Media Grid standards, technologies and initiatives (such as Immersive Education) are developed by an international collaboration of universities, colleges, research institutes, consortia and companies (see MEMBERS page for details). To join, or for more information, contact the Media Grid standards group director.

 
Grid Computing and Digital Media Experts : Use the Media Grid Today

THE MEDIA GRID

The Media Grid is a computational grid platform that provides digital media delivery, storage and processing (compute) services for a new generation of networked applications. Built using Internet and Web standards, the Media Grid combines Quality of Service (QoS) and broadcast features with distributed parallel processing capabilities. Together these features create a unique software development platform designed specifically for networked applications that produce and consume massive quantities of digital media. The Media Grid is powered by service providers (such as rendering farms, clusters, high-performance computer systems, computational grids, and similar systems) that furnish on-demand services to Media Grid clients (users).

As an open and extensible software development and delivery platform the Media Grid is designed to enable a wide range of applications not possible with the traditional Internet and World Wide Web. Applications enabled by the Media Grid include: Immersive Education; on-demand digital cinema and interactive movies; distributed film and movie rendering; truly immersive multiplayer games and virtual reality; real-time visualization of complex data (weather, medical, engineering, and so forth); telepresence and telemedicine (remote surgery, medical imaging, drug design, etc.); vehicle and aircraft design and simulation; and similar high-performance media applications.

The Media Grid is modeled after an improved national power grid, with added security and stability features that eliminate downtime and blackouts. As with the national power grid, which standardizes the production and consumption of power in the United States, the Media Grid establishes open software standards that enable computer applications to “plug in” to digital media delivery and processing services over the global Internet. Applications that only need to consume media content or access media processing services can do so at a fair and standardized price, while the owners of computers that host and deliver media or provide media processing services receive compensation for their contribution to the grid.

Desktop computers, laptops, handhelds, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, game consoles, and kiosks are just a few of the many types of computing devices that can tap into the Media Grid. Devices that have enough computational power can deliver media content and process media on behalf of other devices in exchange for credit, meaning some users can earn enough credit to pay for all of the premium (for-fee) content and services they wish to consume. In contrast, less power devices can only consume media and services provided by the grid. Devices that run Media Grid software can be spontaneously networked together over the traditional Internet to form ad-hoc grids that exchange media and media processing services. Grids can also be assembled from specific devices and administrated much like a traditional managed network... <learn more about the Media Grid>

DETAILS, PUBLICATIONS AND VISUAL OVERVIEWS

PUBLICATIONS:

Visit the Media Grid publications area to access Media Grid articles, books, papers, and presentations...<more>

NEWS:

• 2008-12:  Media Grid Launches Library Technology Working Group (LIB.TWG) for Immersive Education.  The Media Grid this month launched the Library Technology Working Group (LIB.TWG) to define, implement, evolve and maintain applications and open standards related to the provision of library services associated with Immersive Education. Participation in the Library TWG is open to the public and members of the Immersive Education Initiative having experience with real-world or digital libraries, or extensive experience developing or using virtual worlds, simulators or video games. Access to the Library TWG is available through the group charter at http://mediagrid.org/groups/technology/LIB.TWG/.
  
  
• 2008-11:  Immersive Education Initiative Launches Asia Series of Events in Japan.  The Immersive Education Initiative today announced that it will launch its series of Immersive Education: ASIA events in Japan this month. Immersive Education Japan (iED Japan) begins with "Immersive Education Days at University of Aizu", which features two days of Immersive Education presentations, lectures, workshops and related events presented by faculty, teachers and researchers from around the world who are participating in the event in person and remotely using virtual worlds technology. During the event, which spans November 18th through the 20th, Immersive Education Initiative members from Boston College, University of Aizu, National University of Singapore, Keio University, Smithsonian Institution, Montana State University, Southeast Kansas Education Service Center at Greenbush, University of Essex and Sun Microsystems will give a series of presentations and demonstrations to provide attendees with an in-depth overview of Immersive Education, the Education Grid and related technologies.
  
