At first glance it may look like a giant hamster ball, but it
is really an amazing new tool for exploring virtual environments. Known as the
Virtusphere, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania is
home to one of only four of these tools in the United States.
The state-of-the art simulation platform has endless possibilities as students
work to develop virtual worlds to be explored on campus and off, says Charles
Palmer, executive director of the school’s Center for Advanced Entertainment
and Learning Technologies.
The Virtusphere is a 10-foot hollow sphere that is placed on a special platform
that allows the sphere to rotate freely in any direction according to the user’s
steps. Wearing a wireless, head-mounted display, users can step inside the
sphere to fully interact in immersive virtual environments. The Virtusphere
enables 6 degrees of freedom - one can move in any direction; walk, jump, roll,
crawl, run over virtually unlimited distances without encountering real-world
physical obstacles.
The movement by the user is replicated within the virtual environment. The same
hardware set can be used for different applications by changing only the
software applications. This state-of-the-art simulation platform provides
infinite space for the most immersive experience ranging from entertainment to
medical training.
"One of the things we like to do here is to make everything very
experiential so when we give our students experiences, we want them to be other
than just a classroom and a lecture What we want to do is really look at places
that people can't be and places that people can't go. So what if I could ride
or walk thought the blood stream of a person, what if I could actually watch a
cancer cell as it mutates or what if I could walk around the solar
system?"
It's not just science; the Virtusphere could be a time machine and take you
back to Gettysburg in 1863.
Palmer said that is very easy to show. "You can imagine let's say you want
to put someone in the role of a frontline solider, right there in the battle
itself and someone sit in here with the goggles on and sort of look left and
right and see other soldiers and look across the battle field and see the
charging enemy coming at them."
Anything that is spatial and could be explored is a possibility, making the
Virtusphere ideal for simulation training for military, law enforcement, fire
safety, and counter terrorism, entertainment & gaming, health and fitness,
museums & education, architecture and construction walk thrus, events and
shows, virtual travel & tourism.
Harrisburg University undergraduate student Todd Baker plans to use the
Virtusphere to develop a robot that can be controlled by a person in the sphere
for his senior project.
"Let’s say, for instance, Three Mile Island had an accident. Someone could
use one of these to drive a robot from anywhere, even Washington, D.C., for
instance. They wouldn’t have to put any humans in danger, and you would still
be able to handle the situation," Baker said.
The STEM-focused private comprehensive university has been in contact with
businesses and organizations in the community, pitching ideas for practical
uses of the sphere. Faculty and students at the University are creating
customized virtual environments for use in the Virtusphere.
Founded in 2001 to address Central Pennsylvania’s need for increased
opportunities for study leading to careers in science, technology, engineering
and math (STEM) fields, Harrisburg University is an innovative and ambitious
private institution that produces graduates who provide increased competence
and capacity in science and technology disciplines to Pennsylvania and the
nation. Harrisburg University ensures institutional access for underrepresented
students and links learning and research to practical outcomes. As a private
University serving the public good, Harrisburg University remains the only
STEM-focused comprehensive university located between Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh.
Contact:
Steven Infanti
AVP Communications
326 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717.901.5146
