kc I would say our biggest challenge is that when you have young people who work for you, they think the grass is always greener. So, they are lured to New York or L.A., after we spent years training them. I’m convinced that it will come full circle and that they’ll want to move back to Florida. T Earlier you mentioned that you had a reluctance to move from New York yourself. So, why Central Florida? kc My family and my roots are in Central Florida, and my husband and his entire family are from Florida. I love Florida. If I could live anywhere, I’d pick Florida. Going anywhere but New York and L.A. is a challenge in this business. But everything clicked. We had a lot of good luck and good people. That’s really the biggest asset — the people x that I’ve been able to find here.
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News to
NOTE
By Jennifer Wakefield
HERE’S A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE LATEST HAPPENINGS IN METRO ORLANDO’S THRIVING BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
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While there has been an overall slowdown of the economy across the country, the Metro Orlando region hasn‘t felt the effects in terms of new business prospects. In fact, the local Economic Development Commission has received more interest this year than in 2007. This is partly because of the fact that Metro Orlando maintains a more diverse economy than most people realize, as well as a result of major moves within the business community.
MAJOR MOVES AirTran Airways announced that it will expand its corporate headquarters in Metro Orlando, its home since 1998. The company plans to add 121 new jobs to its existing workforce. Similarly, Busch Entertainment Corporation — the parent company of SeaWorld ® Orlando, Discovery Cove®, Aquatica™ -SeaWorld’s WaterPark and several other parks nationwide — is relocating its headquarters here from St. Louis. Two inter national companies recently established U.S. operations in Metro Orlando: Aromatech Flavorings, Inc., which develops and markets flavors for the food industry; and Trihedral Engineering, a developer and integrator of computer software for monitoring and control.
EMERGING MEDICAL CITY News about the region‘s evolving “medical city” is spreading quickly. There are a host of new development projects sprouting up around Orlando’s Lake Nona, the future home of The
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Burnham Institute for Medical Research, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, University of Florida Research Facility and proposed Veterans Affairs Hospital and Nemours Childrens‘ Clinic. Adding to the buzz, in recent weeks: Florida Hospital announced plans to create the Global Robotics Institute (GRI) — a robotic surgery training site for physicians from around the world — as part of the Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement; M.D. Anderson Cancer Center‘s Orlando Cancer Research Institute (CRI) unveiled plans to co-locate with the UCF College of Medicine. This will provide on-site training opportunities for medical school students; and, the U.S. Army‘s local simulation and training command unit (PEO STRI) announced plans to establish a federally funded Center of Excellence in the area. This will allow army scientists to work with the med school to develop advanced training systems in healthcare. To find out more, plan to attend Orlando’s first Medical Technology, Training and Treatment Conference
(MT3) from June 1-3 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. Visit www.mt3.bz for more information.
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NEWS FROM THE REEL WORLD Metro Orlando‘s film industry has buzzed with back-to-back activity for the last 18 months. With the opening of House of Moves, downtown Orlando is now home to the only professional motion capture studio on the east coast. News of this state-of-the-art facility; presence in Florida is generating widespread interest among the film and video game producers throughout the U.S. Orlando has traditionally been a hot market for television commercials due to our variety of scenery and ability to stand-in for any location on the globe, as well as our year-round greenery. While that segment of the industry remains strong, the region has also served as the location for several recent independent and feature films. Films wrapping up this spring include Bait Shop , a feature-length movie shot on location in Central Florida’s Kissimmee and Osceola County. Starring Bill Engvall of Blue Collar Comedy fame, with a special appearance from Billy Ray Cyrus, the film tells the story of the owner of a small town bait shop who
METRO ORLANDO GOES GREEN It seems like everyone‘s going green lately, and Metro Orlando is no exception. As home to the UCF Florida Solar Energy Center, Central Florida is no stranger to solar power. But now the Orange County Convention Center, one of the largest convention centers in the world, has announced that it will cover its roof with solar panels and turn Florida’s sunshine into energy. This project will be the larg-est solar project in the Southeast and is a part of Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty‘s push for Orange County to “go green.” (For more information see page 17) In other local environmental news, three national conferences on the use of alternate fuels were recently held in
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signs up for a fishing tournament in hopes of using the prize money to save his store from foreclosure. Due out in spring 2008, Never Back Down by Summit Entertainment actually features Orlando as the location in the storyline. It‘s about a new-to-town teenager who quickly learns that he has to find a way to stand up to the school bully, an expert in mixed martial arts. World-class actor Djimon Hounsou plays Jake‘s mentor and owner of the 365 Combat Club, which is actually Best Shot Studios in Sanford, Florida (see Special FX, page 26). MFV Productions, in association with Universal Pictures, shot Beethoven: The Reel Story almost entirely at Universal Studios Orlando. The feature film follows the making of the original Beethoven movie. New reality TV series, “Bridal Boot Camp” was shot in Lake County. The series, which will air on CMT (Country Music Television network) in summer 2008, follows ten brides as they compete to get in shape for their big day. Ultimately, the winner not only ends up looking fabulous for her special moment, but also has the wedding of her dreams ... on the house.
Metro Orlando — the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo, the National Ethanol Conference and the Waste to Fuels Conference.
ORLANDO: AN ENTREPRENEURIAL HOTBED Recent start-up companies taking advantage of the region‘s growing reputation for innovation and resources available to entrepreneurs include Planar Energy Devices, which is developing commercial applications for advanced micro-batteries that can be used in the fields of medicine, alternate energy and consumer electronics. Green Skies, Inc. is an aviation consulting company that helps airlines, airports and aviation-related firms become more environmentally friendly. Petra Solar is working with UCF to develop solar energy products, and Welnia offers comprehensive software platforms for disease management and wellness. These start-ups couldn‘t get off the ground without funding ... which typically comes from venture capital firms or groups known as “angel investors.” In Orlando, there are a growing number of resources and organizations available to young businesses. In mid-May, the Florida Venture Forum will present the Florida Early Stage Capital Conference in Orlando for companies looking for funding. Several technology incubators are also based here. The UCF Technology Incubator has been rated the best in the nation, and in the past year the university has helped establish two new incubator locations — the Orlando Business Development Center located near downtown Orlando, and a Seminole County Incux bator site in Winter Springs.
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POWERING THE
GREEN ENERGY REVOLUTION By Justin Campfield
LEADERS IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY ARE TRANSFORMING CENTRAL FLORIDA INTO A GREEN POWERHOUSE. Prior to attending Gov. Charlie Crist’s global climate change summit last summer in Miami, panelist Dr. James Fenton expected the conference to bring a lot of attention to the issue of global warming. After all, governors, actors, actors who became governors, and even Kennedys and Roosevelts were slated to participate. But what Fenton didn‘t expect was that, in just two days, Florida‘s leadership role in the production of renewable energy would be completely transformed.
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COURTESY SIEMENS ENERGY
HEADQUARTERED IN EAST ORLANDO, SIEMENS POWER GENERATION IS A LEADING SUPPLIER OF PRODUCTS, SUCH AS THESE WIND TURBINES, TO COMPANIES IN THE ENERGY AND ELECTRIC INDUSTRY.
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“The conference took Florida from the back of the parade to the front of the parade in one big step,” says Dr. Fenton, director of the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) and a member of Gov. Crist’s energy and climate change action team. “It wasn’t just a little conference to put on and say ‘we are great and wonderful.’ It exceeded my wildest dreams.” The ambitious goals announced at the summit include: a reduction in emissions that will ultimately reach 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050; a 30 percent cut in vehicle emissions by 2016; a 15 percent increase in consumer appliance efficiency; and an energy portfolio that includes 20 percent renewables by the year 2020. While the goals received wide praise, they handed the business sector a big challenge in developing the technology capable of drastically transforming the business of generating and distributing energy. That is a challenge that a cluster of innovative companies in the Orlando region are not only ready to meet, but one that they’ve already been working on.
