Tandon Teams Shine as Part of the NYC Media Lab’s Newest Combine Cohort
The NYC Media Lab’s “Combine” initiative coordinates faculty, students, entrepreneurs, and others to build a “spinoff engine” aimed at commercializing the technology emerging from university labs, studios, classrooms and even dorms across the city. Supported by funding from the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and NYC Media Lab’s corporate members, the Combine recently announced its second cohort, and Tandon was amply represented.
Among the nine young companies that will be undertaking the Combine’s intensive entrepreneurship curriculum and receiving mentorship from executives at NYC Media Lab member companies are three founded by Tandon students, alumni, and faculty members:
Acculis
Launched by Ada Slusarczyk (who is majoring in electrical and computer engineering), Chris Lysiuk (who is majoring in management of technology), and recent graduates Darren Yee and Nick Molinski, Acculis is creating an augmented reality (AR) mobile application that allows construction quality control managers to visualize 3D designs directly on-site, marking a vast improvement in cost and efficiency over current methods.
Remo Haptics
Remo Haptics is a wearable guidance system that augments movement learning with direct haptic input that its principals (Evan Huggins, Aaron Nesser, and Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman, team members from Pratt; and Caitlin Sikora, who earned a master’s in Integrated Digital Media from Tandon) believe could revolutionize physical therapy by allowing patients to receive instruction and feedback from a therapist without leaving their homes.
Semblance AR
The Semblance AR team is comprised of Mark Skwarek, a lecturer in Tandon’s Department of Technology, Culture and Society; computer science major John Pasquarello; and Yao Chen, an alum who studied computer science. They are developing an Augmented Reality application that live-streams 3D reconstructions of people or environments.
Dozens of teams submitted concepts to the highly competitive program, which will culminate in April, at a public showcase. There the members of the second cohort will demonstrate their prototypes in front of NYC Media Lab member companies, potential investors, and other guests.
