ASHEVILLE, NC–As a possible April snowstorm approaches, eyes are turned to the sky. Now weather buffs won’t have to look out the window to get a glimpse of regional weather, thanks to a new weather watching website created by staff and student researchers at the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) at UNC Asheville. The Web site, http://www.weatherwebcams.org, gives viewers access to images from dozens of local webcams, showing nearly real time weather in more than 100 locations across North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia.
RENCI explores uses for 360-degree camera system
Every picture tells a story, but high-definition, 360-degree imagery can put you in a real situation, able to look around in all directions and notice the details.
RENCI’s research using a Dodeca 2360 camera system from Portland, Oregon-based Immersive Media aims to recreate real spaces in cyberspace using an 11-camera, geo-referenced imagery system that shoots high resolution video in full 360 degrees. The system collects huge amounts of data: 1 million pixels per second, or 1 gigabyte per minute. Read more
Multi-hazard risk tool aims to help Buncombe County
Emergency personnel and town planners and managers in Buncombe County have a new online tool for analyzing natural hazard risks and their potential costs.
The Buncombe County Multi-hazard Risk Tool was introduced to emergency responders and government officials from Asheville and nearby communities by Todd Pierce of RENCI at UNC Asheville at a March meeting to discuss the county’s Multi-jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan. Read more
RENCI to host Open Science Grid, Cyberinfrastructure Workshop
Registration is now open for the Open Science Grid Campus and National Cyberinfrastructure Workshop, which will take place April 22-23 at the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI), 100 Europa Drive, Chapel Hill. A registration form is available at http://indico.fnal.gov/confRegistrationFormDisplay.py/display?confId=2504
Visualization Challenge examines history, science and more
John Wagner won the RENCI at ECU Visualization Challenge with this representation of a 19th century gunboat.
RENCI at East Carolina University’s (ECU) second annual Visualization Challenge, held March 25, featured presentations on the center’s 21-foot by 6-foot visualization wall on topics ranging from 3D archeological ship reconstruction to research into genetic diseases using fruit flies.
The Big Board
A public emergency is the ultimate example of multitasking. It can require crowd control, medical aid, evacuation and emergency response all at once under trying conditions.
Managers who direct emergency operations centers (EOCs) have few technological tools to help them with these complicated, critical tasks, but the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) hopes to change that. Read more
Tagged Big Board, emergency management, NCEMA
NC State upgrade brings BEN to campus
The NC State node of BEN, consisting of Infinera digital optical networking hardware, connects campus researchers to the experimental network through RENCI at NC State.
RALEIGH, NC, March 11, 2009—RENCI’s NC State engagement center recently completed upgrades to support the installation of the Breakable Experimental Network (BEN).
NC-FIRST goes mobile
CHAPEL HILL, NC, March 10, 2009 – Emergency managers and first responders across North Carolina can now interpret weather data from their own pockets using the mobile version of the Renaissance Computing Institute’s (RENCI) NC-FIRST Web portal. Read more
NCEMA conference to reveal new disaster management tools
CHAPEL HILL, NC, March 3, 2009 – RENCI will showcase new disaster management tools and programs at the annual spring conference of the North Carolina Emergency Managers Association (NCEMA) in Sunset Beach, NC. Read more
RENCI at NC State gives Friday Institute a new visualization tool
Trying to glean meaning out of volumes of data is a challenge for those involved with North Carolina’s School Connectivity Program, including researchers at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC State University. Read more