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CENTRAL FLORIDA’S POWER PLAYERS ARE SEEING GREEN
Beginning with flour-grinding European windmills in the 1st century AD, humans have been harnessing the power of the wind to produce energy. But it has been in the last decade that this millennia-old technology has experienced a surge in popularity and attention within the industry. According to the World Wind Energy Association, between 2000 and 2006, wind power generation worldwide more than quadrupled. For Siemens, that growth has been good for business. In 2007, U.S. and Canadian orders for its wind turbines — those gigantic fan-like power generators that are popping up on farmland prairies and offshore sites across the globe — exceeded $1.1 billion and totaled nearly 1,140 megawatts in production power. The megawatt total for 2007’s orders reflected an increase of 50 percent over the previous year. While wind power production is heating up across the globe, Orlando- based Siemens only has to look across town to find one of its biggest competitors. With 21 recent wind turbine projects in the U.S., Lake Mary’s Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas is among the top-five producers of wind turbines in the world, according to Dave Walsh, the company’s senior vice president of service and manufacturing.
NICHOLAS WATERS, FSEC
Headquartered in east Orlando near the UCF campus, Siemens Power Generation is one of the world’s leading suppliers of components and systems to companies in the energy and electricity industry. The Orlando operation, a key business unit of Siemens AG, has more than 40,000 employees world-wide operating under its umbrella and posted more than $17 billion in sales in fiscal year 2006-2007. Historically the company has been a leader in technological innovations that decrease environmental impact, such as high-efficient combined-cycle power plants and coal-fired power plants with CO2 capture. But in the last few years Siemens has emerged as a primary force in a centuries-old renewable energy that is proving to be one of the most reliable and abundant sources of green power on the earth.
DIRECTOR OF UCF’S FSEC AND A MEMBER OF GOV. CRIST’S ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION TEAM, DR. JAMES FENTON IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROPONENTS OF SOLAR ENERGY IN ALL OF FLORIDA.
Already employing more than 360 workers in the region, Mitsubishi plans to add another 200 to the local workforce when it opens a new manufacturing and service plant in South Orlando. While the plant will manufacture parts for Mitsubishi’s combustion turbine products, the new 110,000-square-foot building will serve as an important demonstration project for the company’s next big foray into another U.S. renewable industry sector: solar power. The $65 million plant will be outfitted with 2,400 Mitsubishi-designed solar panels. According to Walsh, the panels are already big sellers in Asia and Europe and will become available in the U.S. in 2009. When construction is complete in the middle of this year, it will derive approximately 15 percent of its daytime electricity from the photovoltaic solar generating system. Mitsubishi’s roof-top panels are good examples of the types of installations that are helping Florida overcome the onceprevailing notion that it wasn’t well-suited for solar power. “People have said that the Sunshine State doesn’t work for solar,” says UCF’s Dr. Fenton. “What they meant was that large-field solar power plants don’t work in Florida. The real key for large solar power plants is lots of free real estate. Where is the free real estate in Florida?” The answer to that, says Dr. Fenton, will be more easily found once the industry moves to a distributed generation model, or the idea that instead of one
large power plant producing electricity, the grid is fed by many much smaller plants in less traditional locations, such as on the roofs of homes, businesses and cars, and even under power transmission lines. Industries moving to distributed generation aren’t without historical precedence. “There was a time when IBM made mainframe computers as well as PCs,” says Dr. Fenton. “But IBM got so busy selling mainframes it didn’t focus on PCs. Now, supercomputers are networks of PCs. One day, power plants will equal many smaller plants connected together.” Taking advantage of abundant spaces to harness the sun’s power is exactly what Orlando start-up Solar Blue is doing. Claiming to be one of the nation’s first and only providers of solar water heating and solar energy systems for large-scale commercial use, the company is looking to Orlando’s plentiful hotels, conference centers and resorts to target the area’s tourism-related facilities. That strategy paid off when it announced a deal last year to install solar water and solar electric systems on more than 50 Hyatt properties. In addition to the energy cost savings, Solar Blue partner Zach Steele says that companies are becoming increasingly interested in solar power because of its political and public benefits. “Corporations are being mandated to become more energy efficient, and the public is becoming more conscious
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BRINGING GREEN POWER TO THE PEOPLE W ith all of the success local companies are having producing the products and services that create green power, someone must be making it available to consumers. In the Metro Orlando region, utilities are aggressively adding green power to their portfolios. Progress Energy Florida — the largest utility provider in Central Florida — is involved in projects ranging from landfill methane gas and solar power, to hydrogen power and even fuel derived from orange peels. “We believe that investing in these strategies and technologies, whose ultimate end is to manage energy
resources wisely, is not only smart economically, it’s a moral and civic obligation,” says Jeffrey Lyash, president and CEO of Progress Energy Floria. “Besides, a commitment to green energy is what our customers have told us they want.” Among Progress Energy’s most innovative green power efforts are
ORANGE COUNTY AND ORLANDO UTILITIES COMMISSION (OUC) HAVE TEAMED UP TO COVER A 200,000-SQUARE-FOOT SECTION OF THE ROOF OF THE ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER WITH SOLAR PANELS. .
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projects that utilize wood waste and biomass. In the last year the utility has announced agreements to purchase electricity from two waste-wood biomass plants to be built in Florida by Atlanta-based Biomass Gas & Electric. The plants will be powered by yard trimmings, tree bark and other waste wood, and will generate enough electricity to power 46,000 homes. In May of 2006, Progress Energy agreed to purchase electricity from what stands to become the nation’s largest biomass plant. E-grass, a giant bamboo-like crop scientifically know as Arundo Donax, will be grown on a tobe-determined site and then converted into energy in the world’s first commercial-scale, closed-loop biomass facility.
“We believe that investing in these strategies and technologies, whose ultimate end is to manage energy resources wisely, is not only smart economically, it's a moral and civic obligation,” says Jeffrey Lyash, president and CEO of Progress Energy Florida.
COURTESY ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER
of global warming,” says Steele, who teamed up with prominent Orlando businessman Lee Maher to launch Solar Blue. “This has led to companies wanting solar for a marketing/branding opportunity, to meet compliance, as well as to reduce energy costs within the ever-rising energy market.” And while most people associate renewable energy with naturally occurring resources such as wind and solar rays, one Groveland-based company uses something decidedly less natural, but nonetheless abundant, to create fuel. Through a multiple-step process called transesterification, Clean Fuel/ Silver Bullet Energy (CFSBE) transforms grease from restaurants that has been used to cook food such as french fries and chicken wings to create a biodiesel fuel that can be used in any diesel engine. “It is exactly the same as any other diesel fuel,” says Dwayne Dundore, the one-and-half-year old company’s chief technology officer. “You can put it in your car or truck or anything that runs on diesel.” Once the fuel has been tested to ensure it meets the internationally recognized ASTM standards, it is then sold to either companies with large fleets of diesel cars or to blenders who use it to create the widely used B-20. CFSBE’s local customers include Universal Orlando and Rosen Center Hotels, while the City of Clermont is currently in the process of signing on as a client.
