In announcing the expansion of its applied research network on campuses “to explore the most effective and impactful use cases in virtual reality, augmented reality and 3D printing,” HP Inc, named Hamilton College among a group of “elite colleges and universities” as a participant in the program. The news was released on Nov. 1 at the EDUCAUSE 2017 Annual Conference in Philadelphia.
According to the HP release, “Our Campus of the Future framework [is created] to meet the growing challenges of higher education and break through the frontiers of instructional innovation and research.” Among the other participating institutions are Dartmouth College, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Lehigh University, Syracuse University, and Yale University. The Research & Instructional Design Team (Library & IT Services) applied to the program and will be leading the initiative at Hamilton.
As participants in the program, the college received equipment valued at approximately $15,000 from HP including an HP Sprout G2, HP Workstation (PC), HP Dreamcolor monitor, VIVE including headset and two wireless controllers, HP 3D structured Light Scanner ProS3 and an HP 3D automatic Turntable Pro. In addition, the college received a graphics card and a contribution toward a laser cutter totaling another $10,000.
Institutions are expected to utilize provided technologies to conduct an active exploration of 3D technologies in teaching, learning, and research. Here are a few projects that the Hamilton LITs team will be developing over the coming year:
- Unpacking My Library: The Book in Augmented Reality (Andrew Rippeon, Literature & Creative Writing) In this course, students will use 3D technologies (3D printing and the Sprout Pro learning station), and augmented reality applications to produce a book that has a much broader material-technological footprint, at once engaging with and commenting upon the status of the book in the 21st century. They will produce an augmented-reality book that documents its own context and production.
- Dream a Little Dream: Virtual Realities and Literature (Nhora Serrano, Literature & Creative Writing) In this course featuring authors such as L. Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, and Murakami, students will use 3D technologies to imagine, design, and create virtual objects and environments based on readings.
- The Geosciences 3D Scanning Project (David Bailey, Geosciences) This course will bring Hamilton College’s Geosciences Mineral Collection to life by 3D scanning the collection to offer a virtual in-depth perspective for teaching and research. The collection contains samples acquired by faculty, students and alumni over the past 200 years and is utilized by neighboring schools across Central New York.
