I always enjoy the annual conference of the Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association (MAMEA) - it’s full of useful sessions as well as a fun weekend to catch up with my peers in the region and see what they have been doing in their own institutions and organizations. This year was especially cool, as I was elected as president-elect for the organization, which means I get to oversee next year’s conference. I have some fun ideas!
I presented a session on the use of VR/AR/MR (virtual, augmented, and mixed realities) in science communication and education and had some enthusiastic participants who also tried out some of the apps and headsets at the close of the session. Here is the Prezi I used during the presentation, as well as links to many examples, resources, and gear.
Spinning Science in 360° - MAMEA 2018 Conference
Direct Prezi link for sharing >
And here’s a Google Doc of all the links below for download >
I’m always happy to answer questions!
Examples & Resources for Communicating Science
Virtual Reality (VR)
The Guardian - Songbird: a virtual moment of extinction >
Interactive - Breaking Boundaries in Science >
Google Expeditions (also AR experiences) >
Virtual field trips in classroom >
360 Video
NY Times - Studying Sharks, Up Close and Personal
Capital News Service - Oyster aquaculture
Capital News Service - Bee colony collapse
Augmented Reality (AR)
Georgia Aquarium visitor app
Georgia Aquarium app overview video
Fish app with moving 3D models
Google Expeditions - AR use in classroom >
HoloTats interactive temporary tattoos
Mixed Reality
Use in Education
Whale - Original teaser (2016)
Whale - Current demo (Sept 2018)
Cameras & Apps
Google Cardboard Camera
FOV 360 camera app (Apple iOS only)
Panorama 360. Camera
Insta360 camera line
Ricoh Theta camera line
GoPro Fusion camera (Note: I haven’t used this one personally & have heard mixed opinions on it)
Others I’ve tried & have not been thrilled with compared to the first two: Nikon KeyMission, 360Fly
Viewers & Platforms
Google Cardboard viewer app
Smartphone-based viewers:
Google Cardboard options
Merge Goggles - an affordable choice that is soft & adjustable
Standalone headsets:
Thinglink - Sign up for their e-news, as they may have another Black Friday sale!
Both YouTube & Vimeo now support 360 video
My Examples
DE Sea Grant on RoundMe
Thinglink