During the Fall 2017 semester Academic Technology, Borrowing Services, and Media Services piloted a virtual reality set up on the Library to support Professor Patricia Saldarriaga’s FYSE 1500A: Apocalyptic Representations class. The course explored theories and representations of “apocalyptic imagination” across many forms of media, including virtual reality.
On Thursday, December 14th, students from the class gathered in the lobby of the Davis Family Library to present their final projects: virtual worlds representing the Apocalypse. Here are some samples of the students’ work, along with links to all of the presented projects, the worlds can also be explored using an up-to-date web3d-enabled browser:
These worlds, and others, can be explored using the Oculus in LIB 240B. You can reserve LIB 240B online at http://middlebury.libcal.com/booking/videorooms.
Make sure you book times for room LIB 240B; the Oculus is not available in LIB 240A.
Professor Saldarriaga’s class used two programs, Google Blocks and TiltBrush, to create these spaces. These programs require the use of the Oculus Touch controllers, which are available for checkout at the Circulation Desk in the Davis Family Library.
Google Blocks and TiltBrush are only a few programs that are available for the Oculus in LIB 240B. When you startup the computer, you will see an icon on the desktop that looks like this:
Click on the icon, then click on “Library,” and you will have access to almost 100 programs. If you are new to virtual reality, we recommend that you start with the immersive 360 video, the Discovery VR will bring you to many locations in the world, and the Oculus Dreamdeck will show you quick clips of the kinds of video that are available. You can explore beyond our planet with Titans of Space, or inner space with The Body VR. There are also a number of games and animations.
If you are interested in virtual reality for academic work, or there is an program that you think we should have in the Oculus Library, please contact Joe Antonioli (jantonio@middlebury.edu).