  
• 2008-10:  Open File Formats Technology Working Group (OFF.TWG) Launches.  The Media Grid Open File Formats Technology Working Group is responsible for defining, evolving and maintaining open, platform-neutral file formats that enable learning objects and experiences to be seamlessly deployed across Immersive Education technology platforms. Today's virtual worlds, simulators and learning games are essentially walled gardens; users are not able to interact with the same objects or experiences from different platforms, nor are users of one platform able to interact with users residing in another platform. The Open File Formats Technology Working Group is actively standardizing cross-platform content interchange by adopting and promoting open, platform neutral 3D/VR file formats that enable the promise of "create once, experience everywhere."
  
  
• 2008-08:  Immersive Education Initiative Launches South America Series of Events.  The Immersive Education Initiative today launched its series of Immersive Education: South America events. Today's "Immersive Education Day at Fundación Universitaria Sanitas" event connects over 200 delegates attending the conference in Bogota, Colombia, with faculty, teachers and researchers from around the world who are participating in the event remotely using virtual worlds technology. During the event Immersive Education Initiative members from Boston College, Cornell University, Montana State University, Southeast Kansas Education Service Center at Greenbush, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Media Communications Technology High School, and Sun Microsystems will give a series of presentations and demonstrations to provide attendees with an in-depth overview of Immersive Education.
  
  
• 2008-08:  Newsweek International features Director of the Media Grid and Immersive Education Initiative.  Newsweek International's SPECIAL REPORT: THE EDUCATION RACE features Aaron E. Walsh, Director of the Media Grid and Immersive Education Initiative. The special report by Newsweek examines how technology and higher gas prices are driving a boom in online and education across the United States.
  
  
• 2008-06:  Immersive Education Initiative Launches The Education Grid.   The Immersive Education Initiative today launched the Education Grid with an early preview of Sun Microsystems Laboratory's Project Wonderland virtual world servers ("nodes") hosted by Essex University (United Kingdom), University of Oregon, St. Paul College, New Media Consortium (NMC), Common Need, and Sun Microsystems. The Education Grid is a free public utility provided by the Immersive Education Initiative and its members. Starting today initiative members have early access to the Education Grid, where they can conduct classes and meetings within a growing collection of virtual worlds. Initiative members can also use the Education Grid to build custom virtual learning worlds, simulations, and learning games.
  
  
• 2008-06:  Immersive Education Initiative Celebrates 1st Birthday in the Virtual World, Expands in the Real World.  The Immersive Education Initiative, in celebration of its first anniversary and a number of recent accomplishments, will throw a virtual 1st birthday party tonight for its members and the public as it looks forward to the year ahead. Immersive Education was conceived in 2005 as an application of the Media Grid. The corresponding initiative was officially launched one year ago today, with an open call to educators, students, and professionals who had experience using virtual learning environments or video game technologies. In the year since the initiative was started it has grown to more than 200 members from around the world.
  
  
• 2008-03:  Immersive Education Initiative receives $1.2 Million STEM donation from the John C. Ford Program.  [PDF format]  The Ford Program donates 67 STEM programs and associated learning materials and technologies to the Immersive Education Initiative under an Open Educational Resources (OER) Creative Commons license. The donation, valued at $1.2 Million USD, was developed with funding by the United States Department of Commerce, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Dallas Foundation, COMP USA, EDS Foundation, Bank of America Foundation, Microsoft Corporation, Chase Bank and private investors. The donation provides the Immersive Education Initiative with a solid base of STEM programs from which a range of next-generation applied engineering immersive learning experiences will be developed.
  
  
• 2008-02:  eWEEK article: Sun Explains New Strategy for Education.  Sun Microsystems has seen the future of education, and it can be viewed right there on a desktop monitor. Scott McNealy, Sun's chairman of the board, explained his take on this topic Feb. 28 at Sun's annual education summit here at the Westin St. Francis. Some 1,000 school district, K-12, college and university IT administrators were on hand at the Worldwide Education and Research Conference to hear about the latest in technology for the classroom. McNealy described an intriguing initiative with which Sun has become involved, called immersive education.
  
