Conference Set For October In VA
About 50 years ago, TV animators
created a vision of life almost 50 years from now. They predicted
in 2062 people would be flying to work and using robots for
housework. How close are we to that fictional world of the Jetsons
and what are the possibilities - at least for aviation and related
fields?
Futurists, visionaries, entrepreneurs and technologists will
explore those questions at "Aviation Unleashed," a three-day forum
sponsored by NASA's Langley Research Center and National Institute
of Aerospace or NIA, both in Hampton, Va. The conference will be
held at the Hampton Convention Center, in Hampton, VA., Oct.
18-20.
"The goal of Aviation Unleashed is to spark conversation and
collaboration about what's possible in aviation, given changes in
society and advancements in technology," said David Hinton, deputy
director of Langley's Aeronautics Research Directorate. "We have
invited experts from private industry, government agencies and
universities to share their visions of the future so we can work
together to transform our aviation system to accommodate new flying
vehicles, manned and unmanned."
Some of the speakers expected to share ideas at the October
conference include Peter Norvig, director of research at Google;
futurist John Petersen, founder of the Arlington Institute;
forecasting expert Marvin Cetron, president of Forecasting
International; Neil Gershenfeld, director of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology's Center for Bits and Atoms; and visionary
Dennis Bushnell, chief scientist at NASA Langley.
During Aviation Unleashed
participants are expected to learn more about how video and
tele-technology may shape travel and how advanced aircraft, made of
new materials, propelled by innovative engines, some remotely
piloted, will give people and goods efficient on-demand mobility -
opening up new markets and missions. They'll also get the chance to
hear various future scenarios and how those scenarios could impact
current aviation development.
The final day of the forum technology experts will lead breakout
sessions so participants can envision what aviation could become
and how technologies being created today will be able to lead to a
revolution in access to the skies for civil, defense and security
missions.
"This is an exciting opportunity for interested minds to listen
and engage in the discussions about where the aviation industry is
going and how we might get there," said Calvin Lowe, vice president
of research and program development at NIA.