Come and see a demonstration of The Virtual UCF Arboretum Project, a digital media research project combining website and virtual reality (VR) technology for STEM education. The website presents information on plants and flowers found in the UCF Arboretum. There are 3D Models of the plants that are VR enabled for view in inexpensive VR headsets (smart phones and Google Cardboard or similar) to allow detailed investigation. Also capable of viewing on any device over the web, these models allow you to zoom-in, pan, and rotate the 3D models to understand the shape and form of the real flower. The educational website provides information on the key concepts of the ecological plant neighborhoods and communities for contextual understanding, then for each plant there is an educational story, scientific facts, and interactive questions with answers. Explore the knowledge of every plant; learn how to identify it, explore information about its habitat, its food web, human medical, food, and fiber uses, and how this plant inspired artists and authors by their beauty. Then there are scientific details authored by the UCF Arboretum biologists and botanists of authority. Last, there are gardening facts, so that after you fall in love with a flower, you will know how to plant and care for it.
This event is part of the Plants Beyond Limits Conference.
A collaboration between the School of Visual Arts and Design, led by Dr. Maria C. R. Harrington, Assistant Professor of Digital Media, and The UCF Arboretum Director and Department of Biology Professor, Dr. Patrick Bohlen.
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