PFI: A Consortium for Fulldome and Immersive Technology Development

University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Investigators

Abstract

This Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) project--a Type III (A:C) partnership between the University of New Mexico (UNM), an NSF PFI graduate (0227806), and the Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA), an institution new to the PFI Program (defined as one that has never been a PFI grantee)--seeks to apply UNM's experience in fulldome technology to formalize already existing informal partnerships and efforts into a consortium that will move fulldome to multi-surface immersive environments through a coordinated set of activities that include research, development, and applications over a range of problems driven by partner expertise, from scientific and information visualization to simulation to the use of novel interactive devices. The proposed integrated program has three main thrusts: 1) tool development: hardware and software for fulldomes and core research into how these spaces can be used as interactive theaters and extended to multi-surface environments, as visualization tools and as educational and experiential venues; 2) integration and content development: development of key applications areas including visualization, simulation, complex systems, security, and education; and 3) education and workforce development: building an educated workforce for the new industry and bringing in new communities through new ways to communicate science, enhance learning, and expand the missions and services of these new technologies. One of the broader impacts of the proposed research is that the consortium will create a new high tech industry within the state of New Mexico, a majority-minority state. Although New Mexico is home to the national laboratories and other DOD/DOE facilities, it ranks at the bottom of most economic indicators. The University of New Mexico (a Hispanic-serving institution) will join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) (one of three congressionally chartered institutions of higher education and an accredited tribal institution) to share the facilities and expertise developed through this project. The proposed project will leverage the experience with the NSF PFI sponsored 'Digital Pueblo Project' (0227806) which helped to lay the foundation for the growing digital media industry in the state of New Mexico. Finally, this work will broaden the usability of fulldome technologies to a wider range of spaces that can be used to educate the general population in STEM-related areas. Partners at the inception of the project are Academic Institutions: University of New Mexico (UNM) (lead institution), Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA); Research Institute: Santa Fe Institute; and Private Sector Organizations: Institute for the Study and Integration of Graphical Heritage Techniques, Santa Fe Complex (Redfish Group and Los Alamos Visual Analytics), and Sky Scan.