He paid others to create something he wanted/needed. He is neither an engineer of even an entrepreneur (he spending other people's money). So he is not developing anything for NASA.
All you can say is that a company he may or may not own is developing a 3D camera for NASA.
James Cameron to develop 3D camera for new Mars rover
Summary
Oscar-winning director James Cameron is helping NASA develop a high-resolution 3D camera for the next Mars rover, Curiosity, due to launch in 2011.
Topics
Oscar-winning director James Cameron is helping NASA develop a high-resolution 3D camera for the next Mars rover, Curiosity, due to launch in 2011. The director of "Avatar" and other sci-fi flicks believes the public will better understand the mission if the rover has 3D imaging capabilities, according to a CBS News report.
Budget overruns had forced NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to rethink plans to mount a 3D cam on Curiosity, but Cameron apparently convinced NASA administrator Charles Bolden that wasn't a good idea.
Cameron is working with San Diego-based Malin Space Science Systems to build the 3D camera, which will be installed on a mast aboard Curiosity.
For more on this story, read James Cameron building 3D cam for Mars rover on CNET News.
An artist's 2007 concept of the Curiosity rover. (Credit: NASA)
Talkback Most Recent of 12 Talkback(s)
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wackoae30th Apr 2010 -
Neither has Steve Jobs
Yet he gets quite a bit of credit for the development of Apple products. (And no, this is not a shot at Apple or Jobs, it's just a convenient comparison.) You can drive the direction of development without being an engineer. And yes I am sure he has plenty of resources at his disposal to help him with this.
Michael Kelly30th Apr 2010 -
Actually Jobs is an engineer
So are Gates and Balmer.
On the other hand, Cameron is not.wackoae30th Apr 2010 -
So are you saying
that Jobs, Gates and Balmer are down in the trenches with the engineers when products are being developed? I highly doubt that. Gates was one of the main guys in the trenches upon a time, and Jobs was in the trenches in the early days, and Balmer as far as I know was never anything more than a really good salesman.
But they do not do engineer's work now. They are now just experienced users of advanced technology (consumer oriented in their cases) and know what they want and have vision for where things should go in the future. So is Cameron. He's been doing this 3D thing for well over a decade now and knows what it can do and what it can't do. That and vision and management skills all it takes to manage such a project. And as I said he can have the people working for him take care of the nuts and bolts.Michael Kelly30th Apr 2010 -
Not at all
Just that they do have a degree, while Cameron doesn't.wackoae30th Apr 2010 -
It's often a fresh eye that is the most creative
Quite often new discoveries are made by someone from another industry looking at a problem in a new way. I wouldn't presume that it takes an engineer to create anything, or even a degree holder. Most often creation is a combination of a diverse set of skills, some technical, some not. In as much as top management can kill a project, I have no problem providing credit for the development where the opposite is true.
crackle03rd May 2010 -
3D is not new on Mars rovers!
1.
Mr. Cameron is not an engineer. What exactly is his work effort? I'll bet he is just adding his current fame as a Hollywood director along with his two cents worth.
2.
Since rover Curiosity will launch in 2011, when did Mr. Cameron come on board? Certainly not recently as there would be no time to get a 3D system space-ready in one year. From what the article says, the 3D camera system has actually been in development for many years.
Many of the items in this article need to be clarified. It certainly is not well written.
Terry Thomas
Movie Set Stills Photographer
Baylor University School of Journalism / 1965
Atlanta, Georgia USA
www.TerryThomasPhotos.com
AtlantaTerry30th Apr 2010 -
RE: James Cameron to develop 3D camera for new Mars rover
Cameron is only an over-rated producer/director in
Hollywood. Nothing cutting-edge whatsoever and cost-
justifiable, as evident in Avatar that took years with
minimal $ impact. What a loser to add to NASA arsenal!
Now we know why NASA is NASA today.
amjoemighty30th Apr 2010 -
What does NASA, Avatar and The U.S Military budget have in common?
This is almost a joke. I thought that it was when I first read the title. The idea of James Cameron helping NASA (Which is already a joke) develop a 3D camera is like Walt Disney helping them design a new propulsion system (not even including the whole him being dead part). Its one thing to write a screen play and make sure its shallow enough reading that the American populous can be entertained by it but its another thing entirely to assume that you can then bring the world "MARS in 3D!". It makes one wonder, just how much is ol' Mr. Cameron getting paid for this endeavor?
greenred1st May 2010 -
NASA was awesome.
In the beginning, NASA was awesome but now, they are just a blackhole fund.
For this matter, is idiot to contract a *producer/director* just for this matter. James Cameron did not invented the technology, neither he have the rights and IP from it.
magallanes1st May 2010 -
on second thought..
on second thought, they did it the same with the so called "Moon Landing", with a renowned director and all this stuff.magallanes1st May 2010 -
3D is NOT for me!
I have severe "allegic" reactions to all forms of 3D I've tried, including the "Avatar" 3D and the latest 3D TV demonstrations at our mall.. The symptoms are usually eyestrain and headaches after just a few minutes exposure.
Unless someone can come up with 3D technology that doesn't mess with my "vision system" 3d is NOT for me!
DataFerret1st May 2010
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