Best in Class of 2022: Indiana University

Indiana University
(Image credit: Future)

GOALS

Indiana University: As part of new construction at Indiana University, the Luddy Center for Artificial Intelligence, classroom 1001 was designed at the directive Indiana University’s President. “They wanted a space to highlight virtual reality and have the students and facility immersed in the experience as if they were wearing VR headsets,” said Joshua Foster, manager, Learning Space Design, UITS Learning Spaces and Technology Services at IU. “They also wanted the room to be completely flexible and have full hybrid capabilities so that any of the 100 students could be heard for Zoom/Teams remote learning and lecture capture.”

Indiana University

The overall solution provides a unique opportunity for instruction where there is much less lecturing and much more discussion, debate and group questioning. (Image credit: Gift License compliments of BSA LifeStructures; Caleb Tkach, AIAP)

CHALLENGES

“The biggest challenge for us was the curved projection image,” Foster said. “This was not something we had done before as it was a unique 21:9 aspect ratio at almost 19’-3” long and 8’-4” high. We engaged several of our manufacturers to iron out the details to create a seamless experience. The other hurdle was the requirement for everything from source to destination to be native 4K including the projector. We have done plenty of 4K displays but 4K projection was new for us.”

USER BENEFITS

“The room operates like our other classrooms so any faculty or staff member can walk into the space and use it in a basic operation mode,” Foster added. “Those who need to use some of its more advanced technical capabilities have an advanced configuration mode where advanced routing and room orientation can occur. There is a specialty high resolution PC that is in the system that users can plug a VR headset into the lectern and use to drive the custom 4K curved projection wall.”

THE AV/IT TEAM

Indiana University, University Information Technology Services/Learning Space Design and Classroom Technology Services 

Julie Johnson, Director of Learning Spaces

Mark Russell, Group Manager, Learning Spaces and Technology Services

Joshua Foster, Manager of Learning Space Design

DATE COMPLETED:  December 20, 2021

TECH SNAPSHOT


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Cindy Davis
Brand and content director of AV Technology

Cindy Davis is the brand and content director of AV Technology. Davis enjoys exploring the ethos of experiential spaces as well as diving deep into the complex topics that shape the AV/IT industry. In 2012, the TechDecisions brand of content sites she developed for EH Publishing was named one of “10 Great Business Media Websites” by B2B Media Business magazine. For more than 20 years, Davis has developed and delivered multiplatform content for AV/IT B2B and consumer electronics B2C publications, associations, and companies. From 2000 to 2008, Davis was the publisher and editor-in-chief of Electronic House. From 2009 to present, as the principal of CustomMedia.Co, Davis developed content plans and delivered content for associations such as IEEE Standards Association and AVIXA, content marketing for Future Plc, and numerous AV/IT companies. Davis was a critical member of the AVT editorial team when the title won the “Best Media Brand” laurel in the 2018 SIIA Jesse H. Neal Awards. A lifelong New Englander, Davis makes time for coastal hikes with her husband, Gary, and their Vizsla rescue, Dixie, sailing on one of Gloucester’s great schooners, and sampling local IPAs.