Researchers illustrate the Human Virtual Anatomy Program developed by Professor Tod Clapp in the CSU College of Veterinary Medicine
and Biomedical Sciences.
Technology has been transforming every aspect of our lives at an increasing pace since the dawn of the 21st century. The youngest students on campus have never known a world without smartphones, for example.
At the third annual immersive technology weekend – known as the RamReality Symposium and Create-a-thon, Oct. 19-22 – students are invited to use the latest in augmented and virtual reality gear to create their own experiences in just 48 hours. There is no entry fee, but space is limited.
With AR/VR industry experts on hand to provide feedback and guidance, approximately 50 students from every college and any major at Colorado State will brainstorm their ideas, then spend Saturday and Sunday in the Morgan Library Event Hall coding, presenting their prototype to a panel of experts for evaluation on design, execution, methodology and creativity. Winning teams will receive cash prizes and a community showcase of their final products on Monday.
“We are encouraging ideas that promote scholarship, research, artistry, and community connection,” said CSU Vice President for Research Alan Rudolph. “We want projects that could answer the question: ‘How can immersive technology transform how we learn and connect with our communities’”
Immersive technology on campus
Examples of immersive technology already in use on campus include Professor Tod Clapp’s virtual anatomy lab and The Colorado State Experience, a virtual 3-D tour of campus narrated by President Tony Frank. Try the Experience for yourself, by downloading it on your smart device:
- For Android: Google play
- For Apple: App Store
The Create-a-thon is open to all over the age of 18.
Ideas from faculty, staff
Rudolph has asked CSU faculty and staff to participate in the Create-a-thon by submitting ideas for the teams to turn into an AR or VR experience if they so choose.
“In the spirit of encouraging quality content that can enhance our land grant mission, we are asking faculty and staff to provide VR/AR project ideas that could enhance research and scholarship at CSU,” he wrote in an email to campus.
If participants create an experience from a submitted idea, both the team and the person generating the idea will become eligible for cash awards or stipends to continue working on the experience after the Create-a-thon ends.
The deadline for submitting ideas – a few short descriptive paragraphs — to the OVPR is Monday, Aug. 27. Email AR/VR ideas or questions to vpr_virtual_reality@mail.colostate.edu.
“We hope the Create-a-thon brings together teams with diverse backgrounds and a wide range of interests and skills – coders, artists, problem-solvers,” added Rudolph, whose office is co-sponsoring RamReality along with the Morgan Library and HP.
The Symposium kicks off the weekend on Friday, Oct. 19, with a keynote speaker and panel of experts in the Lory Student Center Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.
To prepare potential participants for the Create-a-thon, the OVPR and Morgan Library will host several introduction to virtual and augmented reality training sessions as well as workshops on topics such as WebVR development, 360 Video, Storytelling in AR/VR, and using specific coding software.
The first two introductory sessions are set for Aug. 30 and Sept. 4, both at 4 p.m. in the Morgan Library Event Hall. Dates, times and locations for other sessions will be announced closer to the events.
