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Participating students in Our Location in the Universe Project will create images, art and research inspired by and related to the K-9 ASG astronomy curriculum. These will be incorporated into a 360 Cinematic Virtual Reality Video - VR video created/edited by ArtPod (Jo Gillerman). This VR video will be posted and available for public viewing through a link (below) on this website. Each participating student will be given a VR Headset at the completion of the project so they and their families and friends can view their inclusion in the final 360/VR video.

CLICK LINK BELOW FOR 360/VR VIDEO

(* YouTube supports 360/VR Video and knows "Our Location in the Universe 360/VR VIDEO" is 360/VR - no additional software is necessary to view) 

2022

Our Location in the Universe 22

Art, Science, Virtual Reality

collaboration of ArtPod and The Astronomy Studies Group

Collaborator, John Panagos, Founding Director of The Astronomy Studies Group, provided astronomy curriculum.

Our participating wonderful students in the K-12 Astronomy Studies Group 2022:

Adrian, Arthur, Aixa, Bailey Benicio, Benjamin, Chappie, Christian,

Hana, Jamari, Juniper, Kai, Logan, Nelson, SonSon, Wren

contributed their art drawings for inclusion in "Our Location in the Universe 360/VR VIDEO" (link above)

2021

This is full 360/VR (Cinematic Virtual Reality) VIDEO with Sound (4.5 min) 2021

Designed for VR Headset

Our Location in the Universe 360/VR VIDEO (links above on YouTube)

Video/VR/Production/Editing/Website: Professor JoAnn (Jody) Gillerman/ArtPod

Sound: Earth Chorus, Sputnik Beeps, Jupiter lightening, Saturn Radio

Wave Emissions, Enceladus/Cassini, Stardust, Sun Sonification (NASA);

Space Ambient (bluetreeaudio/Alexander MGreat);

Tibetan Bowl and on-location wind, birds, nature (J. Gillerman)

Special Thanks:

Students of ASG 2021and their families

partners, collaborators, funders

Our Location in the Universe Project is a virtual, web-based and Virtual Reality (VR) hybrid

collaboration of ArtPod and The Astronomy Studies Group.

Collaborator, John Panagos, Founding Director of The Astronomy Studies Group, provided astronomy curriculum.

Our participating wonderful students in the K-9 Astronomy Studies Group 2021:

Allysen, Aixa, Benicio, Benjamin, Hana, JonHenry, JoyceMarie, Kai, Logan

contributed their art drawings for inclusion in "Our Location in the Universe 360/VR VIDEO" (link above).

Instructions for VR Playback in VR Headset (as well as computer/laptop/ipad/etc) are below

When your smart phone (iOS or Android) is in your VR Headset, make sure you select the "VR Icon" as pictured below - you should see TWO images of the same video side by side on your phone.  Once you see these "stereo" images, you are ready to go! Start playing the video (on your phone or - if setup and working with your device - using the push button start/stop on the upper right top of your VR Headset.) Put on your VR Headset and look around - up, down, right, left (turn your head and body to look around.) You are now in immersive 360/VR space!!!

TO PLAY/WATCH 360/VR VIDEO you need a 360/VR Media Player!!!

To watch any 360/VR Video, a "platform/application" capable of playing 360/VR is necessary. 360/VR Video can be viewed/played using a smart phone with your VR Headset or on a computer (laptop/ipad/tablet/etc) with a 360/VR capable media player.

TO VIEW 360/VR VIDEO IN VR HEADSET:

• YouTube has its own 360/VR Media Player - so by clicking the link (above ) for the "360/VR VIDEO", you can play it directly (no other software needed).

