The Media Lab, located in the library of the Newtown Bucks Campus, is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and is free to use for Bucks students.
This lab is open year-round and has been at Bucks for several years, recently moving to the library where there are now more services. Students can learn about technology like virtual reality, augmented reality, and 3D printing.
The Director of Personal and Professional Development, Stan Timek, says, “The Media Lab is an open lab where students can come to experience lessons, learn 3D printing, and how to use Adobe software programs.”
“For 3D printing, you can download what you want from the internet, prepare it on our computers, and print it out. All this is free because you’re a student. There are also plans for workshops to help students create their augmented realities on Instagram.”
Timek continues, stating that students should be interested because “all of this is the world you live in – being able to create the world you live in and make it better is why you should be here. We’re here to help you with your ideas that hopefully turn into your own business and start your career as an entrepreneur.”
Timek goes on to explain that “augmented reality is like looking through your phone’s camera, the computer adding elements to the screen. The computer would end up giving instructions on how to fix any problems you have.” An example could be Pokémon Go.
The Emerging Media Librarian of Learning Resources, Matthew Seibert, adds to the explanation by saying that “augmented reality can also be used for other subjects like nursing or anatomy and physiology.”
Virtual reality is a 3D computer-generated world, whereupon putting a visor on, you can be anywhere. Timek gives an example of “King Tut’s tomb – you can look anywhere in the tomb and learn all about it.” A student can wear a headset and make their own virtual world.
Seibert explains that the “lab also has drones that can take pictures or videos of the campus. When you get a video of the entire building, it can be put into stills and then put into our software that can show the building dimensions. These dimensions can be used to make a 3D model of the Bucks building.”
The goal of the media lab managers this semester is to model the outside and inside of the Faculty Center and put it into the 3D engine and experience it in VR.
The Operation Technician, and another Media Lab manager, James Jobba, demonstrated with Open Brush, a virtual reality program that uses both 2D and 3D visuals. With Open Brush, students can not only create, but animate. You can obtain a broader perspective on things using creative programs instead of just using photos.
The Media Lab can be used after 4 p.m. if the student makes a reservation ahead of time either through email or in the actual location. You can contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected] for any questions concerning the Media Lab.