  
• 2008-01:  Virtual Worlds News interview: Media Grid to Take Education Across the Virtual World—and the XO.  Media Grid recently announced its plans to roll out a cross-platform, immersive world for education for academics, students, and trainers everywhere. After experimenting with VRML, the Unreal Engine, and other tools since 2001, the organization realized that it needed to begin looking beyond simply one platform. It formed the Immersive Education Initiative and looked for options.
  
  
• 2008-01:  Immersive Education Initiative announces Education Grid and Platform Ecosystem at Boston Summit.  [PDF format]  During the 2008 Boston Digital Media Summit last week the Immersive Education Initiative announced the Education Grid and corresponding Platform Ecosystem. Based upon open source technologies and open standards, the Education Grid and Platform Ecosystem will provide educators with a comprehensive end-to-end infrastructure for a new generation of virtual world learning environments, interactive learning games, and simulations.
  
  
• 2008-01:  Daily Hampshire Gazette front page article: Educators Find Engaging Tool in Virtual 'Immersive' Learning.  It's one thing to read about the International Space Station; it's another to dock a spaceship in its port. Immersive Education, a new and free library of online educational games and 3-D programs, wants to give students the opportunity to experience what they learn in school - virtually. Fly a spaceship, play the role of Israel's prime minister, walk through an Egyptian tomb, hangout in a Paris cafe and order a baguette in French - it's all achievable through Immersive Education.
  
  
• 2008-01:  Immersive Education the focus of 2008 Boston Summit.  [PDF format]  On January 12th and 13th educators, researchers, administrators and students from Boston College, Boston Public Schools, Amherst College, Federation of American Scientists, MIT Media Lab, Harvard University, Duke University, United States Department of Education, New Media Consortium (NMC), Johnson & Wales University, NASA, Sun Microsystems, Synthespian Studios, and Computerworld will give a series of presentations, panel discussions and workshops that provide an in-depth overview of Immersive Education.
  
  
• 2008-01:  Immersive Education the focus of 2008 Boston Summit.  [PDF format]  On January 12th and 13th educators, researchers, administrators and students from Boston College, Boston Public Schools, Amherst College, Federation of American Scientists, MIT Media Lab, Harvard University, Duke University, United States Department of Education, New Media Consortium (NMC), Johnson & Wales University, NASA, Sun Microsystems, Synthespian Studios, and Computerworld will give a series of presentations, panel discussions and workshops that provide an in-depth overview of Immersive Education.
  
  
• 2007-12:  Chronicle of Higher Education article: Immersive Education Submerges Students in Online Worlds Made for Learning.  Students at Boston College stumbled across a jackal in the underground chambers of an ancient Egyptian tomb in early December. One student explained that the animal was the god Anubis, who helped transport dead bodies to the underworld. In reality, the students never left the Boston area. Their trip was showcased at a conference at Harvard University this month devoted to Immersive Education, a multimillion-dollar project to build virtual-reality software exclusively for education within commercial and nonprofit fantasy spaces like Second Life.
  
  
• 2007-12:  Educating Virtual Worlds (podcast). "Maybe there is a chance to get real world value out of virtual worlds" concludes eWEEK Chief Technology Analyst Jim Rapoza. In this Tech Rising podcast, eWEEK Chief Technology Analyst Jim Rapoza talks to Media Grid Director Aaron E. Walsh about virtual worlds and the Media Grid's efforts to build an open platform that uses multiple virtual worlds as a collaborative meeting space, providing what they refer to as immersive education.

  
  
• 2007-12: The Chronicle of Higher Education Immersive Education: Project to Build Virtual Learning Platform Within Popular Online Worlds Wins Financial Support



• 2007-11:  Immersive Education Day at Harvard University: Presenting the Past, Present and Future of Immersive Education  [PDF format]   [HARVARD POSTER in PDF format]





• 2007-11:  Immersive Education co-Chair Dr. John Carfora receives Distinguished Service Award from the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA)  [PDF format]





• 2007-07:  Computerworld names Media Grid director Aaron E. Walsh to "40 Innovative IT People to Watch" list  [PDF format]





