Digital Overlap

Technology is continuing to blur the line between the virtual and real world. New technologies are being worked on daily that insert themselves directly into the user’s life. These technologies take the form of virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D scanning, and many other things.

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that is just beginning to scratch the surface of its full potential. It’s currently being used primarily for gaming. The HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are leaders in VR gaming. They both provide a headset with additional controllers for each hand so they can move naturally in a virtual space. These controllers are highly accurate allowing the user to bend individual fingers, rotate their hands, and move their hands in a 3D space in a way that matches these movements in the real world.

Virtual reality is also being tested for many other practical uses. The United States military is using VR to give their new solders combat practice before they are deployed. These simulations are realistic and give the solder legitimate experience in combat. Another area VR is being tested in is therapy. Therapists and scientists are experimenting with VR to help people with PTSD and paranoia overcome their fears. VR allows these patients to face their fears without being put directly into real-life situations. These experiments have been had positive results for the patients that are trying it.

Augmented reality is another technology that is adjusting the way we interact with our real world. Augmented reality is different from virtual reality because it incorporates elements of the real world using cameras instead of creating a fully virtual world. Also, unlike virtual reality, augmented reality does not require a full headset. The most popular device for augmented reality is smartphones. This makes augmented reality much more accessible than virtual reality for most people.

Augmented reality (AR) is being used in multiple types of marketing strategies. Ikea is using AR to give customers the ability to visualize furniture in their home in correct color and scale. Other companies like Amazon and Lowe’s are using this technology for furniture and appliances. Giving customers this level of assurance before buying a product greatly increases the likelihood a customer will buy that piece.

Another industry that is taking full advantage of AR is construction. Construction companies are using AR to look are 3D representations of buildings, measure distances, and view notes on certain areas of the project. Using AR in these places streamlines projects and improves collaboration between construction teams. This is a trend construction companies expect to see progress as AR technology is further developed.

3D scanning is an emerging technology that has a large amount of untapped potential. Scanning objects creates a virtual representation of these items that can be altered or 3D printed. 3D scanning companies are beginning to make this technology accessible to the public. Scanning devices are becoming compatible with technologies that are common in many households. Scanners like the Structure Sensor are compatible with iPhones, iPads, Surfaces, and most other machines.

Many individuals are beginning to take advantage of 3D scanning technology. Artists are scanning real-world items and modifying them to create pieces of art. Another use is with hobbyist who used these 3D scanners to replicate objects are a smaller scale with 3D printing. Clothing providers are scanning bodies to better understand the sizing for the clothes they make. These are just the first steps to making 3D scanning an essential technology in the future.

University libraries are keeping up with these technologies in many different ways. The University of Miami Richter Library provides students with VR in a different way than most university libraries. Instead of having the student come to a designated space to use the VR headset, they allow the student to check out Oculus VR headsets and take them home to use with their own devices. These headsets can be used with smartphones or computers depending on the one checked out.

The University of Arizona Library provides students with the ability to 3D scan items or rooms. They allow students to check out a structure sensor, iPad, and MacBook Pro in a package to get their scans. Allowing students to check out this technology gives them the ability to go to the item they want to scan if it is too large to bring to the library.

Oklahoma State University is also providing students with the opportunity to get their hands on these technologies. The Edmon Low Creative Studios provides two virtual reality suites with Alienware Gaming PCs and HTC Vive headsets with controllers. Students can log in to their Steam account in these rooms so they can access any games they have purchased.

Students also can check out Google Glass to get a better understanding of augmented reality and its potential uses. Google Glass is considered a good indicator of wearable technology in the future. The 3D Printing Studio has a stationary David SLS-3 3D Scanner to scan portable objects that can be brought into the library. The student can replicate this scan using the 3D printers, or save it to a flash drive for other uses.

These technologies will continue to advance and become more prevalent in everyday life. Exposing students to these technologies prepares them to contribute ideas to their development. How would you like to see libraries incorporate these technologies to better prepare students for their influence?

Posted by Jacob Hinchey, Emerging Technology Intern

Finding New Perspectives with Drones

Drones have transcended the label of hobbyist toy since their initial commercial availability in the mid-2000s. They are now a powerful tool for professionals in fields ranging from firefighting to biology.

A change of perspective can help solve problems and increase performance. This is what drones are made for. Drone technology over the years has improved to have more battery life, carry more weight and travel further distances. These improvements have pushed drones from recreational gadgets to necessary tools for many tasks.

Rescue professionals, in cases of missing people and natural disasters, are also using drones which allow them to search large areas of forest and mountain land looking for heat signatures from an aerial view. They also allow rescue agents to survey for the best route to access an area that may be inaccessible through normal means. These methods have reduced the time spent on these rescue missions while ensuring the rescuers’ safety.

While this information can make drones seem like they are no longer made as tools for entertainment or recreational flying, this sentiment could not be further from the truth. These advancements have also ushered in an era of drone racing and performances.

Improvements in the speed and agility of drones have led to the rise of drone racing, a new form of entertainment that allows pilots to test their skills by zooming through intricate courses. These drones can reach over 160 MPH (!!!) during these races.

Drones can also be used elegantly during complex visual performances, usually involving hundreds of drones equipped with LED lights. One of the most stunning performances was during the 2018 Winter Olympics, where over 1,200 drones were used to create a magical spectacle in the night sky.

