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 teacher. He is also a computer scientist. He is famous for his work with virtual worlds and online learning spaces. He helps create systems where people can work together using computers.
About Julian Lombardi
Julian Lombardi was born in New York City. His mother was a concert pianist and his father was an Italian actress. When he was young, his family moved to Rome, Italy. He lived there until he was six years old.
He later attended schools in New York. In 1974, he started college at Dowling College. He studied biology and physics, graduating in 1977. He then went to graduate school at Clemson University. He earned his master's degree in 1980 and his PhD in zoology in 1983.
After college, Lombardi taught biology at the University of North Carolina. He also taught at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. From 1993 to 1999, he directed the university's Analytical Visualization Center. This center focused on using computers to create images and models.
Later, from 2002 to 2005, Lombardi worked at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. There, he helped create open-source virtual learning environments. These are online spaces for teaching and learning. Today, he works at Duke University. He is an assistant vice president and a senior research scholar. He also teaches computer science at Duke.
Julian Lombardi's Work
Lombardi's early research looked at how complex living things developed. He also studied how mothers and their unborn babies are connected. He was one of the first to use computer imaging in teaching. In 1987, he started writing software to help students learn anatomy.
In the mid-1990s, Lombardi combined his interests. He brought together computer technology, complex systems, and how things "emerge" in biology. This led him to design systems for people to work together online. These systems used large, multi-user 3D computer environments.
The Bone Box
In 1989, Lombardi created a program called The Bone Box. This was a 3D computer program for learning human bones. It was made for early Macintosh computers. It helped students learn on their own.
ViOS
Lombardi later started a company called ViOS, Inc.. From 1999 to 2001, he was the CEO and chief creative officer. He and his team created a technology also called ViOS.
ViOS was a special system that let people use a 3D computer interface. This interface connected them to online resources, including the internet. It was like a very large 3D online world. Many users could be in it at the same time. It was also like a 3D wiki, where users could customize things.
Croquet Project
Lombardi is one of the main designers of the Croquet software toolkit. This toolkit helps developers create virtual worlds. From 2006 to 2008, he was the executive director of the Croquet Consortium. This group worked to share and use Croquet open-source software.
Open Cobalt
Lombardi also led a project funded by the National Science Foundation. This project created Open Cobalt. It is an open-source program for exploring the metaverse. The metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds.
Open Cobalt helps educators and researchers. It allows them to create large-scale visualizations and simulations. It is available as open source software. This means anyone can use and improve it. The goal is to build a community that develops open virtual world technologies. These technologies support research and education.
