RIT American Video Institute records

The American Video Institute (AVI) of the Rochester Institute of Technology was founded around 1983 by director John Ciampa, also a renowned professor. It served as RIT’s electronic publishing and communications research division. AVI was located in the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences, which was part of the College of Graphic Arts & Photography. AVI studied and produced interactive videodiscs, optical discs, and other electronically published programs. The goal of AVI as stated in the promotional brochure was “to design systems that can improve the quality of living for people of all walks of life.” One of their most notable achievements is the production of the Landisc, an optical laser videodisc that was able to store a massive inventory of real estate images. One was made for the City of Rochester. The laser disc was able to accommodate 54,000 separate video images on each side, so Rochester’s 70,000 real estate parcels fit on it comfortably.

John Ciampa, professor at RIT from 1983-2000later invented and founded Pictometry and ALTA.

John A. Ciampa is an award-winning playwright, poet, and screenwriter. He is also a lawyer, full-time professor, inventor, and the CEO of the aerial imaging companies Pictometry and Altametry. He received his education at Boston University, the University of Michigan, and Cornell. Today, he has more than 65 years of experience in an impressive range of fields.

John is the founder and original patent holder of Pictometry, Landisc, and Electronic Property Info Corp. As founder of the American Video Institute, he has worked at Columbia University, MIT, and NYU, where he pioneered the integration of media and computer technology from the very beginning. As the holder of seminal patents in computing, imaging, and geographic information, Ciampa continues to break new ground with ALTA — an autonomous, lighter than air platform that floats unobtrusively and transmits the highest resolution, oblique, georeferenced imagery and air quality information to the internet with no carbon footprint at the lowest cost. Back Cover Of The Blink of An I

Founder/CEO, Altametry, Coral Gables, Florida — 2011 - Present Invented the process; hired the development team; supervised development; raised capital; formed partnerships. Founder/CEO, Pictometry International Corp. — 1995 - 1999 Invented the process of capture and georeferencing of oblique aerial imagery; hired initial team, some of whom still work with the company; founded the original Pictometry Inc; oversaw the acquisition by Pictometry International; remains a shareholder. Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology — 1983 - 2000 Director of the American Video Institute funded by Apple and DEC. This group pioneered the use of still and moving images in computer applications in geographic systems.

Source: http://www.saltafide.com/books-by-john-a-ciampa.html