| The Quality of Life Technology
(QoLT) Center is an Engineering Research Center (ERC) funded by NSF and
headquartered at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of
Pittsburgh (UPitt). QoLT’s Foundry is an innovative pilot program
aimed at accelerating the commercialization of research projects associated
with the Center. In January 2010, the Foundry staged its second exhibit
at the Senior Summit section of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in
Las Vegas, with three goals in mind: (1) increase global awareness and
exposure of QoLT, (2) seek strategic partners and funding for the Foundry
opportunities, and (3) attract additional members to the QoLT Industrial/
Practitioner Advisory Board. Among the QoLT-developed technologies
demonstrated during the show were: First Person Vision, VibeAttire, NavPrescience,
Lean and Zoom, and Self Tuning Walls.
A highlight of this year’s
CES show for QoLT was a visit by Aneesh Chopra, Advisor to the President
and Chief Technology Office of the United States. In his blog
on the White House Office of Science and Technology website, Chopra wrote
about the Center’s and QoLT Foundry’s role in innovation:
“One of the more exciting
stops on the show floor was my visit with Carnegie Mellon’s affiliated
“Quality of Life Technology Center,” a National Science Foundation Engineering
Research Center. Students, staff, and faculty demonstrated early
prototypes of some incredible inventions that were available for companies
to license and commercialize… (My visit to QoLT’s exhibit) served as a
reminder that a great deal of our nation’s innovation capacity begins with
basic research & development that we fund across our world-class universities
and federal labs, continues through the hard work of entrepreneurs toiling
away to design the “next big thing,” and finally leads to breakthrough
innovations to address our nation’s most pressing challenges…”
Another of this year’s CES
highlights was the Keynote Address by QoLT’s Executive Director, Jim “Oz”
Osborne, for the Silver Summit Conference. His address, “Technologies
Transforming Lives,” was attended by a standing-room-only audience.
QoLT’s prominent showing at this preeminent, industry-dominated technology
expo was an indication of the strength of ERCs in fostering innovation. |
