Clarke Central High School students were able to learn more about virtual reality (VR) from Cedar Shoals High School’s Tech Team on Jan. 28. “(VR) is something we started doing this year,” senior and CSHS Tech Team member Akaash Sinha said. “We have been working on this for a few months now. You pretty much go into a whole new dimension.” Photos by Julie Alpaugh.
Gallery by JULIE ALPAUGH – Photography Editor
Story by ANEESA CONINE-NAKANO – Managing Editor
Cedar Shoals High School’s Tech Team taught Clarke Central High School students about virtual reality software and Google Cardboard.
Clarke Central High School students had the opportunity on Jan. 28 to learn about and create their own virtual reality (VR) simulators with cardboard from Cedar Shoals High School’s Tech Team. CSHS Media Specialist Kerry Hogan hopes that they leave CCHS students with more knowledge about the programs.
“We want to showcase what virtual reality has to offer right now. The two vehicles we are using for that are Google Cardboard and the Oculus Rift,” Hogan said. “The Oculus Rift is the newest, not even released, gaming technology that we have a demo of.”
Google Cardboard and VR apps, which use 360 technology, according to Hogan are extremely accessible to students. She also believes that “do it yourself” viewer finders are easy and inexpensive to make.
“Google Cardboard is an entry way into VR that anybody can afford because everyone has a phone. Google Cardboard apps are generally free. You can build your own Google Cardboard viewer for about 75 cents. You just have to be patient,” Hogan said.
CCHS sophomore Peyton Lowery, who attended one of the sessions, was impressed by the technology and sees real life applications VR can have.
“We went to the Oculus and we did this scary game. It felt like you were really in it. It was 3D and you could look around and see what was around you,” Lowery said. “You could use (VR) for space simulations and things like that.”
CSHS senior and Tech Team member Akaash Sinha has witnessed the real life applications VR has outside of gaming and thinks it can benefit people.
“One time we were in art history class. What I did was let my class demonstrate and see inside of a gothic church made in the 1500s and you could pretty much walk in and see what it looks like without actually going there,” Sinha said. “People can see different places they can’t go to or afford to go to.”
Sinha is excited for the future of VR programs and is glad he was able to showcase what the CSHS Tech Team has worked on.
“It is really fun and cool and I think it is just going to get better over the years. (Google Cardboard) is just an introduction basically,” Sinha said. “There is a lot of follow up yet to be seen.”
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