Metaverse Working Group

[Ben Fineman <>]

Hi all, our first “VR Jam” was lightly attended. I did get feedback from several of you that more notice is needed to get software installed before this kind of test. As such I’m suggesting that we use the same platform again next month on April 19 at 2pm ET. So, if you wish to participate please prepare a Windows PC with the Engage Education Platform: http://immersivevreducation.com/engage-education-platform/

Oculus Rift or HTC Vive are preferred but you can also join with monitor/keyboard/mouse only.

Some notes from the VR jam today:

• Engage does in fact not seem to support custom room names and password protection. We did not have anyone crash our meeting but they could have.
• Content (Powerpoint, video, PDF) is supported as a demonstration but it is not clear that we can load custom content yet.
• Spatial audio is inconsistent - works for some users in some cases but not always.
• Avatar body position and movement is simulated with headset and controller tracking, and while it can yield some strange results, was for the most part adequate
• Push to talk is required, which can be a little annoying. Your avatar moves its lips when you are speaking which is a bit like a bad lip sync but did seem to add to the experience
• Body positioning in relation to the conference table and chairs was somewhat problematic

In summary while this is clearly an alpha platform it is a reasonable place to test for now, and I will be interested in doing a test with more users next month.

Best,

Ben

/*-----------------------
Benjamin J. Fineman
Program Manager, NET+ Video, Voice, and Collaboration Services
Internet2

Request a meeting with me: https://calendly.com/benfineman

(email/video/chat)
http://www.internet2.edu

734.352.4975 (desk)
734.417.0811 (mobile)
-----------------------*/

On Mar 14, 2017, at 2:37 PM, Ben Fineman <> wrote:

Hi all, in our last Metaverse Working Group meeting we discussed setting aside a time monthly to try collaborating in different virtual reality platforms. The eventual goal is to find one that may be suitable to use for our regular Metaverse Working Group meetings, but for now we recognize that these technologies are still fairly raw and will require tinkering.

Our first “VR Jam” will be tomorrow at 2pm-3pm ET in the Engage Education Platform: http://immersivevreducation.com/engage-education-platform/

This platform is Windows only. It supports but does not require Oculus Rift and HTC Vive - you can also join using a traditional monitor/keyboard/mouse. It is available on Steam and Oculus Home but does not appear to be available as a standalone download. 

Instructions to join:

• Launch the application
• (Optional) Configure your profile and avatar in “My Profile”
• Select “Join a Live Lesson”
• Select “MyServer” from the list. NOTE: The platform does not appear to be working for custom meeting names and meeting passwords, so if there are more than one “MyServer” keep trying until you find the right one. If possible I will use the name “Metaverse” and the password “Internet2” but this was not working when I tested.

That’s it! If you have time I might encourage you to log into the platform and do a demo lesson, there is one with Neil deGrasse Tyson that I enjoyed.

Hope to see some of you in VR tomorrow.

Best,

Ben

/*-----------------------
Benjamin J. Fineman
Program Manager, NET+ Video, Voice, and Collaboration Services
Internet2

Request a meeting with me: https://calendly.com/benfineman

(email/video/chat)
http://www.internet2.edu

734.352.4975 (desk)
734.417.0811 (mobile)
-----------------------*/