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According to the 130-megawatt plant’s developer, Biomass Investment Group, once the plant is operational it will produce electricity while contributing zero carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Another source of renewable energy distributed by Progress Energy comes from a partnership it has with Covanta Lake, an Okahumpka-based operation that turns 170,000 tons of garbage into 14.5 megawatts of electricity each year. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the plant incinerates garbage from Lake County businesses and residents in a non-emissions releasing process that powers a steam turbine generator. This also drastically reduces the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills and eliminates another source of greenhouse gases, the methane that the garbage would otherwise create. “Every ton of garbage that is processed through our plant eliminates one ton of carbon dioxide emissions into the environment,” says Covanta Lake’s business manager, Teri Staniec. “It is a local solution to a global problem.
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GREEN WITHOUT ENVY While Central Florida’s contributions to green power innovations are varied, the industry’s leaders are quick to point out the common denominator to its technological successes — how business is done in the region. “Central Florida’s entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to business innovation have helped us greatly in expanding our commitment to green energy,” says Progress Energy Florida’s Lyash. “That kind of optimistic and forwardlooking attitude attracts and sustains these kinds of cutting-edge projects.” For Mitsubishi Power Systems, the local business environment is a big reason the company is putting down even stronger roots in the area. “We’ve had huge support from the community,” says Walsh. “That’s why we are investing $65 million in capital for a new plant … our experience here has been great.” Of course, it isn’t just any $65 million plant. It is a $65 million plant with 2,400 solar panels on top. And if the local green power industry has its way, in the near future constructing a building any other way may seem like a very unOrlando thing to do. x
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COURTESY OUC
Investor-owned utilities aren’t the only ones getting into the renewables act; numerous local municipally-owned utilities want to offer green energy as well. The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) recently announced a partnership with the Orange County Convention Center that will create the largest solar array in the southeast United States (see sidebar on this page), and both the Kissimmee Utility Authority and Leesburg Electric and Gas have initiated the acquisition or production of electricity derived from solar power. The Kissimmee and Leesburg renewable energy effort is being spearheaded by Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA), an Orlando-based wholesale power company owned by the state’s 30 municipal electric utilities. Last year, the agency issued a request for proposals to provide solar photovoltaic equipment, or a contract to purchase electricity generated with solar technology.
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FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S TOM KIMBIS, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION’S VIVIAN GARFEIN, FLORIDA SEN. LEE CONSTANTINE, ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR RICHARD CROTTY, OUC BOARD PRESIDENT KATIE PORTA AND UCF’S DR. DAN HOLSENBACK
SHOWCASING ORLANDO’S INNOVATION Each year more than a million people visit the Orange County Convention Center to attend tradeshows showcasing the newest products in industries as varied as home improvement, comic books and surfing apparel. But once a recently announced solar power project is completed early next year, the most promising technologies may no longer be on the convention floor, but on the convention’s roof. The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) and Orange County have teamed up to create the southeastern United States’ largest solar power initiative. Large enough to cover 200,000 square feet — or about the size of five football fields — of the center’s North/South building in solar panels, the project will produce between 1.3 and 1.5 mega-watts per year, which is enough to reduce the convention center’s annual electricity consumption by about five percent. In addition to creating non-polluting energy, the initiative will also serve education and research purposes. A climate-change education center will be set up in the convention center to tout the benefits of solar power to conventioneers, and the project itself will help scientists study the production
of solar power. Funding is being provided by a $1.8 million grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, as well as contributions from Orange County and OUC of $3.8 million and $1.5 million, respectively. The center has a history of being environmentally progressive. Its recycling program led it to be one of the first convention center in the U.S. to receive the International Organization for Standardization’s “Green Certification,” and other environmentally friendly initiatives have included using reclaimed water for landscaping irrigation, installing xeriscape plantings, and purchasing “green” cleaning products. “Over the last three years, our operations personnel have successfully implemented several energy conservation measures,” says Jerry Daigle, OCCC deputy general manager. “This solar PV project will take us to the next level in energy management, and it will be a major step in making our facilities green.” This isn’t the first time OUC and Orange County have teamed up to create green power. Since June of 1998, the two have worked together to harness methane gas produced by decomposing garbage at the Orange County landfill. The gas is used to generate electricity at OUC’s Stanton Energy Center.
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When Health By G.K. Sharman
MEETS CARE IT’S GOOD TO BE DOM MEFFE, ORLANDO’S OWN “SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR.”
Dom Meffe, the entrepreneur, seemed to have it made in the spring of 2006. He had just retired from Curascript, a specialty pharmaceutical distribution company that he founded in 2000 and sold for $333 million in 2004, staying on to run it as a division of its new parent company until that merger was well established. He was barely 40 years old and could easily afford to retire — take it easy, take up golf maybe. Right.
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PHOTO BY CHARLES HODGES
“I tried taking some time off, but I wasn't ready to sit home,” says softspoken Meffe. Other people didn’t want Meffe — who has been dubbed “serial entrepreneur” because of all the successful enterprises he’s established — sitting home either. He has played a major role in Orlando’s dominance of the pharmaceutical distribution industry over the past decade. His phone rang off the hook with offers to step in and run one business or another. One company in
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particular, Parthenon Capital, remained persistent, urging Meffe to accept the position of CEO at a new business that would produce heart-disease and cancer diagnostic tools. Dom Meffe, the cancer survivor, wanted to continue working in the field that is so close to his heart. Health care is not just a business for Meffe, it's a calling. His sister died of a brain tumor and both he and his wife have survived cancer. So, he finally said yes. The result of that decision is Triad
Isotopes. Based in downtown Orlando, the radiopharmaceutical services company controls a network of pharmacies across the Southeast and focuses on three areas of diagnosis and treatment: the nuclear pharmacy operation compounds and distributes radiopharmaceuticals used in gamma imaging for cancer and cardiac diagnosis; the cyclotron operation produces FDG, or fluorodeoxyglucose, which is used in PET scans for cancer diagnosis; and the brachytherapy seed division promotes this advanced cancer treatment method, which involves placing tiny radioactive seeds near the site of the tumor, in turn reducing exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue.
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Nuclear medicine as a whole is a small but growing segment of the specialty pharma industry. Meffe expects his company’s products to treat some 900,000 patients in 2008. An estimated 20 cents of every prescription dollar is spent on specialty pharma, and the total spending is expected to reach $70 billion this year. Orlando is the place to be if you’re in the specialty pharma business. The city has the largest specialty pharma distribution presence of any metro area in the nation, as well as highly rated hospital systems and a strong life sciences research and development presence.
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G E N E R AT I N G
RELIABLE POWER AND A
RELIABLE FUTURE FO R YOU R BUS I N ESS.