TO SEE "Our Location in the Universe" 360/VR VIDEO in your VR Headset:

1. On your phone in an Internet browser window (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc), bring up "Our Location in the Universe" Project Website

2. Navigate to the VR (Virtual Reality) page (using top menu on computer, side menu bars on phone)

3. Click on link for "360/VR VIDEO". This should take you directly to the VIDEO on YouTube.

4. Place Phone in your (Destek) VR Headset (correct orientation - screen facing the lenses and resting on the adjustable center ledge)

5. Click on VR Headset icon (as described above) to see TWO screens side by side on your phone

6. Press Play on your phone (or use "Start/Stop" button on top of VR Headset

(* To use the start/stop button, your phone needs to be in proper position/alignment in the VR Headset, making good contact with the sensors. This works best out of case.)

7. LOOK AROUND (up, down, right, left)

TO VIEW 360/VR VIDEO WITHOUT PHONE:

• If you don't have access to the Internet/browser on your phone, you will need a 360/VR Video Player to see 360/VR video. There are several free options to download onto your computer, laptop, tablet, etc. Two free and open source cross-platform multimedia 360/VR Media Players that play most multimedia files are below (with download links). Start/Stop 360/VR Video Playback with the keyboard "space bar".

* YouTube supports 360/VR Video and recognizes "Our Location in the Universe 360/VR VIDEO" as 360/VR - so no additional software is necessary to view. 

(* However, if, in YouTube, you are bombarded with adds and your video shrinks into a small window in the bottom corner of your screen - as has been my experience - try using VLC 360/VR Media Player (link below) -  to solve both of these issues so they will not be a problem - NO ADDS and no shrunken screens - for your viewing pleasure!)

VLC 360/VR Media Player: (free/open source)

(cross platform, available for desktop operating systems and mobile platforms, including Android, iOS, iPadOS, Windows 10 Mobile, and Windows Phone.)

Download VLC 3.0.16 for macOS:

https://get.videolan.org/vlc/3.0.16/macosx/vlc-3.0.16-intel64.dmg

Downloading VLC 3.0.16 for Windows:

https://get.videolan.org/vlc/3.0.16/win32/vlc-3.0.16-win32.exe

GOPRO VR Player: (free)

Download the installer here:
Windows: https://gopro.com/downloads/PC/GoProVRPlayer/latest 
Mac: https://gopro.com/downloads/Mac/GoProVRPlayer/latest

JoAnn (Jody) Gillerman with her custom
360/VR HeadCam
Berkeley Solar Calendars, 2021

Spherical 360 VR VIDEO

cameras

capture the environment 360 degrees around the horizon and 180 degrees Zenith to Nadir (Horizon)

What is Virtual Reality?

An immersive environment that can be similar to the real world or it can be fantastical,

creating an experience that is not possible in ordinary physical reality.

SPHERES

HEMI-SPHERE (half sphere)

TWO HALF SPHERES - hollow inside

Imagine you are INSIDE a hemisphere - looking at the inside - this is like what you are seeing in a VR Headset ...

You are in the middle of your environment that is surrounding you - so your "point of view" (POV) is observational and centered.

The Challenge:

You need to "project" a 2D FLAT VIDEO (or photo)  onto the inside of a 3D sphere shape -

This process is called "mapping onto a sphere"

There are many ways to do this, depending on the 360/VR cameras and other technologies used, the editing and exporting process, and the viewing in a 360/VR capable media player. Think of the VR Headset as the above pictured sphere that you are inside of looking around.

Virtual Reality (VR) has come a very long way in a relatively short time! 360/VR VIDEO is a cinematic form of VR, where we become observers, looking around in all directions of our environment.

 

THEN:

Early VR (1960's) was so large and heavy, it was too heavy to wear, so it needed to be supported or suspended from the ceiling - and the computers that made it possible were room size!

 

NOW:

We can use our mobile phones in a portable lightweight VR Headset to watch VR/360 anywhere and anytime we want!

What is Virtual Reality?

What does immersive mean? (surround environment)

Are you an observer who is looking around your 360 VR space in video?

     (360 Cinematic/Video VR - looking around immersive environment)

Are you interacting with your VR environment? 

     (CGI -  Computer Generated Imagery lets "user/participant" actively move in their environment)

How can you use this new technology for positive impact?

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