Opening of the Immersive Collaboration Hub – ICH at the FernUniversität in Hagen
On September 7th, the Immersive Collaboration Hub was opened at the FernUniversität in Hagen as part of a grand opening ceremony with around 250 guests.
Numerous prominent guests took part in the opening ceremony, including the State Secretary Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs North Rhine-Westphalia Matthias Heidmeier, the mayor of the city of Hagen, Erik O. Schulz and the rector of the FernUniversität in Hagen Prof. Dr. There’s Pellert part. In his short lecture “The Journey into the Ego”, the main initiator of the hub, Prof. Dr. Thomas Ludwig presents the actual concept, which is intended to combine teaching, research, further training and networking in a unique environment. According to Prof. Ludwig, digital transformation is being actively promoted through technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality.
His remarks were supplemented by a representative from Meta Germany, Basti Schützwho spoke about the latest developments in mixed reality, AI and smart glasses. He emphasized the great importance of regional hubs, such as the one in Hagen, for the exchange of knowledge and technological development.
The subsequent panel discussion with experts from science, industry and trade was dedicated to the prospects and perspectives for the application of immersive technologies in the future.
The highlight of the day was the opening and exploration of the ICH with an accompanying demonstration of numerous use cases, where visitors were able to try out a wide variety of technologies and immerse themselves in other worlds. This is made possible in the hub by technologies such as VR/AR glasses, the holographic display, the full-body scanner, state-of-the-art 3D printers and powerful computers. The holographic display, for example, creates realistic 3D representations of objects or people in the air and on surfaces. The full-body scanner takes over 200 images within seconds and uses them to develop individual 3D models as the basis for virtual avatars. Various computer workstations are particularly suitable for (3D) content creation. Photogrammetry scanners are available to support this, which digitally capture real objects and transfer them to virtual worlds.
Of the 12 exhibitors in total, the SIHK Academy from Hagen, for example, presented how trainees in metal professions can virtually learn to weld or operate milling and lathe machines. Another highlight was a flight simulator in which visitors could gain their own experiences of flying in the aircraft fuselage and exchange ideas with its designers. The virtual training program for midwife candidates from the research focus of work-education-digitalization at the FernUniversität in Hagen was shown. The Institute for Scientific Continuing Education presented an event on VR in the courtroom. It showed how future defense lawyers and prosecutors can make their pleas in the simulated reality of a courtroom. To put it in the words of Prof. Ludwig: “We use technology in the hub to create new forms of learning – and above all to learn with all the senses.”
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