“I’M SUPPOSED TO DO THIS. OPPORTUNITIES ARE GIVEN TO YOU FOR A REASON. IF YOU LISTEN CLOSE ENOUGH, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DO.” — DOM MEFFE Meffe, the Orlando businessman, is once again standing on top of a rising pyramid: Triad is currently the fourth- largest company in its industry. It concentrates its operations in small- and medium-sized markets, such as Fort Myers, Fl., Florence, S.C., Mobile, Ala., and Valdosta and Athens, Ga., where it holds 90 to 100 percent of the market share for the industry. Being the big fish in a small pond is “an inherent barrier to entry,” Meffe explains. Let the big boys — such as Cargill and G.E. — fight it out in the cities. Owning a market that’s not big enough for two players is a savvy business strategy. Emphasizing personalized service is another smart practice. It was his sister’s struggle, not just with the disease but with the bureaucracy, that inspired the high-touch business model that has characterized each and every one of Meffe’s healthcare businesses. Meffe’s efforts have attracted more than a little notice, including a “Crusader of the Year” profile in the December 2007 issue of Inc. magazine. He is reluctant to show people a copy, humbled by the Supermanstyle drawing that accompanies the write-up. Triad is business number eight for Meffe, who got his start in the entrepreneurial arena running Chuck E. Cheese franchises with his father in Pennsylvania. While in grad school in Tampa, he started a management consulting firm. Meffe later sold his share back to his partners to become part owner of Golf-Rite Products, which acquired two golf shoe companies and later was sold to a group of investors. His focus shifted to health care after his sister was diagnosed. Meffe attributes his success to luck, smart coworkers and employees, and his faith. He is on the board of Shepherd’s Hope, a not-for-profit group that provides non-emergency health care for those in need. “I’m supposed to do this,” he says. “Opportunities are given to you for a reason. If you listen close enough, you know what you’re supposed to do.” x
Your business will shine brighter when you relocate or expand in the Progress Energy service area. Where your business can count on:
THE PROGRESS ENERGY SERVICE AREA
s Clean, reliable, affordable power for today and tomorrow s A dependable energy future through our balanced mix of energy efficiency, alternative energy and state-of-the-art power plants s A strong local economy, outstanding talent pool and high quality of life s A dedicated economic development team to meet your business’ needs To learn more about why Progress Energy is the right business partner for your future, call 800.622.7562 or visit progress-energy.com/ economic. LOOKING AT POWER I N A N E W L I G H T.
©2007 Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc. and Progress Energy Florida, Inc.
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LASER SHARP FOCUS CENTRAL FLORIDA ZOOMS IN ON THE TOP SPOT FOR OPTICS AND PHOTONICS RESEARCH By Scott Leon
JACQUE BRUND/UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
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An augmented reality head-mounted d i s p l ay i n D r. Ja n n i c k Ro l l a n d ’s ODALab at CREOL. This cutting-edge device projects a “screenless monitor,” a first in the field of augmented reality technology.
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If you’re like most people, you owe many of the things you do on a daily basis to light, but you might not even know it. Most of us picture light as little more than the phenomenon that occurs when we flip a switch, but the reality is that “light” is far more, and its uses are nearly limitless. A vast amount of modern technology is based on the manipulation of light in terms we're not aware of — powering such everyday items as CDs, DVDs, cell phones, LCD TVs and computer monitors, and even high-efficiency light bulbs. And much of the research advancing these technologies happens right here in Central Florida.
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properties of light — has advanced, literally, at the speed of light over the last few decades. CREOL was at the forefront. Established in 1986 to help Florida grow a budding industry, CREOL later became the first full-fledged college in optics and photonics at a university in the United States. Since then the program has spawned dozens of businesses and has generated more than 260 patent applications, with 110 patents issued. Central Florida today is home to approximately 70 photonics companies and 20,000 workers. Currently over two dozen companies, including 13 in Florida, hold licenses for technology created at CREOL. These companies manufacture everything from lasers for industrial and military use, to technology for the medical field, to liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and even zoom lenses for cameras. In fact, Orlando currently is home
WHAT IS PHOTONICS? Photonics encompasses a large arena of subfields, but lasers are among the most well-known. “Today we use lasers not only for cutting and welding, but also for scribing integrated circuits, transmitting information down high-bandwidth fiber-optic cables, range finding, imaging, biological material analysis, medical diagnostic and therapeutic applications, and any number of other
Thomas Kohlgraf-Owens aligns a laser beam through optical components.
JACQUE BRUND/UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
While the 20th century was the age of electronics, the 21st century is the age of photonics. You might not realize that many household devices today use particles of light, called photons, to transmit information — something that used to be the sole responsibility of electrons and electronics, according to Dr. James Pearson, Director, Research and Administration at the University of Central Florida's Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL), which is part of UCF’s prestigious College of Optics and Photonics. Photonics is generally defined as the generation, manipulation and utilization of light. Light, which comes in visible and invisible forms, encompasses types used in familiar technologies like x-rays, as well as hitech lasers. While not a new science, much of the research in photonics and the related field of optics — the study of the
to one of only a handful of educational institutions offering degrees in optical science and engineering, and is one of only a few research hubs in the U.S dedicated to this science.
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civilian and military uses like night vision equipment or even land mine detection," says Pearson. “Radial Keratotomy and LASIK surgery, the latest flat panel TVs – including LCD, Plasma and DLP – high-speed Inter net and even long-distance landline service owe their existence to the manipulation of light using technologies developed at CREOL or other institutes like it. “While many companies formed around cutting-edge technology can't afford the facilities or equipment necessary to carry out the research required, we have been able to develop them at CREOL and form effective partnerships within the industry. In fact, while technology is often born here, the ideas usually end up licensed out to a company to develop and sell. Sometimes the technology can even spawn a company all unto itself,” says Pearson.
AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT Perhaps the most intriguing thing about working with light is that it’s the fastest thing we know. Manipulating it to carry information by sending it in pulses means that information can be transferred at the speed of light. And that’s good news for a generation that demands ever-faster and more available communication. “The idea of an optical computer is nothing new. The train of light pulses
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becomes the digital 1s and 0s. We’ve been working on it for years, but there are inherent problems. Because the information travels so fast we get bottlenecks when we need to manipulate it,” says Pearson. “But because laser light is very spatially confined, it’s ideal for sending signals cross-country over fiber optic lines. Plus, where electrical signals can interfere with one another, photonic
“Phased Array” means coordinating multiple objects to magnify their power. In this case it creates a much larger telescope area using several separate telescopes in different locations, say on two satellites, but it’s only possible by precise synchronization. Delfyett continues, “In order to achieve this, you have to know exactly where the telescopes are. Since we know the speed of light and we can measure
“But because laser light is very spatially confined, it’s ideal for sending signals cross-country over fiber optic lines” says Dr. James Pearson, at UCF CREOL. signals at different wavelengths remain independent, so we can send multiple signals at the same time.” Dr. Peter Delfyett, Trustee Chair Professor of Optics at CREOL, is a renowned pioneer in developing “ultra fast” photonics with multiple applications. One of his primary areas of research involves the development of optical clocks. Don’t think of “optical” in terms of something visual. It’s a clock based on timing things using the speed of light. “The difference in accuracy between optical clocks and the atomic clock that most people are familiar with is significant. Optical clocks are up to 1,000,000 times more precise,” says Delfyett. Don’t worry, this isn’t something designed to tell exactly how late you’re running — it’s actually used to create things that require incredible accuracy, such as Phased Array Telescopes.
the time it takes for a beam of light generated by a laser to bounce off a satellite, we can determine its position in space exactly because distance is the mathematical product of rate and time. This will eventually allow us to create telescopes that are functionally far larger than anything we could actually send into space. And if we turn that technology back on the Earth, you can imagine how accurate the images could be for military or mapping purposes.”
