Virtual reality conference to return to Lethbridge
Alberta students and residents will get a chance to sample the latest gaming technology when the second-annual Merging Realities conference takes place at Lethbridge College.
The conference focuses on virtual and augmented reality technology. The conference is the brainchild of Lethbridge College instructor Mike McCready, who is also the president of the Alberta chapter of the VR/AR Association. Another Lethbridge instructor, Kris Hodgson-Bright, has researched the educational potential of the new technology.
Virtual reality has become a hot ticket in video games over the last few years, with Sony, Microsoft and Valve all launching specialized consoles featuring the new technology. Storefronts in major cities offer VR ‘arcades’, allowing people to sample the technology for a smaller fee than the still-pricey devices. One such business, called VRKADE, opened in Lethbridge in 2016. Augmented reality, which applies a video game “layer” on the real world, is used in many popular mobile games.
The 2019 edition of Merging Realities will take place this September. In addition to displaying cutting-edge technology, industry and academic conferences also often serve as a venue for networking, with resume and business card printing at local print shops often a staple. Last year’s conference was streamed online by thousands of viewers. Lethbridge College hopes that the conference will be a showcase for its Virtual and Augmented Reality Certificate program, which enrolls its first students this fall.
The conference focuses on virtual and augmented reality technology. The conference is the brainchild of Lethbridge College instructor Mike McCready, who is also the president of the Alberta chapter of the VR/AR Association. