Students Tori Campbell and Jameel Paulin developing a VR project with live avatar
Audience view of the experience with an immersed participant's view of a live actor's avatar projected on the screen
Initially developed with integration of optical tracking
The immersed participant is prompted to help with simple chores
Perspective Taking in Dementia Care with Virtual Reality Simulation
Watch documentation reel and learn more about the evolution of this project from a class project to a VR training for medical practitioners. Read some broader reflections on this and other experiences in a live actor-driven VR (p.176) Developed in 2019, ACCAD’s Virtual Reality Performance Platform for Learning about Dementia (VR-ED) immersed the participant in an interactive semi-scripted scenario with a live actor performing the role of a caregiver through a virtual avatar. During a 15–20-minute immersion, the participant is engaging in role play, experiencing daily challenges and interactions from the perspective of a person living with dementia, whose condition progresses over a year-long period. The scenario was written by Dreama Cleaver based on personal experience as a caregiver. This project began its development in the context of Performance and Narrative in VR course co-taught with Alex Oliszewski.Tech notes: Live tracking with Vicon and Orion+ HTC Vive Pro+ trackers, Unity, Maya. Project role: instructor, project manager, mocap and VR technology integration and support, concept and 3s asset co-development.
comparison of mocap performance before and after VR training showing closer timing to the original
Learning from Marceau VR
Watch the demonstration video here. VR/AR experience was developed based on the motion capture performance data of Marcel Marceau. The iconic french mime artist was the first performing artist motion captured at ACCAD in 2001. The first prototype of an app was developed in 2016.Experimenting with learning performance from a life-scale virtual avatar of Marcel Marceau took place in several mime classes taught by Jeanine Thompson at the Ohio State University between 2016-2019. Tech notes: Live tracking with Vicon, made in Unity and Maya, HTC Vive and Quest.Project role: concept co-development, project manager, mocap and VR technology integration and support, 3d assets. Unity development by Lakshika Udakandage and Skye Winters.
Paperworld
Watch the video Around 2016-2017 was a short period of time when co-locating virtual and physical objects with decent fidelity was possible, first with adding optical markers to Quest 1 VR headset and later HTC Vive VR headset and trackers. It was also possible to add optical mocap tracking to various simple and multi-segmented props and align all the elements with reliable predictability.During that time Alex Oliszewski, Lakshika Udakandage, Jonathan Welch and myself experimented with props and digital puppets to create a few whimsical VR experiences. Tech notes:Unity, Maya, Quest 1 (with mocap marker tracking). Project role: project management, concept development, motion capture, 3d asset development and integration.
First Responder VR
Demo videoNews storyLearn more about the project Experiments with live actors immersed in VR have shaped my contribution to VR simulation in medical training, such as the First Responders Project. This immersive VR sim has been designed to train and assess health care providers from the disciplines of emergency medicine, paramedicine, and emergency medicine services (technicians) to effectively implement the Sort-Assess-Lifesaving Interventions-Treatment or Transport (SALT) Triage system. Over 800 first responders have been trained with this experience. Tech notes: Unity, Maya, Quest 2. Project role: project management, concept co-development, motion capture, 3d asset development and integration.