LASER SHARP The other area of interest for Delfyett — ultra short pulse lasers (USP) — actually spawned Orlandobased company Raydiance, Inc., which now licenses about half of his patents. These lasers stand in contrast to continuous-wave lasers, which are what typically comes to mind when we hear the word ‘laser.’ In addition to what its continuous-wave counterparts do, USP lasers allow for a myriad of additional applications, including, perhaps most importantly, medical uses. Delfyett explains: “A continuouswave laser cuts by causing the molecular bonds to heat and vibrate so violently that they ultimately break. Unfortunately, this usually damages some of the surrounding material. What we found with USP lasers was that by bombarding the molecule with very short but powerful pulses in rapid succession, we could achieve the same separation much more accurately —
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JACQUE BRUND/UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
and without the heat — by blasting electrons further and further away from the nucleus to the point that they no longer affect the molecule. This loss changes the polarity of the molecule and, since like charges repel each other, they separate without generating heat because it’s done so fast.” Think of it as creating a hole in a wall by firing a small caliber machine gun rather than a cannon. The relative difference in precision and collateral effects is considerable. The ability to eliminate the resultant heat allows numerous additional uses, especially in medicine. USP lasers make a variety of cosmetic and laser-based eye surgeries (such as RK and LASIK) possible, and are also used to clean teeth. There have even been studies on the use of USPs in the detection of explosive devices. One experimental area of photonic medical research is Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) as a high-accuracy and minimally invasive diagnostic tool. Imagine inserting a small camera into the body through a blood vessel via a tiny fiber-optic cable. The camera could scan very precisely from the inside out to examine tissue. Lasers can also be used to determine what almost any material is made up of via a process called fluorescence. Put simply, this means that as the laser shines on the material, the material emits certain wavelengths of measurable light that are characteristic of that specific material. Combining these two capabilities could instantly determine the presence of cancerous cells, and allow doctors to selectively destroy those cells at the same time. It's not that far-fetched. Florida-based Ocean Optics already has developed a machine capable of detecting precancerous cells very accurately. Until recently, one drawback with the equipment used to create and control USP lasers was its size and complexity. That’s where Delfyett’s technology, now at Raydiance, comes in. Based on his research and with his help, the company developed and produced the world’s first compact, cost-effective and fully software-controlled USP laser system, ultimately increasing the
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Scientists in Leon Glebov’s CREOL lab use holographic optical elements. Glebov’s breakthrough research in this area led to the ‘spin-off’ business: Optigrate. (Optigrate.com)
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accessibility of this technology for wider use, such as by local LASIK clinics. And that’s just the beginning.
A LOOK AHEAD Delfyett’s research is simply one area of a large body of work being done at CREOL by 39 faculty members, 54 researchers and 160 graduate students. Research topics currently include novel camera designs; virtual reality; holographics; display technologies; new lasers; very small, “nano” optical and laser devices; and a host of theoretical topics far too complex to detail. CREOL’s
Incubator (which was rated No. 1 in the nation in 2004) generated more than $5.5 million in the 2005-2006 fiscal year. With a rapidly growing photonics and optics industry in Metro Orlando and the surrounding area, CREOL provides a key foundation and support for the Florida Photonics Cluster (FPC), a nonprofit industry association of the state's photonic companies. Through the FPC and with the support of organizations like the Metro Orlando EDC, CREOL helps promote the interests of its members and Central Florida as a major center for photonics technology and research around the world.
JACQUE BRUND/UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
Development of new imaging techniques, new diagnostic and treatment tools, and new surgical procedures using lasers will be possible and much more practical with the estblishment of a “medical city” at Lake Nona.
Laser-induced fluorescence viewed by UCF graduate research assistant, Trenton Ensley.
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annual budget is approximately $20 million, with over a quarter coming from industry partners and half from the federal government. Even though it was established at UCF, CREOL began as a concerted effort on many levels. Today, funding comes through numerous channels, both national and local (including CREOL's initial $1.5 million from the State of Florida), a vibrant Industrial Affiliates Program with more than 60 members, and numerous licensing agreements. CREOL’s ties to Orlando’s continually growing photonics industry are fundamental. To further bolster the growing industry in Central Florida, UCF established the Florida Photonics Center of Excellence in 2003 with a $10 million grant from the Florida Legislature to create partnerships between researchers and companies. To date, it has resulted in more than $35 million in funding, and the new Townes Laser Institute (established last year with a $4.5 million grant from Florida) is expected to create a research hub for new laser devices. The corporate relationships fostered and built through the Affiliates Program and the UCF Technology
Indeed, with the addition of the College of Medicine at UCF, even more opportunity arises — advanced research into medical applications for photonics and other segments of biophotonics, which is one of the focus areas for the new Townes Laser Institute. Development of new imaging techniques, new diagnostic and treatment tools, and new surgical procedures using lasers will be possible and much more practical with the establishment of a “medical city” at Orlando’s Lake Nona. Right now the groundwork for a partnership between professors and physicians is being laid, and it will allow them to work together to solve problems utilizing the resources of both worlds. Perhaps the most impressive thing is that all of this research, happening right in Orlando’s back yard, has cemented the area’s position as a hub for optic and photonic research throughout the world. While the work itself may not make much sense to those of us without a Ph.D., the results certainly are illuminating. And for those of us with an LCD TV, they're x kind of cool, too.
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A VIEW
Perhaps the research at CREOL you can most relate to involves the camera on your cell phone. More than likely it has a digital zoom lens, but the inherent problem with this kind of zoom is that resolution decreases as the distance from your subject increases. Enter Drs. Shin Tson Wu and Hongwen Ren of the UCF College of Optics and Photonics, who specialize in liquid crystal (LC) lenses and liquid lenses that have zoom capabilities. Liquid crystal displays (LCD) – used in cell phones, computer monitors and TVs – and Dr. Wu’s liquid lenses are made up of a particular type of liquid sandwiched between two clear sheets
of glass. Liquid crystals are liquids that exhibit crystalline properties. When these are used to create a lens, its focus can be changed by passing it through a non-uniform electric field. The advantage is that you can change the focus of the lens depending on the magnitude of the applied electric field. “While LC lenses are a mature technology, reliable and easy to manufacture, most of the devices require a polarizer to reduce the light allowed in. They have a relatively long focal length, and are slow to focus. This led us to begin researching nonliquid crystal lenses, which focus much faster, are very reliable, have a huge dynamic range and are up to 1/10th the thickness of LC lenses. They also don’t require a polarizer,” says Dr. Wu.
With these lenses, a liquid is injected between two clear flexible sheets; this creates a sort of bubble. As the flexible membrane is manipulated and the bubble changes, the focus changes. Of course this technology has its limitations, too, such as problems with extreme temperatures. Wu's group is also working on a project in biophotonics from which anyone who has ever looked at an LCD screen in the sun will benefit. Whether it's on a cell phone, a computer monitor or a depth finder on a boat, most LCD screens require two polarizers to function, and the ambient light that strikes them can affect viewablity tremendously. Anti-Reflection (AR) coatings are key to being able to use the device under a variety of light conditions. Wu and his UCF colleague, Prof. Lei Zhai, are researching this for LCDs based on a moth’s eye, which has a perfect x natural AR coating.
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Dr. Wu is renowned for his award-winning work at CREOL in the field of photonics.
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Sanford Studio Gets a Starring By Susan Loden
ROLE
CENTRAL FLORIDA GIVES THE FILM INDUSTRY ITS BEST SHOT
For eight weeks last year, the cast and crew of Summit Entertainment’s Never Back Down turned Sanford, Florida, into little Hollywood, and transformed a 1920s-era brick citrus packinghouse into a boxing gym.
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Kyle and Tami Kilger aren’t actors, producers, directors, writers or even grips or lighting techs. However, they claim ownership to the action feature film Never Back Down, as they watch the trailer for the March 2008 release. “It’s our movie,” says Tami, who never dreamed of working in the film industry and never got close enough to the Never Back Down actors to ask for autographs.
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“That’s our warehouse! That’s our warehouse!” Kyle boasts several times as interior and exterior shots on his computer screen offer glimpses of the Kilgers’ business, Best Shot Studios, on North Elm Street in downtown Sanford. For eight weeks last year, the cast and crew of Summit Entertainment’s Never Back Down transformed the Kilgers’ 1920s-era brick citrus packinghouse into a boxing gym.
