AARNet and NASA bring the classroom to life with an interactive, guided tour of the universe
Hobart, AUSTRALIA – 21 September 2010
– AARNet, Australia's Academic and Research Network, is partnering with
NASA to bring students 3D tours of the universe within the GeoDome – an
inflatable, immersive 3D theatre. The first Tasmanian event will take
place at The Hutchins School in Sandy Bay from September 22-24. The
event will be held in collaboration with neighbouring schools, St
Michael’s Collegiate and Fahan School.
The NASA GeoDome experience allows students to explore the known
universe, via NASA’s Digital Universe Atlas. Online gaming technologies
will enable students to interact with space data and imagery from NASA
and the global telescope network, creating an immersive learning
experience. Students will have the opportunity to experience 1080-pixel
high-definition video feeds through a fish-eye lens in real time.
Technology and the curriculum
AARNet
is focused on bringing high speed broadband experiences to schools to
revolutionalise the 21st century curriculum. The GeoDome is a great
example of how high speed broadband, emerging technologies and
visualisation tools can enable students to access data from science and
research organisations in Australia and across the globe.
Chris Hancock, CEO of AARNet, said, “The possibilities that high
speed networks such as AARNet bring to the education sector are endless
and we are excited about what lies ahead with this technology. AARNet
believes in supporting Australian students in their quest for knowledge
and we are continually seeking new and innovative technologies to bring
the curriculum to life.”
The GeoDome
The GeoDome provides AARNet with a unique environment in which to
showcase educational content from its global partners. It utilises
software and technologies found in online gaming to engage users and
provide an interactive, immersive, visual-spatial experience. It can be
set-up in less than 30 minutes and provides a fully enclosed, immersive
theatre environment, making it ideal for a classroom of students. It
enables students to navigate through, interact with and collaborate on
high-definition images, video and presentations.
Nick Cross,
Manager of Education Outreach for AARNet, said, “The GeoDome enables us
to present complex concepts about the universe in an
easy-to-understand, exciting visual context which benefits students of
all ages and enriches the learning experience.”
For more information on GeoDome:
www.geodome.info
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z3u-9IMt-A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEZNJ0guSkI
- ENDS -
AARNet Pty Ltd (APL) is the company that operates Australia's Academic and Research Network (AARNet). It is a not-for-profit company limited by shares. The shareholders are 37 Australian universities and the CSIRO. AARNet provides high-capacity leading edge Internet services for the tertiary education and research sector communities and their research partners. AARNet serves more than one million end users who access the network through local area networks at member institutions. For further information, please visit: www.aarnet.edu.au.
For further information, please contact:
Almira Anthony
Max Australia
+61 2 9954 3492
almira.anthony@maxaustralia.com.au
About the GeoDome
The GeoDome immersive learning environment consists of an inflatable dome, digital projector, and interactive software. The network of GeoDome users includes NASA, NOAA, science centers, research universities, public schools, visualization labs, and more. The GeoDome was developed by leading immersive design firm The Elumenati (www.elumenati.com). For further information, please visit: www.geodome.info.
