Viz Fall Show Flashback: Students ‘Continue To Raise The Bar’ With Creative Projects
The creativity of students in the Texas A&M Visualization program was on full display through artwork, video game designs, virtual reality projects and animation at the annual Viz Fall Show on Dec. 5 at the Langford Architecture Center.
The creative and interactive works — crafted by undergraduate and graduate students throughout the summer and fall semesters — were selected by faculty members. Jill Honeycutt, instructional associate professor and associate program director, said the show was a huge success.
“It is always energizing to see so many people excited about the work being done in Viz,” Honeycutt said. “Thanks to all the students, faculty, staff and supporters — this would not be possible without you. Looking forward to what will be created next.”
The second floor of Langford C was filled with virtual and augmented reality projects, and students presented extended reality projects in the Igloo Studio. And as visitors walked through the halls of Langford B and C, they saw a wide array of art projects on display, including photography, paintings, brochures, graphic design posters and self-portraits.
One of the VR attractions was a bicycle video game. “Paperboy VR” was created by students Kaityln Carmona, Evan Delagarza, Marina Trevino and Sydney Bertrand. The user gets on the bike and wears a VR headset that puts them in a virtual town, where the objective is to deliver newspapers to various landmarks.
The more newspapers delivered, the higher the score. The bike’s front wheel is locked, while the back wheel rotates as the person pedals, said Carmona, a senior Visualization student.
A controller connects to the user’s leg to track the rotation for them to move around the environment, Carmona said. Additional hand controllers attached to the bike’s handlebars are used as a trigger system to throw newspapers in the box that randomly spawns throughout the game’s environment, she said.
“Deep Dive,” a VR experience guided through the deep sea, was created by Joseph Shumway, Jared Yost, Emmanuel Tabb and Taylor Null. Participants are given a VR headset and hand-held triggers that immerse them in a virtual ocean experience.
Shumway, a senior computer science student, said the participant goes through a tutorial before moving around the ocean cave as a deep-sea scuba diver.
“You have a flashlight attached to your right hand, so you can look at the dark areas and explore a bit,” Shumway explained. “As you get used to the controls and exit the cave, you will see a lot more of the environment including kelp, coral and fish, and there is a big shark that looms around.”
Shumway said the deep-sea project aimed to re-create an experience not everyone can participate in.
“This project is really awesome to show people things they couldn’t see before,” he said. “VR is a great way to do these things and give that ability to someone who may not be able.”
An interactive exhibit titled “Odyssey,” designed for children to experience the biomes of the world, was created by Callie Hanna, Aubrie Stromberg, Avery Burns and Emily Sawyer. Hanna, a junior Visualization student, said the group wanted to use technology to engage children in learning.
“Our goal is to get kids away from the screentime that is so prevalent in their lives right now,” Hanna said. “Kids spend three to 7 1/2 hours on screens like phones and iPads. We wanted to bridge that gap with our own method of technology to connect them back to playing outside in nature.”
The project utilizes a large interactive screen with slideshows of different biomes that have moving parts. Sawyer, a senior Visualization major, crafted a globe that a child could spin, and as it spins a new biome appears on the screen. The group curated an audio track to play nature sounds for each biome and added graphics and informational materials for the children to read.
Yuqing Cao, a junior computer science student, and her group created “OB,” a VR experience that promotes health education for nursing students. The user, wearing a VR headset and hand-held triggers, is put into a home-visit scenario with a pregnant woman. The students test the mother’s temperature and heart rate, and can check on the baby, Cao said.
On the fourth floor of Langford C, undergraduate and graduate students presented their work in a research symposium. Two students received award recognition by a panel of emeritus professors: Natalya Abrahamian for the undergraduate award and Graciela Camacho for the graduate award.
The screening segment of the event brought in a full house to Geren Auditorium as students, family and friends gathered to view animated shorts, web applications, video games and still-life images. Among the short films screened were those developed through the Summer Industry Course in animation: “Stuffed,” “Cluck’d Up,” “Requiem” and “Farewell.” The full show can be viewed on YouTube.
Andersen Wood, a junior Visualization major and the lead student technician for the show, said this year’s turnout was the show’s biggest. He said he was glad to see the interest in the students’ work.
“Seeing so many people gathered to see such amazing student work is very heartening,” Wood said. “The students in Viz continue to raise the bar across animation, gaming and interactive design. Thank you to all the faculty and student volunteers who made this event possible.”
Top photo: “OB” is a VR experience that promotes health education for nursing students. The user, wearing a VR headset and hand-held triggers, is put into a home-visit scenario with a pregnant woman. Photo by John Peters, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications.