“There really isn’t anything in the area like Best Shot Studios,” says Kyle, “especially for downtown Sanford. The local economy saw a surge of dollars from the film. I don’t know that any one person made a killing, but it was nice. We own three businesses, so we’re beyond being afraid of trying something new.” Tami and Kyle didn’t want the 20,000-square-foot, vacant warehouse
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PHOTO COURTESY OF GENE PAGE (2)
>> GREEN SCENES
Never Back Down, which could be described as Fight Club for teenagers, was filmed in part at Best Shot Studios in Sanford. The movie is scheduled to be released in March 2008.
when they bought office space next door in 2001. But it was a package deal, and a good one at that. The payoff came when their realtor brought a movie location scout to the warehouse. Best Shot Studios was born on the spot. The cast and crew of Never Back Down , hundreds of people who needed food, lodging and other services, quickly followed the scout and helped nudge Sanford another step up the ladder as a film-friendly city. Since My Girl was filmed there in 1991, about half a dozen large productions have followed. Almost every month, commercials and industrial films are produced in this quiet, clean, friendly riverfront city in north Seminole County. “Sanford has an advantage of having a variety of neighborhoods in a number of architectural styles,” says Robert Tunis, economic development director for the city. “It’s easily accessible with few congestion problems. The city is not jaded to filmmaking. We have turned around film permits, often involving multiple city departments, in as little as a day.” Tami says, “It’s almost like cities are bidding for films, with perks and tax incentives. It’s a hot industry and everyone wants to be involved.” Kyle explains that Big Shot Studios is pro-
active: He’s letting filmmakers know they offer a huge, secure space that can be transformed into any type of interior movie set in a city that welcomes the industry. The success of Best Shot Studios inspired city officials to make Sanford a “Center of Excellence” for Florida filmmaking, Tunis says. “We are going to attract permanent production companies, film technology companies and an education infrastructure serving the industry. Impact on the city is usually minor, while the economic advantages can be substantial. There is also the intangible benefit of national exposure.” Tunis praises the Kilgers’ foresight and courage. “The film industry can be cyclical and it probably will be a few months before the studio becomes occupied on a daily basis. I truly believe Best Shot Studios is the harbinger of Sanford as a substantial film center,” he says. Tami says, “It’s something we stumbled upon. It took no effort on our part. When you come to Sanford you could be any where in the U.S. There are a lot of options here for filmmakers. Sanford has all the amenities needed for production of any type. Yet it still has a small-town feel. Sanford is unpretentious. It’s not really a Florida feel, unless that’s what you’re looking for.” x
When it comes to going green in the entertainment industry, Florida is leading the charge by ensuring that film and television productions make environmentally wise choices both on the set and in scripts. The Governor’s Office of Film and Entertainment has even established guidelines for the industry, known as the Florida Green Production Plan. Key elements of the plan include recycling everything possible and appropriately handling hazardous materials. Niki Welge, spokesperson for the state initiative, says, “Filmmakers and decision makers on crews are supportive of the idea of going green. Some environmentally friendly ideas can be implemented on set with little or no effort.” Movie and video makers have the power to encourage green practices by writing examples into scripts that show characters recycling, walking or using alternative transportation, turning off lights and computers when they aren’t in use, volunteering for environmental and social causes and much more. Here in Central Florida, warehouse-turned-set Best Shot Studios is a great example of an environmentally friendly business within the film industry. “Bes t Shot S tudios, in what was an und er-used warehouse in Sanford, really is the ultimate in recycling,” s ays Sanford Economic Devel opment Dire cto r Robert Tunis. “Filmmaking probabl y h as one of the smallest carbon footprints of any commercial or industrial activity that could have been envisioned for the site.”
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UCF’S TECHNOLOGY INCUBATOR IS GROUND ZERO FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA’S HIGH-TECH CORRIDOR.
JACQUE BRUND/UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
By Scott Leon
BUSINESS
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While the major function of any university is education, research follows closely behind.
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Because most universities specialize in certain areas of research and have access to rare equipment and vital lab space, they are the birthplace of most technological breakthroughs. These innovative developments often provide the sustainable competitive advantages critical to success in the marketplace. Imagine if the university also had a program in place to work with a start-up companies based on these innovations, helping them grow by establishing goals and a strategy. This is exactly what a technology incubator does, and it was precisely the goal that Dr. Tom O’Neal had when he began the Technology Incubator program at UCF in 1999. Imagne no longer! O’Neal’s program is now one of the top technology incubators in the country and one of the most respected in the world. “Right now we have 53 companies involved in the incubator with a success rate of 90 percent, which is excellent for a program like this,” says O’Neal. Indeed, UCF’s incubator won the National Business Incubation Association’s Top Incubator of the Year in 2004. True to its name, the UCF Technology Incubator (UCFTI) provides an environment where its clients have access to people and organizations with the experience necessary to put together a successful tech-based company, even those not based on technology developed at UCF. It provides mentoring on all aspects of building a new company, from the initial business plan to marketing and public relations tactics. Because of the size and number of the partner organizations involved with the Incubator, each business accepted into the program is provided peer support. This ensures that assistance comes from within the most relevant fields. Every client is also offered support services
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(like staffing and secretarial) and office space on campus, allowing convenient access to relevant labs, libraries and personnel. While 70 percent of the Incubator’s clients come into the program with their own concepts and technology, 30 percent of the companies are based around technology licensed from a program at UCF. “At a university that has such a productive research agenda in so many fields, the development of innovative technologies and new businesses to market those technologies goes hand-in-hand. Professors who create the technology rarely have the time or interest in developing it, so it’s licensed to a group that does,” says O’Neal. “The UCFTI helps companies on either path.” According to O’Neal, the formal incubation process takes place through a series of strategic working sessions over a period of up to 4 years. “Companies finally graduate when they achieve a level of fiscal and commercial growththat allows them to move out on their own. Many companies go public, but some choose to remain privately held. Either way, over 90 percent of the companies that graduate from the incubator succeed.” Because of its initial ties to UCF’s Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL), almost 20 percent of the companies involved with the UCFTI are optics based. However, the program includes businesses in virtually every technological field imaginable, from biomedical to educational and training technology to environmental products and services. Graduates include such companies as DiSTI, which specializes in advanced graphic software that provides services to businesses, gover nments and militaries worldwide. One of the founding partners and its president, Joe Swinski, credits the UCF Technology Incubator for laying the groundwork for its success. “As engineers, we had the technological capabilities to make DiSTI and GL Studio® a reality. Fortunately, as part of the UCF Technology Incubator, we also had assistance with our business plan, pricing, marketing
and other areas where we weren’t as experienced,” says Swinski. Current clients include The Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC), which is partnering with the UCF Institute for Simulation and Training to develop a Mixed Reality Rehabilitation System (MRRS) for people with traumatic brain injuries (see Tech Trends on p. 6). “As a San Diego-based company, we were initially attracted to UCF because of the world-class research being conducted in mixed reality, but the Incubator program proved to be an asset we couldn’t pass up,” says Angela Salva of VRMC. “The help we have received has been invaluable. I’m certain that the new company will be far stronger than we could have done on our own.” To date, the Incubator has served more than 100 emerging technology companies, which in turn have generated more than $200 million in annual revenues and over 800 new jobs. Highly trained individuals educated at UCF often fill those positions. “As the company develops in the program, its work force is being taught. In many cases the graduate students who end up working for these companies helped research and develop the technologies it licensed while in the lab,” says O’Neal. “It’s a cycle that keeps many of these companies right here in Central Florida after they complete the program. This in turn helps UCF, the Incubator program, its numerous partners and the local economy.” And that’s growth worth incubating. x
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METRO
ORLANDO By Jackie Kelvington
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OPENING DOORS FOR HISPANIC ENTREPRENEURS
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Across the country and certainly right here in Metro Orlando, not only is the business landscape changing, but so is the language of business.
