HR: 0830h
AN: ED31D-1181    [PDF]
TI: Immersive Earth: Teaching Earth and Space with inexpensive immersive technology
AU: * Reiff, P H
EM: reiff@rice.edu
AF: Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005 United States
AU: Sumners, C
EM: csumners@hmns.org
AF: Houston Museum of Natural Science, 1 Herman Circle Drive, Houston, TX 77030 United States
AU: Law, C C
EM: colinlaw@mac.com
AF: Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005 United States
AU: Handron, K
EM: handronk@CarnegieMuseums.Org
AF: Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 United States
AB: In 1995 we pioneered "Space Update", the Digital Library for the rest of us", software that was so simple that a child could use it without a keyboard and yet would allow one-click updating of the daily earth and space science images without the dangers of having an open web browser on display. Thanks to NASA support, it allowed museums and schools to have a powerful exhibit for a tiny price. Over 40,000 disks in our series have been distributed so far to educators and the public. In 2003, with our partners we are again revolutionizing educational technology with a low-cost hardware and software solution to creating and displaying immersive content. Recently selected for funding as part of the REASoN competition, Immersive Earth is a partnership of scientists, museums, educators, and content providers. The hardware consists of a modest projector with a special fisheye lens to be used in an inflatable dome which many schools already have. This, coupled with a modest personal computer, can now easily project images and movies of earth and space, allows training students in 3-D content at a tiny fraction of the cost of a cave or fullscale dome theater. Another low-cost solution is the "Imove" system, where spherical movies can play on a personal computer, with the user changing the viewing direction with a joystick. We were the first to create immersive earth science shows, remain the leader in creating educational content that people want to see. We encourage people with "allsky" images or movies to bring it and see what it looks like inside a dome! Your content could be in our next show!
UR: http://earth.rice.edu
DE: 6605 Education
DE: 9805 Instruments useful in three or more fields
DE: 9820 Techniques applicable in three or more fields
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting