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HCI Graduate Program

1620 Howe Hall

Ames, IA 50010

515-294-2089


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Prospective Students

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Our Announcements

News

Bernard named interim dean of Iowa State University College of Engineering
  — ISU News Service: 07/23/2008

Car manufacturing: Vehicle makers appreciate the virtues of virtual design
  — Financial Times: 05/28/2008

Top Schools, Top Programs: ISU Human Computer Interaction graduate program ranked #7 among top performing individual Information Science/Information Systems programs.
  — Academic Analytics, LLC: 05/02/2008

The Virtual Becomes Reality at Iowa State University
  — Embedded Technology: 05/01/2008

Resources and Facilities

The HCI Graduate Program is housed in the Virtual Reality Applications Center (VRAC) at Iowa State University. All HCI students are able to conduct research or complete course work in either of VRAC's two computer labs. The computers in these labs are loaded with the software needed for the core HCI courses as well as software needed for various research projects. VRAC is also home to the C4 and C6 immersive environments, as well as the Lee Liu Alliant Energy Auditorium, the Virtual Conference Room, and the Human and Computer Vision Laboratory.

Exterior view of the C6 - click for more details


C6
Currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation, when it re-opens the C6 will boast 4000x4000 pixel resolution per wall, for a total of 100 million pixels in this fully-immersive environment. Forty-eight dual-cpu workstations will send images to 24 Sony SRX-S105 digital cinema projectors, providing an intensely detailed, high-resolution, immersive experience for researchers and other participants. The upgrade is being done by Fakespace Systems.

The C6 is a three-dimensional, full-immersion, synthetic environment. This facility consists of a 10 ft. x 10 ft. room where all four walls, the floor and the ceiling are projection screens that are capable of displaying back-projected stereoscopic images, providing total immersion of the participants. The C6 incorporates a three-dimensional sound system and was the first known system of its kind to support wireless tracking. The C6 resides in the center atrium of the Howe Hall building.
[ more info ]




C4
A three-dimensional, immersive, synthetic environment that supports multiple screen configurations. The C4 is comprised of four  display  surfaces  which can be configured as an immersive "U-shaped" cave-like room where rear-projected stereoscopic images are displayed on three walls (front, right, left) and the floor. The system can also be configured as a 36' wide power wall by swinging the sidewalls in-line with the back wall. The C4 also includes a three-dimensional sound system  and wireless tracking.
[ more info ]


Lee Liu Auditorium Picture

Lee Liu Auditorium
located in Howe Hall seats 244 and is equipped for real-time passive stereo-projection of two side-by-side simulated environments on a 29 foot wide screen.
The C6, C4 and auditorium are linked by dedicated fiber enabling research in collaboration across geographically separated virtual reality systems


Virtual Conference Room
Virtual Conference The Virtual Conference Room was created by the Thermal Systems Virtual Engineering Group under the direction of Professor Mark Bryden. The system was developed to provide a portable VR tool which allows multiple users to simultaneously interact with the virtual space and each other. With a table and seating for 10 - 12 people, the system facilitates the virtual engineering process by allowing for group interaction with geometric and fluid data sets. The room is the first of its kind on Iowa State's campus. One of VRAC's industry partners, the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, recognized the benefits of a virtual conference room and is using the group's system design.


Baron Barco Stereo Workbench Picture Barco Baron stereo workbench

A portable active stereo projection system with adjustable screen height and angle. The system is used with a 6-DOF tracking system and wireless wand.


See more at VRAC facilities page.

HCI students with the following home departments may use the resources of these departments in addition to the resources of the Virtual Reality Applications Center for their research and study.

Aerospace Engineering
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Architecture
Art and Design
Botany
Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
Computer Science
Curriculum and Instruction
Ecology, Evolution and Ogranismal Biology
Economics
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Geological and Atmospheric Sciences
Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication
Industrial Education and Technology
Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Logistics, Operations, and Management Information Systems
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Music
Psychology
Statistics
Management
Genetics, Development and Cell Biology
English
Biomedical Sciences
Human Development and Family Studies