Smart organizations have already prepared for the cultural, demographic and economic shifts that are taking place by transforming their marketing strategies, integrating bilingual approaches, implementing diversity initiatives and retooling their hiring plans – all with an eye on the growing Hispanic population and workforce.
The Latino population, already the nation's largest minority group, will triple in size and will account for most of the nation's population growth from 2005 through 2050. Nearly one in five Americans (19%) will be an immigrant in 2050, compared with one in eight (12%) in 2005 — the current number for Orlando is one in six. Hispanics will make up 29% of the U.S. population in 2050, compared with 14% in 2005. 77% of Orlando’s growth is from minority groups. From 2000 – 2004 the Hispanic population in Central Florida grew nearly twice as fast as in the rest of the state. Source: Pew Hispanic Center
NUMBERS DON’T LIE The nation’s fast-growing Hispanic population and workforce have other implications, too. Experts predict an ongoing surge in the number of Hispanic business leaders and entrepreneurs. And trends and data show that Orlando will continue to emerge as a hotspot for Hispanic-owned businesses. According to the Census Bureau, the Hispanic population in the United States increased by 58 percent, from 22.4 million in 1990 to 35 million in 2000 (most current data available). Experts predict that by the year 2050 nearly one-quarter of the nation’s population will be Hispanic and will continue to live in five primary states – California, Texas, New York, Illinois and Florida. With a current Hispanic population of more than 427,000 (more than 22 percent of our total population), Orlando ranks as the 13th-largest U.S. metro for Hispanics by total percentage of population for metros over one million. From a business perspective, this story gets even stronger. The U.S. added more than 373,000 Hispanicowned businesses between 1997 and 2002, representing a 31 percent growth rate. Florida had the third-highest number of these businesses. Orlando has emerged as a top location in two areas: as an attractive place for Hispanic business leaders and entrepreneurs to establish their operations, and as a leading metro in the state for doing business with countries like Mexico, Brazil and Chile. Consider the first point: Orlando’s starting line-up of Hispanic business leaders and entrepreneurs includes the
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JIM E. JARDON, II
President & CEO, JHT Incorporated
heads of simulation companies, a bank, a custom home builder, a biometrics company and a major network television station. “One thing that sets this region apart is the proactive role that government and community leaders have taken to welcome and encourage Hispanics to be part of our ever-expanding business center,” says Jim E. Jardon II, president and CEO of JHT Incorporated, a leader in interactive multimedia training systems. “Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty, City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, the Metro Orlando EDC, the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund — all have promoted and championed the influx of Hispanics to our region with a myriad of business initiatives, programs and assistance.”
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MERCEDES F. McCALL
RICARDO AGUILAR
Regional Executive, Banco Popular North America
Founder & President, Biotraits
Ricardo Aguilar, founder and president of biometrics start-up company Biotraits, wholeheartedly agrees. “There are two more unbelievable resources here for start-up companies, and that is the Disney Entrepreneur
ties for trade and investment. The Metro Orlando EDC, in fact, has worked with more than a dozen companies since officials met with them in 2007, hoping to secure their interest in establishing an office or facility here.
“I BELIEVE THAT A COMMUNITY THAT OPENS DOORS TO DIVERSITY AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS WILL EXPERIENCE ENDLESS ECONOMIC GROWTH. ORLANDO IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF A DYNAMIC COMMUNITY THAT WELCOMES CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ALL, CREATING OPPORTUNITY AND SOLID ECONOMIC GROWTH ...” — MERCEDES F. MCCALL Center and the University of Central Florida’s Technology Incubator, where my company currently resides. They and a host of other community partners helped my dreams come true,” Aguilar says. “Believe me, others outside of this region are envious as to how hard Metro Orlando works to help start-ups succeed and thrive.”
REACHING BEYOND CENTRAL FLORIDA Orlando’s Hispanic business connections go beyond the leaders and entrepreneurs who call the region home. In 2007, delegations from Central Florida traveled to Spain, Panama and Brazil to pursue cooperative business opportunities. And business development missions to these countries will again be made in 2008 to continue building on the interest and opportuni-
Whether here locally or in South America or Spain, business leaders and entrepreneurs identify Orlando as a place where dreams come true. “One thing is for sure – Orlando has become fertile ground for Hispanic businesses to build and grow,” said Mercedes F. McCall, Central Florida region executive of Banco Popular North America. “I believe that a community that opens doors to diversity and innovative ideas will experience endless economic growth. Orlando is a prime example of a dynamic community that welcomes contributions from all, creating opportunity and solid economic growth. Orlando is a great location for Hispanics, but it is also a great city for anyone willing to contribute and get involved. The doors of the Orlando of today are always open to new ideas and x the dreams of so many.”
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Imagination + Technology
Call 407.422.7159 www.orlandoedc.com
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DEAL
OPTRIA MEETS THE NEEDS OF FINANCIAL SERVICE COMPANIES BY PROVIDING INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE THAT OFFERS PERSONALIZED SOLUTIONS. If necessity is the mother of invention, then you might say that necessity helped create Optria.
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In 2005 Terrance Vannoy and Pete Stoughton were working for a large global financial services company in Central Florida. While working on a project that required them to find better customer-relations software, they realized that nothing like that existed. “It was evident there was a real need for good customer-relations software for the financial services sector. And we thought we could create that,” says Vannoy. So in August of that year, Vannoy and Stoughton left that company and founded Optria in Lake Mary. They knew from the beginning that their main clients would be banks and credit unions struggling to retain customers as credit card companies and brokerage houses started offering banking-related services. “Places like brokerage houses were used to providing rich content to highend customers,” says Vannoy, now Optria’s chief operating officer. “They applied that same approach to this market and outdid some of the banks and credit unions.”
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calls and asks for the payoff amount on his car loan, the bank might conclude that he wants to close that account or sell the vehicle. This software can be programmed so that the person’s name is then sent to the customer service center, which could contact him with offers to refinance. Kinetique also gives banks the ability to offer fraud protection by enabling them to send text messages to their customers’ cell
“ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS FOR US TO SAY TO PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS IS THAT OUR THREE LEADING PRODUCTS ARE ARGUABLY THE BEST OUT THERE ...” — TERRANCE VANNOY So he and Stoughton set out to develop a suite of products that would equip banks, credit unions and other financial service providers with better communication tools and processes. The first product they developed was Optria Communiqué, a software suite that allows banks to provide rich, interactive bank statements, notices and other messages to their customers. The software helps its users provide more personalized, better-branded communication pieces that can strengthen their relationships with their customers. Bank statements are now much more interactive and intuitive, which benefits the client as well as the company. The second product Optria released was Kinetique, an event-management alert solution that allows banks to better track and respond to customer interactions. For example, if a customer
phones right after they’ve made an ATM withdrawal. Optria’s success has garnered them local and national clients, including the United Nations Federal Credit Union in New York City. Vannoy says that one of the real advantages of their products is that they can be integrated into a company’s core business software quickly and relatively easily. He also cites his and Stoughton’s more than 34 years of combined experience in the financial services sector as a real benefit. While Optria has enjoyed early success, going from two employees to its current 14, there are always challenges to be met. “Our biggest challenges are managing growth and getting our name out,” says Vannoy. “We’ve been successful to date because of our years in the business and our networking. But we’ve got more to do than we have
people or money. We have the same pains as everyone.” So what does the future hold for Optria? They expect to grow and perfect their current business model for national and international clients. But will they take their business model to other industries? “We’re going to stay in financial services right now because there’s still a lot of growth.” And, Vannoy says, there’s no better place to grow than Central Florida. He points out that the I-4 corridor from South Orlando to Lake Mary has become a hub for financial service companies in the United States. In fact, employment in the local financial industry sector has grown 50 percent since 1995, to more than 66,000 people. “We haven’t had to go outside this area to hire people as we’ve grown,” Vannoy says. “There are enough talented people right here. The big companies today bring people into this area. Once they’re here, they look at other opportunities. And we hope we’re one of those opportunities.” It’s those challenges and opportunities that keep Vannoy and Optria competing every day, trying to improve their customer-relations products. “One of the most exciting things for us to say to prospective clients is that our three leading products are arguably the best out there,” Vannoy says. “It’s enjoyable to compete against other solutions and have people x choose ours.”
