VAR Studios, Behrend’s XR Makerspace, is proud to announce the recent acquisition of a pair of structured light scanners. These scanners increase our capabilities to efficiently create 3D assets from a variety of real-world objects. The technology uses flashing light and several camera sensors set at varying depths to capture the shape and texture of
The VAR Lab is proud to have had the opportunity to host Penn State Behrend’s Council of Fellows meeting on April 12, 2022. The meeting was held in the Lab’s new space in Merwin 214/215 and marked the first in-person gathering of the Council since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. During
During the Spring of 2022, the VAR Lab was given the opportunity to present its work at Teaching and Learning with Technology's (TLT's) annual Symposium. The presentation was aimed at introducing the VAR Lab and its work to integrate immersive technologies at Behrend. The presentation was delivered by the Director of the VAR Lab, Dr.
Thank you to Behrend News for publishing the article "Behrend AR/VR Programs Earn Top 10 Rankings," which highlights VAR and their recognition as one of the top 10 programs in the country. Click here to read the article: https://behrend.psu.edu/feature/behrend-arvr-programs-earn-top-10-rankings
Thank you to Animation Career Review for including VAR in their "Top 10 Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Schools on the East Coast - 2021 College Rankings". Penn State Behrend’s VR/AR programs (i.e., VAR Lab and DIGIT) ranked 26th nationally among all universities, 14th nationally among Public Schools and Colleges, and 9th on the east coast. Click
Thank you to Penn State Behrend's VAR Lab for sharing this informative article about Serenity, a mental health and mindfulness app developed by a team of students at the lab. The article highlights the app's features, including tracking emotions and suggesting activities and resources to ease stress and depression, and discusses the team's dedication to
Thank you to Penn State Behrend's School of Humanities and Social Sciences for publishing the Fall 2021 newsletter, which features an article titled "Bringing History to Life," discussing how the VAR Lab's virtual and augmented reality programs are being used to enhance history education by providing students with immersive, hands-on experiences. Click here to read
Thank you to Penn State Behrend's School of Humanities and Social Sciences for publishing the Fall 2021 newsletter, which features an article titled "Visit the Gorge from Home," discussing the virtual reality experience of exploring the Niagara Gorge through VAR's immersive technology. Click here to read the article: https://issuu.com/psbehrend/docs/h_ss-newsletter-fall-2021/s/13674535
This article by the Center for eLearning Initiatives at Penn State Behrend discusses how virtual and augmented reality programs are being used to provide hands-on, experiential learning opportunities for students across a variety of disciplines. The article also highlights how the VAR Lab at Penn State Behrend is leveraging these technologies across campus. Click here
Listen to our director, Dr. Christopher Shelton, discuss topics related to virtual- and augmented-reality with Dr. Ralph Ford on the Behrend Talks podcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k8uob2Uy-8
