Fall Workshops at the XReality Center
The XReality Center welcomes students, alumni, and faculty to participate in our Fall 2019 events. We offer hands-on workshops, open hour explorations, collaborative playgrounds, and special events with artists, performers and designers working in immersive mediums! Our team at the XReality Center hopes to provide The New School community with resources in the areas of virtual, augmented, and mixed realities. All sessions are held at the XReality Center, 71 Fifth Avenue, 9th floor unless otherwise stated and our event calendar is updated bi-weekly.
Reality Check: Orientation
In this hands-on workshop learn the fundamentals and language of AR, VR, MR, and 360 media. Explore the landscape of creators and award winning immersive experiences ranging from narratives, documentaries, games, music, data and drawing in 3D with our top of the line devices available in the lab. Try Magic Leap, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift S, HTC Vive Pro and more.
XR and The Future of Immersive Learning
As we re-imagine education in the digital age, immersive computing may offer us a unique opportunity to transform learning. This session will review recent and upcoming developments in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality as well as a series of projects across the higher education landscape. The session will offer opportunities for questions and discussion. Following the session, faculty will have the opportunity to visit the XReality Center and try some immersive experiences.
Immersive Storytelling with 360 Video
In this interactive, hands-on workshop, we will review examples and explore key elements in the design of compelling 360° video experiences to gain a deeper understanding of immersive storytelling. We will learn and experiment with 360° video cameras, editing tools, and brainstorm project ideas. We will discuss, identify strategies, and use project-based cases for the implementation of 360° video in the learning environment and on campus.
Intro to Unity
In this introductory hands-on workshop, you will learn the basics of this popular VR and game development platform. Designed for those who have never used Unity before, we will provide an overview of the Unity interface, the asset store and customization features. The workshop will teach you how to create game objects, download and manage digital assets, add lighting and sound elements to your scene, and how to deploy your experience to your desired platform. The only required material for the workshop is a laptop with the latest version of Unity installed. You can download Unity for free to your computer here.
Virtual Reality, Digital Literacy, and Ethics
What is the future of digital literacy in a world where the virtual and physical will be equally real? How should literacy be defined when actual human experience is no longer the touchstone for reality? As VR and AR begin to transform the learning environment, we will face profound questions on digital literacy and ethical issues. This session will explore how the growing use of VR will require new forms of digital literacy. We will discuss the expanding importance of privacy, ethics, and cultural sensitivity questions posed by VR and AR. This session will begin with a short presentation leaving ample time for discussion.
Virtual Reality Playground
This is an introductory hands-on interactive session at the XReality Center. Experience VR applications and discuss opportunities for teaching and learning in and beyond the classroom.
Mixed Reality Playground
This is an introductory hands-on interactive session in the XReality Center. Experience MR applications with the Microsoft Hololens and Magic Leap One.
Open Hour Explorations
Open hour sessions are meant for hands-on exploration with the headsets and experiences in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality available in the XReality Center. The open hours are for students and faculty who have previously attended an orientation or class session and are familiar with how to use the equipment in the lab. The XR Lab assistant will provide support as needed.
Immersive Learning Series by Request
Review relevant examples and discuss ways to integrate VR/AR into the teaching and learning environment. Request a session for your department or team via the request form: Examples can focus on the use of VR/AR in Humanities, Social Sciences, Environmental Studies, Journalism, Art and Design, New Media Narratives or Suggest your own topic. For additional questions contact Maya Georgieva at maya@newschool.edu.
All sessions take place in the XReality Center, 71 Fifth Avenue, 9th floor. Please register for any of the sessions via the form. If you are unable to make the dates/times listed in the schedule or wish to meet one-on-one, you can request an individual session by writing directly to Maya Georgieva. Register for the above events here.
Stay updated and follow us on Instagram and Twitter to hear about events and see moments from our sessions!
What’s New: Inside the XReality Center
We are excited to share with students and faculty the new addition of VR/MR headsets and 360° cameras in the XR Lab. The XReality Center owns a variety of tethered and wireless headsets that now include the HTC Vive Pro, HTC Vive Focus, Oculus Rift S, Oculus Quest, and the Magic Leap. The potential of Virtual Reality in educational spaces is growing as the visual resolution, sound and efficiency are improved. With our new VR equipment, the XReality Center aims to give the New School students and faculty the opportunity to experience and create cutting edge immersive experiences.
The Oculus Rift S was announced in March 2019 and is an elevated iteration of the first Rift headset. The Rift S features improved optics that support a sharper display for VR experiences. A redesigned halo inspired headband that allows for a more comfortable and precise fit. Most notably, it features Oculus Insight Tracking that eliminates the need for external sensors, providing room-scale tracking via the two front cameras on the headset. These changes raise the standard for VR by giving more freedom to the user to view and interact with content.
The highly anticipated Oculus Quest was released as the premium self-contained headset – no wires or PC is needed. No wires or PC needed. The convenience of the headset is not the only feature that should be highlighted. With two touch controllers, Oculus Insight Tracking, and exclusive VR content, the Quest’s thoughtful and innovative design advances the accessibility of VR in education. We can not wait to see more multiplayer experiences released for the Quest.