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ATTRACTION
Forces of
ORLANDO-AREA THEME PARKS KEEP IN STEP WITH THE TECHNOLOGY BOOM.
Technology is all around us in Central Florida. From cutting-edge research facilities to top-notch medical centers, Orlando is home to some of the greatest technological advances being made today. The region, best known for its visitor appeal, also happens to lead the way when it comes to innovative attractions. Several local theme parks have recently completed exciting projects or have something underway. Here’s a glimpse at the latest and greatest.
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SPACE CADETS Every year more than 1.4 million people tour the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. It’s one of Central Florida’s most popular destinations, and the focus of its tours, exhibits and rides is to bring visitors face-to-face with the technology and milestones of NASA.
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From touring the launch pads to meeting an astronaut, the Visitor Center offers rare opportunities for people to get behind-the-scenes insight into what it takes to make space exploration a reality, and what it’s like to be a space explorer. One of its newest rides is doing just that in a pretty spectacular way.
Opened in the spring of last year, “Shuttle Launch Experience” at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the culmination of three years of development by veteran space shuttle astronauts, renowned attraction experts and a design team under the guidance of NASA. The attraction takes visitors
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through a simulated launch into Earth’s orbit from Kennedy Space Center, the birthplace of American space exploration. Through sophisticated motion technology, special effect seats and highfidelity visual and audio presentations, visitors are immersed in the sensations of launching into space – complete with going fully vertical in the process. The attraction can accommodate 44 “crew members,” who begin their journey by entering the shuttle launch simulation facility, a massive structure that’s architecturally consistent with the space shuttle facilities at Kennedy Space Center. Astronaut testimonials greet the crew. Veteran shuttle commander Charlie Bolden delivers the prelaunch briefing, explaining the launch sequence step by step. Now it’s time to enter the crew cabin, sit back and strap in for launch — an extremely realistic simulation of the space shuttle’s eightand-a-half minute ascent into orbit. Custom-designed crew cabins, highdefinition audiovisual effects and hightech seating maximize the realism of the experience, which was designed and engineered to be the most realistic launch simulation ever created. After an adventure like this, you’ll never look at space travel in the same way again.
©Disney
MODERNIZING THE FUTURE Since Disney’s Epcot ® center — an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow — opened in 1982, its icon has been the gigantic silver geosphere. The park reflects
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Walt Disney’s desire to showcase new technologies emerging in American industries. If the park is iconic of Disney’s view of the future, then the ride within the geosphere, “Spaceship Earth,” is iconic of Epcot® itself. In 2007 and early 2008, Spaceship Earth was closed for seven months of detailing and reconstruction designed to modernize and enhance the park’s focal point. Presented by Siemens, the attraction now boasts a number of updated elements: new scenes, costumes and sets; new lighting and special effects; a new musical score and narration; and a completely re-themed interactive post-ride show. The ride takes guests on a trip through time to learn how each generation has shaped the future for the next one, and how the spirit of innovation has helped move people “from the caves to the cosmos.” New scenes depict a family in the 1960s watching the moon landing on TV; a garage in the early 70s where the personal computer is born; and a “tech tunnel” where guests become part of a digital data stream. In order to make the audio-Animatronics figures more realistic, they received makeovers to their hair, costumes, and even their movements. The narration got an upgrade too, and guests now can choose one of six languages in which to listen. Perhaps the most impressive new upgrade happens near the end of the ride. Interactive touch screens in the ride vehicles light up with a series of questions about the guests’ preferences concerning the future and where they would like to live and work. They then receive a personalized view of themselves in their idyllic future. After disembarking, guests are invited to visit “Project Tomorrow” presented by Siemens, in which interactive exhibits bring to life the technologies the company is developing. There are games and displays that showcase innovative technologies, such as “Innervision” — a look into the future of medical diagnostics in the home — and “Body Builder,” a 3D game that enables players to assemble a digital human body,
simulating the Siemens technology developed to perform remote surgeries.
HEAD FOR SEAWORLD‘S AQUATICA SeaWorld® Orlando will open its own water park just in time for spring. Billed as a “whimsical, one-of-a-kind water park,” SeaWorld’s AquaticaTM offers a lazy river and numerous waterslides, but it’s the way its designers fold animal encounters into the usual rides that separates it from other area water parks. The signature places to get up-close and personal with marine life include a 300-foot-long enclosed waterslide that plunges riders down a 42-foot drop and through a lagoon populated by blackand-white Commerson’s dolphins. “Loggerhead Lane,” a relaxing lazy river ride that winds through the colorful park, takes guests past waterfalls, exotic birds and the single aquarium of fish on display in Aquatica™. In addition, the 59-acre attraction boasts one of the world’s largest interactive water play areas, which includes a 60-foot-tall “rain fortress” and a 15,000-square-foot pool, as well as several smaller slides and water cannons. Clearly a great deal of work went into the design and construction of the park, which is the only one of its kind that offers such close contact with flora and fauna, and exotic species to boot. Aquatica is the first new park in Orlando to open since SeaWorld created Discovery Cove® in 2000.
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2008
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The Harry Potter series of books has become a global phenomenon that spawned five films, and now a mini theme park in Orlando. The books by author J.K. Rowling have been translated into 65 languages and have sold more than 325 million copies in over 200 territories around the world. Universal Studios hopes to bring that kind of success to Central Florida. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Universal Orlando® Resort are teaming up to create the world’s first fully immersive, Harry Potter-themed environment, based on the bestselling books and blockbuster films from Warner Bros. Described as “a theme park within a theme park,” this new environment will be called “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” and will be built within Universal’s Islands of Adventure® theme park. Plans remain secretive, but one thing that’s widely known is that these companies are going all out in order to transport guests into the world of Harry Potter and his friends in a way true to that depicted in the movies. In fact, Academy Award®-winning production designer Stuart Craig, who worked on all of the Harry Potter to movies to date, leads the creative design for the area to ensure that it remains faithful to the look and feel of the films. “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” will be a fully immersive, themed land where guests can visit some of the most iconic locations found in the books and films, including the village of Hogsmeade, the mysterious Forbidden Forest, and even Hogwarts Castle. Expected to open in late 2009, the area will feature rides and interactive attractions, as well as experiential shops and restaurants that will enable guests to sample fare from the wizard world’s bestknown establishments. Also debuting will be a state-of-the-art attraction designed to bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life in an exciting way that guests have never before experienced. They might not be revealing what’s up their sleeves yet, but with Universal and Warner Bros. involved in the project, it will no doubt be yet another successful addition to Orlando’s unx paralleled and tech-savvy experiential parks.
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The promise of healthier children.
With the first fully integrated pediatric health care system in Central Florida, Nemours will bring a new level of advanced services to our children. So that as a community, we can give all of our children the opportunities they deserve. Learn more at orlandokids.org.
Š2008. The Nemours Foundation
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