Fireworks

Just for fun. Images taken during Rhythm and Booms 2011 and at a home in Madison, Wisconsin.

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Runner tracking app wins inaugural Qualcomm Wireless prize

Published April 29, 2011
Follow up coverage by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and radio station WTAQ 97.5

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A smartphone application that will allow running race observers to keep track of particular runners in real time has won $10,000 and top prize at the inaugural University of Wisconsin-Madison Qualcomm Wireless Innovation Prize.

The idea for the app, called Runner’s Fan, came when master’s degree in business administration (MBA) student Eric Baum got separated from his girlfriend while the two were participating in a half marathon. When Baum finished, he had no way of knowing where his girlfriend was or if she was still even on the course. On the hot, humid summer day, he was concerned about her condition.

Though his girlfriend was fine, the situation inspired Baum to team up with fellow MBA students Tyler Heslinga, Vinothkumar Narasimhan and Stephen Ranjan to find a way to prevent his sense of helplessness from happening again.

In addition to allowing users to monitor a runner’s progress along a race route, the app also provides statistics about the runner’s pace and health by syncing with existing apps that record heart rate or other data. The app also could be useful for training and other sports races, such as cycling or cross-country skiing.

The Qualcomm Wireless Innovation Prize, sponsored by the San Diego-based mobile technology company, rewards students who present creative wireless technology products and well-developed business plans to make those products profitable. The competition was held April 28 at Union South.

Photo: Pacific Wheel

Photography is becoming a more frequent part of my job and is also something I’m beginning to enjoy more in my free time. This photo is just for fun: The Pacific Wheel at the Santa Monica Pier is “the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel.” Photo taken in January, 2010. Guess I’m already remembering that winter is gradually approaching–and perhaps already plotting how to escape!

Capital Brewery alumni reception

On August 17, College of Engineering alumni, faculty and staff gathered at the Capital Brewery Beer Garden in Middleton, WI, for one last hurrah before the upcoming semester.

I co-created the below slideshow of the event with my colleague, Andrea Parins. All photos and text provided by Andrea and myself. The slideshow originally appeared August 18 on Badger Engineers.

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Photo: Fueling innovation

The UW-Madison EcoCAR, an SUV converted to a hybrid vehicle by engineering students, was on display August 18 at the Wisconsin state Capitol. The UW-Madison hybrid vehicle team co-hosted an event that afternoon with the American Le Mans series, and several of the alternative fuel racecars were parked next to three of the students’ hybrid vehicle projects.

I took this photo during the event, which did a great job illustrating the abilities of up-and-coming green technology innovators.

Souvenirs

Three of my photos from a trip to Cape Town, South Africa, were published in spring 2008 in the inaugural issue of Souvenirs, a University of Wisconsin-Madison travel journal.

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