The improvements made for the HTC Vive Pro are significant and distinguish it as one of the leading VR headsets for creatives and professionals. The upgraded optics let users view VR media at a resolution of 1,440 by 1,600 pixels per eye with an OLED display. With the updated strap design, maximizing comfort and ease of use, users should find the headset’s new design to be straightforward and comfortable to wear.
The HTC Vive Focus is an enterprise-focused, self-contained VR headset. Its high-resolution screens (3K Amoled) and robust processing system (Qualcomm Snapdragon 855) differentiate the headset by focusing on simulating real-life scenarios. The Vive Focus aims to train and educate professionals, promoting new methods of learning through VR.
The secrecy around the Magic Leap One, a Mixed Reality headset, left VR enthusiasts curious to know more. Released early 2018, the MR headset is a three-piece system that includes a headset called Lightwear, a small wearable computer called the Lightpack, and a handheld controller. With its intuitive and interactive design, the Magic Leap One shows that MR has the potential to take digital elements to the next level, creating immersive experiences that defy reality.
To meet the growing demand among The New School community for immersive content and creation, the XReality Center has expanded its 360° media equipment with the Insta360° One X and the Insta360° Pro 2. Using this specialized equipment, high-quality videos and photos can be captured from a 360-degree perspective at 5K resolution on the Insta360° One X and 8k resolution with the Insta360° Pro 2. To try any of the following equipment mentioned, reach out to the XReality Center here.
With the release of the new Insta360 One camera, Insta360 has released a mobile app and desktop software to let users streamline their workflow in 360 projects. Those familiar with 360° cameras should expect the One X to feel closer to using a DSLR with more customizable settings that let users achieve the perfect immersive image.
Top of the line 360° cameras, the Insta360 Pro 2 shoots 8K video and images with the help of its six lenses. The camera’s most notable feature is the Farsight Live Monitoring, which allows users to control/adjust settings on the camera from longer distances, using a transmitter and receiver. Developments within the supporting software have resulted in a plug-in for Premiere Pro that allows users to work with proxy files instead of needing to first stitch files. The robustness of the Insta360 Pro 2 camera positions it as a professional-grade 360° camera.
To learn more on the resources the XReality Center offers, please check our growing list here. Attend our workshops and follow us on social media for the latest events. Stay updated with the center by following our Instagram & Twitter.
The XReality Center Welcomes Participants of the 2019 Critical Edge Alliance Conference
Critical Edge Alliance (CEA) is a global collaborative framework created by eight universities, including The New School that focuses on radical concepts of education, democracy, and research. Hosted from June 6th to the 8th, the 2019 CEA Conference was held at The New School to explore contemporary issues around boundary crossing, as they relate to universities and learning.
The XReality Center joined the 2019 CEA Conference in the Starr Foundation Hall. Participants were able to demo mixed reality, virtual reality, and 360 video experiences on the center’s equipment. On the Oculus Quest, participants dove into the world of Darth Vader in the first Star Wars story designed exclusively for virtual reality. On the Magic Leap One, participants got to see digital elements interact within the physical space in mixed reality. Participants of the CEA Conference then broke out into guided tours of the center. These tours gave participants the opportunity to engage and critically examine how immersive technologies could impact student-centered learning and transform education within universities.
We would like to thank everyone who visited our station and stopped by the center! Stay updated on The XReality Center by following our Instagram and Twitter page.
A participant from the CEA 2019 Conference tries In Orbit, a multisensory space experience in Virtual Reality.
The XReality Center at the World Science Festival – Exploring the Frontiers of Space in VR
The XReality Center is excited to join the World Science Festival events this weekend by presenting Exploring The Frontiers of Space in Virtual Reality. The XReality Center team will facilitate an interactive exploration, Exploring the Frontiers of Space in Virtual Reality where participants will travel the universe and take an immersive tour of the James Webb Space Telescope. In VR, participants will visit our own cosmic neighborhood—the Solar System and walk The International Space Station.
The World Science Festival gathers great minds in science and the arts to produce live and digital content that allows a broad general audience to engage with scientific discoveries. Through discussions, debates, theatrical works, interactive explorations, musical performances, and major outdoor experiences, the World Science Festival takes science out of the laboratory and into the streets, parks, museums, and galleries venues of New York City.
Exploring The Frontiers of Space in Virtual Reality – XReality Center, The New School
Presented by the XReality Center at The New School join us to explore the universe like never before in the fully immersive Virtual Reality experience. You will visit the James Webb Space Telescope at its orbit point beyond the Moon, 1 million miles from Earth, set against an accurate backdrop of the Solar System. Fly up-close to Webb’s beautiful golden mirrors, and look out from its perspective on the universe. Further out, explore our own cosmic neighborhood—the Solar System. The wonders of space defy description – so come see it for yourself!
This event is free and open to the public. RSVP here.
Date: Sunday, June 2nd
Time: 10 A.M. – 5 P.M.
