The AquaThought Foundation is a privately funded research organization dedicated to the exploration of human-dolphin interaction. Since 1989, AquaThought has studied the neurological impact of close contact with dolphins on human subjects and the related therapeutic phenomena. Our research in neurological imaging has led to the development of MindSet, a low-cost neuro-mapping electroencephalograph program which makes advanced EEG research affordable. Our work has also led to the development Cyberfin, a virtual reality simulator which will bring virtual dolphin contact to a massive audience.
AquaThought, in conjunction with Dolphin Discovery, hosts the annual International Symposium on Dolphin-Assisted Therapy, a conference focused on the exchange of research, methodologies, and ideas, and the application of neurotechnology and virtual reality in dolphin-assisted therapy.
AquaThought is a founding member of an organizational alliance which has dedicated itself to the exploration of dolphin assisted therapy and the application of resultant neurotechnology. Spearheaded by Jim Jacoby, of Jacoby Development, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia, this effort in forward thinking, ecologically conscious development will yield EcoPlex, the first dolphin interaction center in the world to focus exclusively on dolphin-human interaction. In conjunction with Jacoby Development, the AquaThought Foundation has created Aquathought Labs, L.L.C. Aquathought Labs will assimilate the products and technologies of the AquaThought Foundation - and - will commercialize the neurotechnological developments of the dolphin interaction center.
The EcoPlex Center, to be located in Ft. Myers, Florida, will facilitate dolphin assisted therapy programs, dolphin interaction research, adjunct therapeutic modalities, and research and development in related neurotechnology and virtual reality enterprises. AquaThought's chairman, David Cole, will chair the Dolphin Center's research committee.
Aquathought Labs will produce and market the AquaThought Foundation's commercial projects- MindSet, a low-cost neuromapping EEG system, and CyberFin, an immersive dolphin encounter simulator. Aquathought Labs will act as the research and development arm of EcoPlex and will resale any resultant products, as well as all above mentioned products, under the Aquathought Labs brand.
To advance humanity's understanding of consciousness and its relationship to healing and wellness.
The AquaThought Foundation was formed in 1991, following the sale of Studiotronics, Inc. to Chinon America. In the five years of its operation, Studiotronics Inc. undertook research in biological pattern recognition, neurological imaging, neurological entrainment technology, dolphin-human interaction, and immersive computer media. AquaThought's mission reflects the dedication of those who participated in the Studiotronics research and wished to continue the exploration.
AquaThought serves to inform and educate through the publication of newsletters, the submission of papers and articles to various institutions, lecturing, and the utilization of electronic forms of information distribution. AquaThought's research focuses are established by the foundation's Board of Directors, in cooperation with affiliated organizations and participating researchers. The precipitates of AquaThought's research are knowledge and methodologies, as well as technologies. As various research projects yield emergent technologies, such as the Neurological Imaging project, AquaThought develops those technologies for broad-based distribution.
While no current membership drive is underway, future plans include expanding the supporting membership base by soliciting members from diverse fields of interest. This will expand the scope of disciplines, talents, and resources which comprise AquaThought. The AquaThought Foundation exists solely on funds donated by its directors, participating researchers, and supporting members and proceeds from any commercial activities.
David founded AquaThought in May of 1991. His responsibilities to the Foundation include research planning and oversight, project management, and administration of business affairs. At AquaThought, David has authored several papers dealing with the neurological impact on human subjects of close contact with dolphins. Additionally, David serves as the President of AquaThought Labs, L.L.C., where he has directed the development of MindSet ,a low-cost neuromapping electroencephalographic analysis device; and the development of Cyberfin, a device which simulates close contact with dolphins within a virtual reality. Other responsibilities include product conceptualization, acquisition, development management, and technical marketing and public relations oversight. David has several professional associations within the dolphin-interaction research community, including being an acting member of the EcoPlex Human-Dolphin Interaction Research Facility Development Board, Co-founder of the International Symposium on Dolphin-Assisted Therapy and President of the International Dolphin-Assisted Therapy and Research Association (IDATRA).
Prior to his founding AquaThought, David served as the Executive Vice President of Product Development for Chinon America, President of Studiotronics, Inc. and as a Professor of Computer Graphics at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida.
Steven E. Gorney, Executive Director
Steve Gorney co-founded AquaThought and currently serves as President of Glyph Technologies, Inc. of Ithaca, New York. Glyph manufactures and distributes digital storage devices, such as CD- ROM, hard disk and magneto optical drives for the music industry. Steve formerly served as National Sales Manager for Chinon America where he was responsible for managing a national sales representative force and major distribution accounts. Prior to Chinon, Steve was Vice President of Studiotronics, Inc. where he was a primary member of the Dolphin-Human Neurological Research Project.
Kathi Rogers began facilitating wellness workshops in association with the Dolphin Research Center in 1989. In 1988, she served as a delegate to the Soviet-American Citizens Summit in Washington, D.C., where she became involved with the human-dolphin interaction field of study. She travelled to Russia, in 1987, to research dolphins and underwater birthing in the Black Sea. Kathi is an active member of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network and has assisted in many whale stranding rescues.
Sunil Gupta is the founder of Monsoon Software, Inc. where he currently serves as director of research and development. Monsoon specializes in software development for Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows NT. Currently, Monsoon has products on the market for garment and fashion CAD/CAM, and for color image-processing and digital photography. Sunil is also the Vice President of Software for Aquathought Labs and lead developer of the software component for Aquathought's Mindset EEG product.
Dr. Dave Warner is a medical neuroscientist at Syracuse University. His research efforts have focused on advanced instrumentation and new methods of analysis, which can be applied to evaluating various aspects of human function. Dave is exploring relevant issues in interactive human computer interface design such as cognitive neuroscience, perceptual psychophysics and bio-cybernetics. The intent of this effort is to create interactive systems for quantitative assessment of human performance, augmentative communication, environmental controls for the disabled, medical informatics and integrated interactive educational multimedia. Dave is Director/CEO of the Institute for Interventional Informatics, an organization dedicated to the intelligent implementation of interactive information technologies in Health Care and Education, Program Advisor for the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality conference, Director of the "Technology Task Force" for the American Telemedicine Association , Nason Fellow at the Northeast Parallel Architectures Center-Syracuse and Visiting Scholar for the Human Interface Technology Lab-Univ. of Washington.
AquaThought is headquartered in Ft. Myers, Florida, where we maintain our business office and permanent consciousness research laboratory (to augment the field research labs). Within the consciousness research laboratory is a flotation tank, various acoustic and vibrational stimulation devices, various entrainment devices, a laser imaging system, neurological magnetic stimulation research equipment, medical diagnostic equipment (including a Mindset neuromapping EEG), an online information repository (accessible from the Internet), and a research library.
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