U. researchers can study inversions year-round with $60K camera


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SALT LAKE CITY — Now that our snowstorms are winding down, it won't be long before the inversions return.

Utahns certainly know what these inversions are like; but what about those who've never been in one? Researchers at the University of Utah are doing some testing with special cameras to help everyone understand.

We've all seen photos and video images of the thick, dirty, and stale air over the years. But these two-dimensional shots don't actually put us in the middle of the gunk.

Researchers at the U. are experimenting with what's called "immersion media" or "immersion technology" that, through the use of glasses, can put anyone in the middle of the lousy air and feel what it's like to live in it.

"My lab studies all sorts of camera technology, from immersive cameras to ultraviolet cameras," said Jakob Jensen, associate dean of research at the U. College of Humanities.

Jensen is experimenting with the Nokia Ozo camera — one of only a few dozen available in the world. The $60,000 camera has eight lenses that produce 360 degree, 4K images.

(Photo: KSL TV)
(Photo: KSL TV)

"We're trying to come up with situations where we think it will be meaningful," Jensen said. "It's an experience where people will say, 'Wow, that was different.'"

He and his staff thought Utah's inversion would be a good candidate for people to experience first-hand. Last August, they went to the east bench and recorded the Salt Lake Valley on a clear day. They went back to the same spot about three weeks ago and recorded the inversion for comparison.

"I think when it comes to inversion, it's really easy to say yeah, it's bad air quality, there it is and kind of have a distance from it," he said. "But when you actually have to be in it, you start thinking about things like, I'd hate to have my kids in this."

Jensen says videos like this can be a valuable tool in helping researchers study inversion characteristics at any time of the year, not just when inversions occur.

"But it also reaches someone who maybe (doesn't) really care about that," Jensen said. "When they're forced to be in the same space with it, maybe that reaches them in a whole new way."

In the future, this technology could be used in other situations like health care, dealing with patients in rural areas.

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