• 2007-06:  The New Media Consortium (NMC) joins Immersive Education initiative to advance virtual learning  [PDF]  [TEXT]





• 2007-06:  Media Grid call for participation: Immersive Education and Virtual Learning Environments  [PDF]  [TEXT]





• 2007-03:  Visual Effects Pioneer Jeff Kleiser Appointed Fellowship to Advance Media Grid Standards  [PDF]  [TEXT]





• 2006-12:  TotsTV Call for Digital Media Content to Benefit U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation





• 2006-12:  Royal Institute of Technology Researcher and Security Head of Europe's Enabling Grids for E-sciencE (EGEE) Initiative Joins MediaGrid.org





• 2006-11:  The Israeli Association of Grid Technologies (IGT) Joins MediaGrid.org to Advance International Media Grid Standards





• 2006-10:  Singapore’s Institute of High Performance Computing Joins MediaGrid.org to Advance International Media Grid Standards





• 2006-09:  Media Grid Immersive Education wins Teaching with New Media (TWIN) Award





• 2006-09:  TotsTV Interactive Digital Media Channel to Benefit U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation





• 2006-08:  Graphics Pioneer Tony Parisi Appointed Grid Institute Fellowship to Advance Media Grid Standards





• 2006-08:  More Thoughts on the Media Grid (GRIDtoday article)





• 2006-08:  Special Features: A Closer Look at the Media Grid (GRIDtoday article)





• 2006-07:  Sun Microsystems Joins MediaGrid.org to Advance International Media Grid Standards





• 2006-07:  Sun Grid Chief Technologist Appointed Fellowship to Advance Media Grid Standards





• 2006-07:  Boston Siggraph Summit to Launch Media Grid Technology Working Groups





• 2006-04:  Media Grid Legal Working Group Formed





• 2006-03:  Grid Institute Endorses Sun Grid





• 2005-12:  Media Grid Powers Boston's Historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace Tour





• 2005-11:  Media Grid Powers NBC's "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" Web site





• 2005-11:  The Media Grid Featured in Dr. Dobb's Journal





• 2005-10:  Media Grid Enables the Age of Immersive Education





• 2005-07:  The Media Grid - A Public Utility for Digital Media





• 2005-06:  Grid Institute Established To Lead Development of Media Grid

CONTACTS

• Aaron E. Walsh, Director : Grid Institute, Boston College  (CONTACT TO JOIN)

• Babu Ganapathy, Software Engineer : Amazon.com

• Barbara Mikolajczak,  Project Manager : U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation

• Bill Wellington, Network Administrator : Grid Institute

• Charles McCutcheon, Software Engineer : Grid Institute (previously Hewlett Packard)

• Christopher Perkins, Grid Administrator : Millenium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

• Dr. Daniel Laughlin, Immersive Education moderator : NASA Learning Technlogies

• Dean Hantzis, Grid Administrator : Jingle Networks and Boston College

• Dr. Gary P. Kearney, Federal Grant Partner : LUA; American College of Surgeons

• Gerardo Quintieri, Graphic Artist : Grid Institute

• Ian Lamont, Communications Manager : Computerworld Inc. (previously Harvard University)

• Jeff Orkin, Immersive Education co-chair : MIT Media Lab

• Dr. John Carfora, Immersive Education chair : Amherst College

• Kevin Roebuck : Sun Microsystems, Digital Libraries and e-Learning Group

• Dr. Michael Cohen, Federal Grant Partner: Japan's University of Aizu

• Nicholas Quintieri, 3D Engine Engineer : Grid Institute

• Nicholas Santaniello, Software Engineer : John Hancock Financial Services

• Dr. H. Nicholas Nagel, Software Engineer : Grid Institute and Boston College

• Nolan Bowie, Advisor : Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government

• Paul DuPuis, Federal Grant Partner : Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.

• Raja Krishnasamy : Grid Institute (previously Oracle)

• Robert Kellogg, Software Engineer : Grid Institute (previously Sun Microsystems) 

• Sue Cavanaugh, Software Engineer : Grid Institute (previously Boston College)

• Timothy J. Magner, Advisor : U.S. Department of Education