SIGGRAPH 2015 to feature Virtual Reality Village

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Real Virtuality: Immersive Explorers (Image courtesy Artanim Foundation, Kenzan Technologies)
Real Virtuality: Immersive Explorers (Image courtesy Artanim Foundation, Kenzan Technologies)

CHICAGO–SIGGRAPH 2015, the annual interdisciplinary education experience and conference on the latest computer graphics and interactive techniques, will debut a new program this August.

The 2015 VR Village will feature real-time immersion in the latest virtual and augmented realities, including Nomadic Virtual Reality (VR), Tabletop Augmented Reality (AR), Full-Dome Cinema, and live performances and demonstrations in a 360-degree immersion dome. The 42nd annual SIGGRAPH Conference will take place 9-13 August 2015 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA.

The VR Village at SIGGRAPH allows attendees to explore the fascinating potential of VR, AR and Immersive Environments as a means for telling stories, engaging audiences, and powering real-world applications in health, education, design, and gaming. The curated programming offers a wide range of content from major studios and game developers to non-profit institutions, including research labs and planetariums.

“Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Immersive Environments are part of a fast-growing, emerging market,” said Ed Lantz, SIGGRAPH 2015 VR Village Program Co-Chair. “As it grows, there’s room for alternative and independent producers, developers, distributors, and manufacturers to make important and original contributions to consumer products and programming. For the debut of SIGGRAPH’s VR Village, my co-chair Denise Quesnel and I wanted to ensure that attendees have the chance to see amazing applications that have been developed by the world’s best programmers, cinematographers, artists, and game developers that are currently out there. We also hope to inspire and bring together the larger VR community.”

SIGGRAPH 2015 VR Village highlights

The VR Village is a virtual screening room for cutting-edge VR, AR and Immersive Media programming.

Nomadic VR Arena: A walk-about space that allows participants to freely explore immersive virtual environments with untethered headsets.

Programming includes:

  • Real Virtuality: Immersive Explorers – Multiple users explore the recreated interior of a pharaoh’s tomb while interacting with 3D objects and other users.
  • C.A.P.E. (Computer Assisted Personal Environment) – C.A.P.E. is a configuration developed by CREW, EDM/UHasselt and Dreamspace where people can move and walk the “immersant” experiences of the virtual world from your own body.
  • Holojam – Share a virtual space and see each other as stylized avatars; draw shapes in the air with a magic wand and contribute to 3D sculptural artwork.

Head-Mounted Display Stations: Attendees can experience the latest in VR and AR programming in sit-down and stand-up stations.

  • Programming includes:
    • Neuro – A VR journey through the brain of world-renown musician Reuben Wu.
    • LoVR – A story of love told through neural activity captured over four seconds; Experience two lovers when they see each other for the first time.

Immersion Dome: The dome is a 360-degree screening room for the world’s best visualization and cinema storytelling.

  • Programming includes:
    • Dynamic Earth: Coronal Mass Ejection and Ocean/Wind Circulation – Follow energy from the sun towards the earth; where atmosphere and oceans are explored.
    • Immersive Visualizations from the California Academy of Sciences – Experience the 1906 San Francisco earthquake; explore the earth’s ecosystems over the millennia.

Moderated Talks

A series of moderated talks will take place around the theme of “VR: Creating at the Edge.” Speakers include executives from Walt Disney Imagineering R&D, Sony’s PlayStation Magic Lab, Emblematic Group and Jaunt Studios.

For more information about SIGGRAPH 2015 and the VR Village, follow the conference on Facebook, Twitter, Google+,YouTube, Instagram, or the ACM SIGGRAPH blog.

About SIGGRAPH 2015

The annual SIGGRAPH conference is a five-day interdisciplinary educational experience on the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques, including a three-day commercial exhibition that attracts hundreds of exhibitors from around the world. The conference also hosts the international SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival, showcasing works from the world’s most innovative and accomplished digital film and video creators. Juried and curated content includes outstanding achievements in time-based art, scientific visualization, visual effects, real-time graphics, and narrative shorts. SIGGRAPH 2015 will take place 9-13 August 2015 in Los Angeles, Calif. Visit the SIGGRAPH 2015 website or follow SIGGRAPH on Facebook and Twitter for more detailed information.

About ACM SIGGRAPH

The ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques is an interdisciplinary community interested in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. Members include researchers, developers, and users from the technical, academic, business, and art communities. ACM SIGGRAPH enriches the computer graphics and interactive techniques community year-round through its conferences, global network of professional and student chapters, publications, and educational activities.

About ACM

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery is the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field’s challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession’s collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for lifelong learning, career development, and professional networking.

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