Julian Lombardi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julian Lombardi
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| Born | November 11, 1956 United States
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| Known for | ViOS, Croquet Project, Open Cobalt |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science, Biology |
| Institutions | Duke University |
Julian Lombardi, born on November 11, 1956, is an American inventor, writer, and computer scientist. He is well-known for creating virtual worlds and online learning tools. His work helps people learn and work together in digital spaces.
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Julian Lombardi's Early Life and Education
Julian Lombardi was born in New York City. His mother was an Italian actress, and his father was a concert pianist. When he was young, his family moved to Rome, Italy, where he lived until he was six years old.
He later returned to the United States for his schooling. In 1974, he started college at Dowling College. He studied biology and also focused on physics. He graduated with honors in 1977.
After college, Julian Lombardi went to Clemson University for graduate school. He earned his master's degree in 1980. In 1983, he completed his PhD in zoology, which is the study of animals.
Julian Lombardi's Career Journey
After finishing his studies, Julian Lombardi worked at the University of North Carolina. He was a postdoctoral researcher and also taught biology until 1986. In 1986, he became a professor of biology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
He continued teaching there until 1999. During this time, he also directed the university's Analytical Visualization Center. This center focused on using computers to create visual images from data.
From 2002 to 2005, Lombardi managed a research team. This team was at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They worked on creating open-source virtual learning environments. These are online spaces designed for teaching and learning.
Today, Julian Lombardi works at Duke University. He is an assistant vice president in the Office of Information Technology. He also teaches computer science at the university.
Julian Lombardi's Work and Inventions
Julian Lombardi's early research looked at how complex features in animals developed over time. He was also interested in how mothers and their unborn babies share body functions. He quickly started using computers in his teaching.
In 1987, he began writing computer programs. These programs helped students learn about human anatomy and how the body works. In the mid-1990s, he combined his interests. He started designing online 3D environments. These environments allowed many users to work together.
The Bone Box: A 3D Learning Tool
In 1989, Julian Lombardi created a program called The Bone Box. This was a 3D computer program for learning human skeletal anatomy. It was sold to help students study bones using early Macintosh computers.
ViOS: A 3D Internet Interface
Julian Lombardi later started a company called ViOS, Inc.. From 1999 to 2001, he was the CEO and then the chief creative officer. At ViOS, he and his team developed a technology called ViOS.
This technology created a 3D user interface for the internet. It was like a very large online virtual world. Users could customize it and many people could use it at once. It was an early example of a 3D wiki.
Croquet Project: Open Source Virtual Worlds
Julian Lombardi is one of the main designers of the Croquet software developer's toolkit. This toolkit helps people create virtual worlds. From 2006 to 2008, he led the Croquet Consortium. This group worked to encourage the use of Croquet's open-source software.
Open Cobalt: A Metaverse for Learning
Lombardi also led a project funded by the National Science Foundation. This project developed Open Cobalt. It is an open-source program that works on different computer systems. It helps educators and researchers create large virtual worlds.
These virtual worlds are used for showing information and running simulations. Open Cobalt is available as open source. This means anyone can use and improve it. The goal is to create open virtual world technologies for education and research.
