Inspiration Studios to Celebrate Grand Opening

Biology professor Jane Kim uses the Learning Glass in the new Inspiration Studios in Kellogg Library.

Instructional and Information Technology Services (IITS) is celebrating the grand opening of Inspiration Studios (formerly known as the media production studios) from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Located in Kellogg Library 2302, this state-of-the-art space is a place where faculty, staff and students can explore exciting technologies of today and tomorrow. Inspiration Studios is the product of IITS’ ongoing dedication to rethinking the relationship of learning, space and technology.

With a focus on virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D printing and much more, Inspiration Studios was designed in response to faculty and student requests to create a space dedicated to preparing students for the jobs available today and future career opportunities.

One example of the new frontiers IITS is exploring includes extended reality (XR), a blend of virtual reality and augmented reality, which has become popular over the past decade and is constantly growing. Depictions of XR in movies and television has been seen for many years, but now this technology is used extensively in education, job training, art and more because of its unparalleled capability for immersion.

IITS has deployed multiple virtual reality development workstations in Inspiration Studios, which has allowed a class of 32 to engage with virtual reality experiences throughout this semester.

Inspiration Studios includes:

3D scanning, modeling and printing: allows the design and creation of three-dimensional objects as well as scanning real objects so they can be incorporated into virtual environments to enhance learning.
Immersive 360 video production: the Insta360 One X allows recording 360-degree video that places the viewer in the middle of the action and creates virtual experiences for the XR systems.
Learning Glass: a great way to showcase any project that includes writing, including formulas, equations or words. This transparent whiteboard can create dramatic, futuristic recordings of the learning process that can be used to teach content in an engaging manner.
Laser Fabrication: our Glowforge uses a beam of light the width of a human hair to cut, engrave and shape designs from a variety of materials.

Inspiration Studios retains all of media production studio’s original media-creation capabilities, including videography, photography and audio recording.