Randall Rode from Yale University Discusses Blended Reality: Applications beyond Tech

Summit about AR/VR by Randall Rode, Director of Campus IT Partner Development, Yale University IT Services.

Rode, along with Yale faculty artists in residence Johannes De Young, and Justin Berry offered perspectives on pursing blended reality technology in augmented reality and virtual reality within the arts and beyond. Yale’s interdisciplinary approach builds upon the long history of AR/VR usage emphasizing the “how” over the “what.”  How and where this technology can be applied in the arts and other areas is the focus. Consumers of virtual reality are poised to have collective emotional experiences versus an isolated experience (i.e., studying alone versus the community fostered by VR).  This technology will soon be accessible and available to everyone at the university. No previous experience required!

Examples include:

• Taxidermy - birds scanning and printing with 3D printer
• Bathroom design in VR, i.e., building designs to accommodate users with special needs, disabilities, different cultural design styles, and more
• Game design where AR/VR is used for student projects
• Creating a unique 3D printer item based on emotional responses to a quiz for a School of Architecture student project
• 3D holographic viewing instruments created for theatre or galleries for Photography MFA student projects
• Desk fruit app and a facial tracking paint app
• Scanning of a personal 3D object followed by reflection for Humanities students
• Technology uses as “enablers of thought” rather than conduit for a perfect or complete scan

What are next steps and challenges?

• The projects require more structure, more access, and more available support, especially for student projects in disciplines outside of technology (Humanities, etc.)
• The greatest challenge is TIME, meeting with other teams to identify challenges, and determining the project plan to solve

What’s going well?

• Building bridges between different centers allows groups to be informed by each other
• Received positive feedback from HP with which there is a $200K partnership
• Regular feedback with student engagement
• Students presenting VR works as their thesis is exciting to others; faculty are getting involved

What’s next at Yale?

• Yale Hackathon in February - Climate change

• Consortium in June