Google Earth UPDATES Minneapolis/Saint Paul area!

If you've opened Google Earth in the last week, you'll have noticed the long awaited triangle mesh update has finally hit the Minneapolis / Saint Paul area.
A few of us 3D model makers whom liked to publish on the old platform, have had plenty of time to lament the end of our contributions. No longer is the 3D imagery created by humans, but rather generated from high resolution photogrametry. I'm glad to report the new method was worth the wait. You can now see every building, bridge, tree and even cars in the 3D mesh.

The updated region is huge. Bordered by highway 494 in the south. France Avenue in the South West. Up through Wirth Parkway into Robinsdale and Brooklyn Center in the West/Northwest. Along the northern extent of the update, the cities of Fridley, New Brighton, Shoreview, Arden Hills, Vadneis Heights. The east side of the update region includes Little Canada, half of Lake Phalen, Downtown Saint Paul to the edge of the Saint Paul Airport, then roughly down the Lafayette Freeway back to 494.

I'll post more fun gems of the new imagery soon. But, for now, go explore for yourself! :)

New Animation Shows Viking Stadium Construction

A new animation just released by Mortenson Construction, shows the deconstruction of the Metro Dome and simultaneous building of the new vikings stadium.

Unfortunately there is no code to embed the video, but you can find it at the following Star Tribune link.
http://www.startribune.com/video/228943471.html#/228943471/video/1/eovr

Yet ANOTHER Water Main Break in Minneapolis!!

 Location of the newest Minneapolis Water Main Break.

This time the underground residents of the SEXTON building were flooded out, as another pipe burst and gushed. It's tragic because there were artists with work in the sub level of the Sexton.



KMSP-TV SLIDE SHOW AT KARE11 http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1043289/391/Mpls-water-main-break-floods-streets-apartment

More VIDEO at http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/23738308/apparent-water-main-break-in-minneapolis

 http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/228553981.html

Google for Entrepreneurs, Minneapolis Partnership with CoCo / Project Skyway!

Google for Entrepreneurs has discovered Minneapolis! They recently announced a partnership with CoCo / Project Skyway technology incubator in the Minneapolis Grain Exchange building.
When the Grain Exchange floor ceased trading, it was converted to a public space for tech company incubation and acceleration. Innovative start-ups can find peers, collaborators and angels there in.
Now we have a powerful and welcomed new partner! Google For Entrepreneurs is going to hang around for two years and be a part of the Minneapolis Magic.
I'll let the videos and press coverage posted below do the talking. But hey, now that Oculas Rift is shipping, and Google is here, listening, maybe it's time for me to start up the New Technology Entertainment Company envisioned here, hmmm? :)
P.S. I heard a rumor that Google is making Minnesota the first "FIBER STATE"! As in, not just one city, but Fiber Optic Internet statewide.. Probably taking advantage of Fiber Optic infrastructure that was installed along with the Central Corridor light rail from Minneapolis to Saint Paul. Exciting times! Stay tuned.
 http://www.google.com/entrepreneurs/initiatives/coco-minneapolis.html

 Here is where the space is located:
 And here's what's happening there:

Google+ Hangout on Air with Mayor RT Ryback:



  Press Coverage of the event. 

http://cocomsp.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/GFE-Press-Release_2-20_final.pdf

New Vikings NFL Stadium Virtual Reality Technology Smart Park Vision!

The New Vikings NFL stadium will become a reality. Most of the politics are now wrapped up, and development is beginning. We are still in the planing phase. There is call out for community input, because this project will be MUCH MORE then just a football stadium. What's being developed, is an unprecedented, year-round community of the future. This post is to influence development of the project from a state of the art, visual technology perspective. I'm fully aware that I'm writing the future here. I'm also aware these ideas are extremely powerful, to the extent that what I write here will revolutionize a massively lucrative industry. I'd like to date this influential report 7/7/2012.

For starters, this Vikings Stadium/ Minneapolis community is a BILLION DOLLAR development! 
I remember seeing stories a few years back, about Dubai building a SPACE PORT for 240 Million. So a billion dollar football entertainment complex, developed in 2012 better be outstanding!!
With that in mind, I'd like to see the New Vikings Stadium become a futurist technology park, during and after the big games. In this post, I hope to describe my vision and walk you through the available technologies that are ripe to develop a new experience. An extraordinary, compelling, high level experience which will put Minneapolis at the absolute head of entertainment technology innovation.

