Empow Labs: XR Digital Makerspace

Virtual Reality is a computer-generated technology that immerses you in a 3D environment, incorporating visual, auditory, and sensory experiences that make you feel as if you’re in a different world. Although the technology isn’t new, the last 5 years have brought drastic industry change: as consumers get their hands on this innovative technology (VR’s price point remains somewhat reasonable), they find themselves utilizing equipment ranging from a $10 Google Cardboard to HTC Vive headsets for under $1000. The obvious applications of Virtual Reality are in gaming, but the breadth of implementations are truly limitless; businesses have customers use VR to tour their retail space or experience their products, all from the comfort of their own living room sofas. Healthcare and Military applications use VR for training procedures. Entertainment applications push the envelope, too, turning the audience member from passive viewer into protagonist saving a universe.

3D design is the process of creating a 3-dimensional shape or object, usually using powerful software or web applications like Tinkercad, Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, and others. 3D computer graphics have been around for decades, but over the last 10 years, the growth in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and 3D video games, not to mention the commercial and consumer industries, has been thrillingly drastic. Whether it’s an electrician mapping out their electrical design, an automotive engineer designing a new engine component, or a realtor adding 3D imagery to enhance an empty home, 3D assets and designs are a constant in our modern lives.