U Central Florida, Canon Partner on Mixed Reality Competition
The University of Central Florida (UCF)
and Canon USA have partnered to establish a mixed reality competition and
mentorship program. As part of the program, which launched in February, a mixed
reality expert from the company worked with students on a bi-weekly basis while
students used the Canon
MREAL Solution for Mixed Reality to create virtual simulations.
Mixed reality combines computer generated imagery (CGI) with real-world
surroundings. Canon's MREAL solution achieves this mixed reality using a
combination of a head-mounted or handheld display, a network camera and mixed
reality software. Students participating in the mixed reality competition and
mentorship program worked at the E2i Creative Studio at UCF's Institute for Simulation and Training to
design concepts for real-world applications in the fields of design and
manufacturing, architecture, training and simulation and fashion design. For
the competition, they wore the MREAL Solution's head-mounted display to
demonstrate their mixed reality designs for a panel of judges, which included
professionals from the aerospace and design industries.
The winning team used the MREAL system to demonstrate emergency response
procedures by simulating the techniques on a physical mannequin with virtual
wounds. According to a news release from Canon, "the winning team proved how
the solution could be used to bring the dynamic, chaotic conditions of a
medical emergency for effectively training paramedics and emergency
personnel."
Randall Shumaker, the director of the University of Central Florida's
Institute for Simulation and Training, thinks simulation tools are valuable for
education. "Education researchers have determined that individuals,
especially adults, learn better with experience than reading or
lectures," he said in a prepared statement. "Particularly important
in educating students focusing on game design and immersive technologies, the
value of experience makes simulation tools, like the MREAL Solution, an
incredibly valuable tool for preparing them for the real world."
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].