There are a few newer visual technologies you will want to comprehend. When put together in the context of attending a football game, they are frankly mind blowing. These technologies include Free View Point, Augmented Reality, Geo-location, Virtual Cameras, Smart Goggles, 3D Video, User Tracking, Performer Tracking, Powerful Mobile Computing, and very powerful new Computer Vision algorithms which process live 3D video data, and recognize all manner of objects. Many of these technologies are ready now. Some are still being developed.

Before getting deeper into the vision and technologies involved, I'd like to say that these development potentials can also be incredibly attractive to partners that the City of Minneapolis may not have thought of. We've not yet sold the naming rights! Can you imagine a Minnesota Vikings / Google Technology Park? Maybe a Microsoft/Vikings Viewpoint Stadium? Perhaps a bidding war between the two? Integrating futurist  visual technology infrastructure from the start, opens vast creative development options.

So into the vision..
Superbowl 2017. The Vikings Football Visual Technology Park has been open for one season. It's advanced offerings and amenities have been a thrill of which world had not yet seen! And so, it was an obvious choice to host a Superbowl, ASAP. Season ticket holders begin to populate their suites and seats donning Smart Helmets*. These futuristic headsets provide live audio and 3D video feeds, as well as informational overlays for the environment around them. They're available for patrons to own,  but many opt to rent for use during a single game. While watching the game, viewers can enjoy the amazing capabilities of these devices. They can track the scores and stats of individual players in Augmented Reality. And, they can use it in conjunction with the stadiums visual systems infrastructure, to access a personal virtual camera, providing a 3D point of view from any perspective imaginable. Wearing the Smart Helmet around the facility, patrons can be directed to concessions and enjoy special exhibitions.


The descriptive research videos below will do most of the talking, but, I'll try to explain how virtual cameras and 3DHD "free perspective" live video works.. 
An estimate of 30 to 60 4k-resolution HD cameras (that's four times the resolution of 1080p) would be positioned around the Vikings field. (As technology is accepted and refined, we may even see the player cam POV) When the game starts, the cameras all feed their imagery back to a central computer, which synthesizes all the video into a live 3D scene. Users can then fly around that virtual environment using a gamepad, a smart phone, or tablet Surface, as if they were actually on the field, live, in high definition 3D. You can virtually stand in one of the goals, virtually follow the ball, or virtually lock yourself into the perspective of any player. You could review instant replays in much the same manner as John Madden XBOX video games!


If you are aware of the way Avatar was filmed using performance captured actors, and virtual cameras in a CG environment, the Football game would proceed in much the same way. Albeit the computer vision is advanced beyond the need for funny performance capture suits. Computer vision easily detects all players by number, uniform and by face.


I think I've told enough to get your imagination going, and now I can turn it over to a collection of research videos. When you put all these emerging technologies together into a Football Stadium, the result is the ultimate entertainment experience. But as mentioned, this "Stadium Park" is desirable for much more then the 12 games of the NFL season. People will travel to Minneapolis from world wide, to experience the future - 10 years ahead of the curve! Using the concept of a "Technology Park", the Smart Stadium becomes a place for virtual tourism. It's a destination, which grants you the keys to visualize our city in ways previously impossible. More about non-game day applications after these videos!



Just an example of older technology..

New technology is advanced!



 



More insight on "Virtual Camera" systems






With a fan experience this impressive, just imagine how luxurious the broadcast room will be! It will be the envy of the league!


So you can see how in a very short time, the fields of Computer Vision, Gesture Recognition, Virtual Cameras, Augmented Reality, athlete/object tracking, 3D Headsets, Video processing and raw computational power have matured to a phenomenal level.
Now add to the mix, virtual tourism, 3D geo-mapping, and 3D City modeling arts, and you'll have fantastic experiences the internet cannot yet contain.. People would want to visit the Smart Stadium Technology Park to gain access to the cities visual and informational resources, found only there.


You've seen what augmented reality and virtual cameras can do, to provide an amazing perspective for the game day patron. Now imagine what happens when THE ENTIRE CITY becomes the playing field! Utilizing new geo-mapping paradigms, live camera feeds can be projected onto 3D models. It's possible to map every live public traffic and street camera to a high quality 3D map of Minneapolis. Imagine Google Earth LIVE and on steroids!  Privet Security corporations are already doing this, but think about the City allowing access to it's camera system for tourisim and entertainment! Visitors can learn about the history and attractions of Minneapolis by FLYING around in a 3D Virtual Reality simulation of it. But not your grandpas old school VR. We're talking a mature technology, state of the art, innovative implementation. All cities will be like this in the future. The internet itself, strives to accomplish this. Minneapolis could have it first.












So, if you're going to Minneapolis in 2019, can you expect this?






