It’s good to finally be pulling the curtains open and showing off a little of what we have been working on. I am incredibly proud of our team, what we have accomplished, and what we are building here.

So, why augmented reality? Why virtual reality?

I’ve actually been doing this sort of thing for a long time. Much longer, in fact, than most of the folks who know me probably realize. It all started in college at the University of Virginia Tech. I was rummaging through the attic and happened to come across an old VT Electrical and Computer Engineering Department journal from 1995…

I don’t quite have as much hair, but I do still have the Powerglove! (Though if Dave M. is reading this, let me know if you want the glove back…) The article is about a virtual model of the university campus I was building with some friends as an undergrad. We were busy hacking Powergloves and shutter glasses and setting out to see what was possible with the tech at the time. It eventually grew into a full-blown project with a goal of creating a virtual tour of campus, and attracted the attention of the engineering department.

“Our goal is a completely realistic virtual environment,” said Roger Skidmore. “I’d like to come back in 25 years and see how the students are changing the tour at that time.”

It was that computer graphics work – totally separate from any college studies – that attracted the attention of Dr. Ted Rappaport, the founder of what was then the Mobile and Portable Radio Group (MPRG) at Virginia Tech. Turns out, Ted was looking for a research assistant to help with computerized modeling of indoor and campus environments for the purpose of wireless network planning and design.

I joined Dr. Rappaport’s research group creating new and better ways to visualize radio wave propagation in and around buildings. Essentially, taking very complex problems and turning them into easily understandable computer graphics. That visualization work led to a PhD, a successful startup company Ted and I founded together – Wireless Valley Communications – and launched my career.

Most of my work since has focused on visualization in some form or another. In every instance where my work drifted away from building graphical solutions, I eventually found myself drawn back in again. EDX Technologies takes all of that experience, combines it with state-of-the-art technology, and glues it all together with my sincere belief that augmented and virtual reality has the potential to dramatically enhance, well, everything. At EDX Tech, we provide solutions that enable businesses to easily incorporate virtual and augmented reality into their existing portfolio of products and services, whether for efficiency or operational improvements, competitive differentiation, improved quality, or simply a better end user experience.

It's been 23 years since that Virginia Tech journal article. I feel like I’m finally ready to wrap up that school project.

* Special thanks to Virginia Tech (opens new window) and Greg Atkins for permission to post the journal article!