Location: NYU Kimmel Center (60 Washington Square S, New York, NY 10012)
The XReality Center Featured in Campus Technology’s article: 9 Amazing Uses for VR and AR in College Classrooms
Earlier this week, Campus Technology released an article: 9 Amazing Use for VR and AR in College Classrooms in which they featured The XReality Center as one of the nine university campuses introducing students to immersive technologies. The XReality Center focuses on educating students through hands-on workshops and demonstrations, supporting students as they explore these mediums in their coursework for the first time. Recent projects, The XReality Center have collaborated on are the Parsons Fashion Study Collection Virtual Reality Experience, which allows students to get up close and study a precious and rare garment, learn how it is made and its historical significance; and, the Eugene Lang War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast that linked the past and the present with a performance and recording in 360 video .
The potential of immersive technologies in education is immense. And, that sentiment is growing across campuses. The New School has introduced an Immersive Storytelling minor where students can explore experiential and immersive storytelling in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality, data visualization, 360 spherical films, and interactive theater. The XReality Center at The New School hopes to create more opportunities for students to engage and learn from immersive technologies.
While You Wait…1.1
Navarra Novy-Williams and Carlos Johns-Dávila from the Arts Management and Entrepreneurship at The College of Performing Arts invite you to view their capstone project: While You Wait…1.1. The installation series is site-specific virtual dance installations that pioneer the use of 360º video and VR technology to document live performance and enrich non-traditional performance spaces. The project aims to challenge an individual’s sense of reality, reimagines the relationship between audience and performer, and poses timely questions about our use of technology and the nature of our physical interactions in space.
The project has been a collaborative effort across the New School, which included creative consulting from Noah Edelstein from the Parsons School of Design and Technology and featured dancers from Eugene Lang, CoPA and BPATS, as well as professional dancers from the NYC community. The installations are on display in three buildings across The New School, providing detailed instructions on how to experience the installation in 360º video. Learn more about the project at Virtual Carlos or watch the campaign video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z75VpbdORog
While You Wait…1.1 | Campaign Video
Parsons School of Design (Lobby): 66 5th Ave
List Center (O’CAFE 8th floor): 16 E 16th St.
Arnold Hall (Lobby): 55 W 13th St.
The New School + #SXSW: Maya Georgieva, Director of Digital Learning at The New School, Discusses Design Principles for XR Education
XR is generally used as a term to encompass the vast possibilities of reality warping technology, which includes VR, AR, and more. As Director of Digital Learning and the XReality Center at The New School, Maya Georgieva is an expert in digital and immersive education, and recently gave a talk during #SXSWedu focused on how educators can create compelling immersive learning experiences.
“Stepping Into the Story: Design Principles for XR” empowered attendees to think about students and faculty as creators, and not just consumers, of immersive experiences. Georgieva also spoke about how the higher education industry can engage with new mediums in order to create innovative ways to educate people.
“My talk was a provocation to educators to think about transformational experiences by asking them to think of immersive experiences as opening portals to learning journeys and stories,” noted Georgieva. “Stories help us make sense of the world and have been around since the dawn of humanity, but we are witnessing the birth of a new medium, something that will change the way we share and create stories forever.”
This was Georgieva’s fifth year at #SXSWedu, where she has spoken about XR led workshops and discussions, and delivered the conference’s Industry Talk. Georgieva also shared how students at The New School are utilizing XR technology to further their own educational opportunities.
“Over the last decade, students come to school feeling more at home with digital tools and environments and are more prepared to create virtual worlds as a way of prototyping and sharing their ideas,” said Georgieva. “Educators are interested in creating experiences in XR and I hope that by sharing my latest thinking around design in XR it will empower them to create meaningful and engaging immersive learning.”
Georgieva also illustrated the ways that XR can connect with real-world experiences, and the ethical challenges surrounding the topic.
“With XR, we can share and design interactive 3D models, take students on virtual reality field trips to historic sites, virtual museums, or prototype places that we have not even built yet,” she said. “Many people continue to think of XR as an isolated experience tethered to a high-end computer in a lab or at home. But this is beginning to change and in the future XR will be about sharing and collaborating with students. These experiences will be deeply social and interconnected with our physical world and experiences. It is important for educators and policymakers to stay abreast of these developments.”
This post originally appeared on The New School News.
The Red Room Project, a 360 VR music documentary and a live performance
School of Media Studies and the XReality Center present
THE RED ROOM PROJECT, a 360 VR music documentary and a live performance:
THURSDAY, APRIL 4 @ 6:30pm
School of Media Studies Lounge, 16th Floor
79 5th Ave
The Red Room Project is an artist portrait and 360 VR music documentary following the evolution of Oakland-based rap artist Shane Lassiter, aka Shino Smoke who has matured in his craft after migrating from his home in Sacramento to the artist enclave of Oakland. Shino finds inspiration, connectedness, and healing in his Red Room from the trauma of violence and tragedies in his artist community like the Ghost Ship Fire in Oakland. The 360 immersive experience of the film will be viewed at the “The Red Room Project” multimedia event, created by Shino Smoke in collaboration with Ina Adele Ray and Noam Eshel in 2018. In this video you will visit Shane and be a part of his world and his hip-hop and artist community in Oakland, CA.