Last fall, students in the program presented their demo applications to an open house of numerous local industry leaders from Electronic Arts, alums of ETC, zSpace, the Army and Navy, and a number of other companies. One team, "Zimension" developed a game where the player saves helpless bunnies from hungry foxes, drawing bubbles to move the bunnies to safe zones.
"The synergy that occurs when CMU's creative entertainment technology graduate students bring their creative ideas to life on zSpace is amazing," said Paul Kellenberger, Chief Executive Officer, zSpace. "Their designs take gaming to the next level, immersing players in a virtual world of challenges."
To show their application to an audience of playtesters, the team set up two zSpace systems with multiple pairs of 3D glasses so that two people can experience live stereo 3D with head tracking and two other people can watch them play from the side. The Zimension team also set up a large monitor with zSpace's "zView" application which allows people to see what the actual player on the zSpace is experiencing by using a unique augmented reality application. From the playtesters, students took down notes carefully for future improvement of the games. Students also gained advice on personal and professional development and career opportunities.
The ETC-Silicon Valley campus is located at Electronic Arts in Redwood City, California. This semester, 28 ETC students are working on four projects under the guidance of Carl Rosendahl, Jiyoung Lee, and Salvador Barrera. Spending a semester in Silicon Valley puts ETC students in touch with the movers and shakers of video gaming, animation, and other aspects of digital media.
"The ETC creates an educational environment in which interdisciplinary students acquire collaboration, creativity and communication expertise while applying their artistic and technical skills through design-based research projects," said Carl Rosendahl, Associate Teaching Professor/Co-Director ETC-SV and former founder of Pacific Data Images, now PDI/DreamWorks. "The zSpace platform and wonderful technical team has allowed our students to create interactive games in 3D with ease."
About zSpace
zSpace is a leading-edge technology provider that delivers a new way of learning with its flagship product, zSpace®. Focused on the learning market, specifically science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, medical instruction, corporate training and research, zSpace inspires and accelerates understanding through immersive exploration. zSpace is located in Sunnyvale, CA, and has filed more than 30 patents for its innovative technologies. For more information, visit www.zspace.com.
zSpace is a registered trademark of zSpace, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Media Contact: Amanda Scott Marketing Manager zSpace, Inc. 408-498-4130 Email Contact