a few wearables to find how they can be used in his coursework, from an inertial bodysuit to the earliest version of the Oculus headset, which he’s working to rig as a wireless device. “Down the line we’re going to see wearables that extrapolate more data from ourselves and our environments, like what’s already being done in gaming,” says Cornelius. Every semester, he demos the inertial suit in his motion capture course. The suit has 15 sensors and uses similar technology to smartphones, notably their tilt sensors and accelerometers. The sensors are so sharp they capture and record motion anywhere, anytime. From an artist or designer’s perspective, this wearable is a tool for creating better traditional products. “Imagine you’re designing cleats,” says Cornelius. “You can wear the inertial suit to calculate the torque and tension on the knee through calculations of rotations through the sensors.” Another application of wearables is found in NYIT’s Master of Science in Instructional Technology program offered by the School of Education. Associate Dean Shiang-Kwei Wang, Ph.D., and Teacher Education Chair Hui-Yin Hsu, Ph.D., use the Oculus Rift in two courses: Gaming and Virtual Reality and Gaming Literacy and Learning, a massive open online course (MOOC) that launched this past spring.
“The Oculus offers a glimpse of the possible future of virtual reality in learning, especially for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” says Wang. “There are Oculus apps that take students back in time to experience the history of the Earth or explore the solar system. It’s like being inside of a 3-D printer, but instead you’re in the virtual world. You see objects from perspectives impossible to see in every-day life.” Oculus is coming out with a new virtual reality headset in early 2016. While previous versions were sold as prototypes and mainly attracted developers, educators, and technology enthusiasts, this one will be marketed to general consumers. Wang and Hsu also eagerly await the launch of the Microsoft HoloLens, a wireless headset that allows users to pin holograms in their
and what was once unimaginable may become reality as the billion-dollar sector swells. As Zerella notes, better sensors, microcontrollers, and Bluetooth technologies helped pave the way for wearables to gain market dominance, as has the ubiquity of smartphones synced with apps that collect data. He believes Fitbit has the potential to make an even bigger difference, such as to help reduce health care costs. “This year, specifically, we’re looking to triple our research and development,” says Zerella. “It’s great to provide people data, but how do we help them to apply it to achieve their goals? This is the question Fitbit is seeking to answer in the future.” ■ NYIT.EDU/FITBIT-CFO
“This year...we’re looking to triple our research and development.” —Bill Zerella (B.S. ’78), chief financial officer, Fitbit environment. “It will push learning to the next level by integrating virtual reality into physical places,” says Wang. The many ways people use their wearables will only continue to grow,
Teacher Education Chair Hui-Yin Hsu, Ph.D., walks a student through using Oculus Rift in class.
Bob Handelman
FALL 2015 NYIT MAGAZINE
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