All of these uses have led to universities taking an interest in the future of drones. From research to recreation, universities are trying to get this technology in the hands of students. While on a study abroad trip to Namibia, North Carolina State students used drones to observe ecosystems and animals up-close without disturbing their natural progressions.

Universities are also beginning to offer drones for checkout at their libraries. Campbell University and the University of South Florida allow students to borrow a drone. Both these universities are taking slightly different approaches to regulate drone usage. While both restrict the usage of drones on campus to educational purposes, Campbell is allowing students to check out the drones for 3 weeks at a time and encouraging them to fly off-campus. USF requires students to have a qualified reason to check out a drone.

The Edmon Low Creative Studios provides students with the ability to hone their flying skills through DJI’s simulation software in the virtual reality suite. The simulator uses a real drone controller and an advanced physics engine to provide legitimate practice controlling a drone. By piloting drones in a virtual space, students avoid the possibility of damaging expensive equipment, while still preparing them to pilot drones in the real world.

Drones will likely become more accessible on college campuses as new uses are developed. The future holds promises of instant package and pizza delivery by using drones. These ideas only scrape the surface of what can be accomplished using drones and some creativity. Let us know how you would like to see drones used at your work or college!
Post by Jacob Hinchey

How Mixed Reality Can Enhance Learning at OSU

Mixed reality is the latest way that people can utilize the virtual world. Mixed reality, or MR, allows users to enhance their actual surroundings with virtual elements, apps and interactive illustrations. Microsoft has recently unveiled the Microsoft HoloLens, its version of MR technology. 

The Library is always seeking new resources and innovations to further students' education. According to Rikiyah Fletcher, the Library emerging technologies intern, MR could be the next resource to be added to the Library's vast collection of technology.

"I think of it as an investment in our education more that just a feature offered in the Library," Rikiyah said

Mixed reality offers more than just entertainment. By supplying the user with an interactive 3D visual in their own environment, MR can be used to take education to the next level. Engineering, architecture, graphic design, art, computer science, interior design and medical-related majors can all benefit from mixed reality in the classroom. By wearing the MR headsets, students can interact with lifelike diagrams of the human body, visualize what a future building may look like and so much more.

All of this being said, is MR worth the cost, especially if the Edmon Low Creative Studios already offers virtual reality? One Microsoft HoloLens headset with the necessary hardware and warranty comes to about $5,000, but with added cost comes added use. 

"MR offers much more than VR, such as simple things like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, Skype, SketchUp and many more," Rikiyah said. "MR and HoloLens capabilities will continue to grow and due to this, many more opportunities to learn, explore and create will be offered that VR will not be able to do."

In alignment with the Library's mission to expand the learning potential of students, MR can help enhance how students learn, interact and understand class curriculum in a more immersive way.

What is one way that you imagine using mixed reality at OSU? Comment your thoughts below!

Posted by Tatum Wallace, Electronic Communications Intern for OSU Library Communications

Virtual Reality in the Library

In our last post, we discussed augmented reality and its possible uses in OSU Libraries. We briefly mentioned its distinction from virtual reality, which is now our main focus of discussion.

Virtual reality is, by definition, a realistic and immersive simulation of a three-dimensional environment, created using interactive software and hardware, and experienced or controlled by movement of the body. Essentially, it places you directly in a virtual world; think think Star Trek holodeck but without all the walking. The extent of this experience can be simply watching on a screen or becoming fully immersed in a 360 degree virtual space.

Georgia State University offers art history students the ability to travel to places they could not otherwise visit. It is hopeful that such classes will soon be equipped with enough VR equipment to immerse each student in VR to allow visualization of the architectural styles and historical structures they are learning about. Additionally, a team of researchers at University of Maryland have created a program that could revolutionize the study of medicine by allowing students to view surgeries virtually to learn techniques.

This virtual spin on education could be in the not-so-distant future for Oklahoma State. If you haven’t noticed, the Edmon Low Library has recently added new equipment to the Joe and Jeanne Craig and John C. & Kathryn A. Williams study rooms. They contain monitors and tables for regular study sessions but also have less obvious components in the ceiling corners that act as sensors for VR. When a user is in a virtual environment, the sensors are able to pinpoint where the user is located to allow him or her to move throughout the space without bumping into unseen items.

To take a journey in one of the VR rooms, you will need the proper equipment. The VR goggles are attached to a headset with adjustable straps to fit your noggin nice and snug. This is how you view the environment and its virtual elements. The controllers come in the form of cylindrical joysticks that are held in either hand. These allow the sensors to find you within the room and give you the ability to walk around the VR world.

While price varies on VR equipment, it can be cost-prohibitive for many students, which is why the free access in Edmon Low is such a helpful resource.

The VR rooms can be reserved on the library website, and the necessary VR equipment for the room is available at the Tech to Go desk. If you don’t have time for the full VR experience, you can check out a pair of the VR goggles from Tech To Go. All that’s needed is a free download of the VR app on your cellphone, which is plugged into the goggles as a screen. Once the app is operating, you can put on the goggles and immerse yourself in a variety of locations including a roller coaster and the moon’s surface. Check out the new equipment and experience the fun of virtual reality today!

What environment or place would you like to experience virtually? Share your comments below.

Post by Jennifer Barnett, E-Communications Intern for OSU Library Communications