Your comments below, or at this Minneapolis E-Democracy post ( http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls/messages/topic/1oxKEu6BJ9ScGYECmTjBG7 ) , are appreciated. (just click "no comments")

Minneapolis looks to restore Nicollet Avenue!

A great idea! But we will have to demolish a KMART first.
In the Mayors recent State of the City address, he dropped a major coment which hinted at a future development to restore Nicollet Ave to it's pre 1977 glory.
Story at Star Tribue http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/147457695.html

In 1978 a very horrible social engineering development was achieved. It blocked people from conveniently traveling to the heart of downtown via lake street, forcing them onto the newish i35w freeway... except the on-ramps for i35w are seemingly hidden off random streets (35th street).. It was effective at stopping traffic from flowing through what arguably looks like it was the HEART ARTERY of the city. Lake to Nicollet. This physical obstacle is worse then the new political ward boundaries!

The plan also includes bringing back street cars to Nicollet Avenue. They would ride again from 48th Street South, through downtown Nicollet Mall and end at Central Avenue near Columbia Heights.

When the hellish KMART idea was hatched, the community wanted it not. There is a great mural on the back of it depicting the fight against the corporate fascist powers which then dominated the neighborhood.
read about that here: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2008/09/23/guns-kmart-neglected-mural-protest-lake-and-nicollet.html


Read more about the story here:
http://kstp.com/article/stories/s2445933.shtml
http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/147457695.html



Old Master Plan
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/groups/public/@cped/documents/webcontent/convert_261301.pdf

http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls/messages/topic/3Dybv87yGZTgkhjt1XWGbE

Minneapolis Water Works Project. Meeting #1 video

Minneapolis Water Works Project - Meeting One was held recently. We are envisioning our future perfect and development of history.

Water Power! Minneapolis Water Works Project. Meeting #1 video

Minneapolis. A Creative Technology Mecca

I've been advocating for a Minneapolis Google Office since 2003, but Google can go ahead and be late to the party, if they come at all. Minneapolis technology entrepreneurship is on the rise without them. And, with our profoundly creative, tech savvy artist culture, we are about to sky rocket into a future of quality innovations. Do not forget that Minneapolis has been a model of innovation in the world, having invented the lions share of this worlds products, ideas, and methods. To much to go into in a short blog post, but look it up. We rule root.

***Give me a few months and I'll give you a 3D virtual SKYRIM quality Minneapolis Skyway, with instantly deliverable goods and services. Just run your avatar into Caribou Coffee, order up, and a REAL barista will be up to your office in 10 minutes. Like wise for Target, Office Depo, or any other store in the system.

UPDATE 11-30-11
Well what do you know? Does Eric Schmidt read my blog? I doubt it, but he decided to drop into the grain exchange and meet with the Mayor of Minneapolis today!

BizJournal was so mesmerized, they spelled Google wrong in the URL! http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2011/11/30/goggle-schmidt-visits-minneapolis.html

UPDATE 2!
***Mother F'er! SOMEONE picked up on my idea pretty damn fast! I wish I could strike some gold one of these days rather then just being the homeless guy who endless generates billion dollar ideas.
" In another foray into commerce, Google is working on a delivery service that would let people order items from local stores on the Web and receive them at their homes or offices within a day.

The service is in an early testing phase, and it was described by three people briefed on the project who were not authorized to speak about it publicly before it was announced. It is part of a bigger, strategic effort by Google to move beyond its core search business by helping people buy things, not just find them."

Arrests at OccupyMN Minneapolis. OWS

Over a dozen occupy Minnesota movement representatives chose to be arrested rather then leave the bridge, giving the police an opportunity to practice mass arrest strategies.
Again, FULL RESPECTS to the people, but there would have been no shame in leaving to avoid arrest. I want them to know that. Peace and love to those in jail right now. I know that's more suffering then I would have chosen to go through. But, it's larger then any one person.. Just STAY FREE people! It's a bummer to see you get taken away..

The video ninjas did an excellent job. The peoples movement is unending, never to be defeated. We're all in this together.

Indigenous People's Day at OccupyMN. INSPIRING!

Real people are beautiful and inspiring! Indigenous People's Day at Occupy Minnesota.

Minneapolis Time Traveler Art Video

Here's a fun video I just made for the enjoyment of my city!
Minneapolis Time Traveler Art Video

Minneapolis River Front Future Design Winners

Congratulations to Tom Leader Studio of Berkeley, Calif., and Kennedy & Violich Architecture of Boston. The future looks amazing. I'm fairly excited about the FarVIew Park Land Bridge. Very cool.