Flight Festival – Tech World: AR glasses, VR, holograms, magic cubes, sensory feedback labs and the latest high-tech gadgets
Thousands of people, including personalities in the field of technology, international visitors, but also many children experienced for three days, the world through the prism of virtual and augmented reality at the stand UPT in the most vibrant and attractive event that takes place annually in Timișoara - Flight Festival 2022.
Educational and cultural applications experienced with the help of augmented, virtual and mixed reality technologies, holograms, but also international projects of interest to the community - the stand Politehnica University of Timisoara from Flight Festival, represented by teams CeL and CM and the project team Spotlight Heritage Timișoara, gathered thousands of participants who discovered the technologies of the future with the help of the latest generation equipment, made available at the Tech World exhibition, at the Cioca Airport.
Research in AR/VR, integrated into education – appreciated by many personalities in the field
During the three days of the event, the stand UPT was visited by numerous personalities in the field, they tested the technologies of the future through the latest generation equipment made available by the teams CeL and CM, but also from within Spotlight Heritage Timișoara. They had the opportunity to discover a series of educational, cultural and web courses and applications, as well as mobile and augmented, virtual and mixed reality - developed within the national and international projects implemented by the centers within the University.
ID/IFR and e-Learning Center, together with the Multimedia Center, through teaching staff and master's students, have been involved for several years in research in AR/VR, online courses, virtual mobility and, in particular, digital applications dedicated to culture and heritage.
Participation in European projects, partnerships with other university centers and ICT companies from Timișoara have led to a good mastery of the field, also materialized through a series of scientific articles published in international conferences and journals.
Young people and children, fascinated by VR technology
Hundreds of children and young people enthusiastically visited the stand Polytechnic University of Timișoara, as well as that of the project Spotlight Heritage Timișoara, from Flight Festival, where, assisted by the teams present, they played with the latest innovations in augmented and virtual reality applications and games.
Visitors were able to explore in a unique way, numerous fields with the help of VR glasses, including spaceships, the human body and even the churches and the city of Timișoara. They were also able to create their own 3D imaginary world with the help of AR applications.
Additionally, for those interested in a career in AR/VR, booth guides explained the "science" behind these mobile apps and the steps to develop them, starting right from your home computer or laptop.
Holograms, virtual tours, AR glasses and an educational magic cube for 'curious minds'
The participants also discovered the UPT Technical Museum project that presents the history of science and technology in the Politehnica University of Timișoara and the region. The UPT teams demonstrated the applications and interactive virtual tours of the UPT Museum using the virtual reality glasses Oculus Rift and Oculus Quest 2, and presented the educational applications for children made with the glasses and the Merge Cube. Attendees were also able to experience mixed reality technology that allows them to interact with holograms around them through Microsoft HoloLens 2 glasses.
"Walks" through Timișoara from now and then through AR and student co-creators of the city's digital culture
One of the biggest points of interest of the participants was the cultural project Spotlight Heritage Timișoara / Spotlight Heritage Timișoara. participants Flight Festival they had the opportunity to discover the web page of the project, with the stories of the four historical districts of Timișoara, through an interactive display and, at the same time, they "walked" virtually through Timișoara from now and then with the mobile and augmented reality applications Spotlight Heritage Timisoara, made available on interactive tablets and mobile phones at the stand UPT, developed by polytechnic students within the project.
For an extra interaction with the visitors who were waiting in line with interest, the Spotlitght Heritage team invited them to a game, where they had to recognize visual elements from the past of Timisoara. Several hundred people expressed their interest in checking their knowledge about the cultural heritage of the city, receiving at the end prizes that will remind them of the Spotlight Heritage Timișoara project.
At the same time, they were able to enjoy the experience of dance and theater performances, recorded in a multimedia experience, with elements of augmented reality, which explores, neighborhood by neighborhood, the memory and stories of the inhabitants of Timisoara yesterday and today, wanting to highlight the city's cultural heritage.
Projects with impact for the European community
Also within the stand UPT, the participants were able to discover information about numerous activities developed within the national and international projects implemented by UPT.
Among the projects that sparked interest among Tech World attendees is the project Erasmus+ Community Enabled Open Training on Creative & Cultural Entrepreneurship – TraCCE, which adopts a transnational approach and from the perspective of multiple stakeholders, in order to create a higher education curriculum, as well as the development of a "train off trainers" toolkit of civic involvement, which will provide both project staff and the whole community civically involved, open access to a virtual learning environment, as well as two international workshops.
Tech Talks // Life Around Tech
This event was preceded by Tech Talks // Life around tech – the largest technology conference in the Western region of Romania, part of Flight Festival, organized by the Politehnica University of Timișoara, which took place on September 1, 2022 and which contributes year after year to the construction of an emerging, innovative community by bringing together entrepreneurs, innovation managers, corporate leaders who instill inspiration and facilitate the exchange of innovative best practices, contributing to creativity, innovation and change in various enterprises and industries.
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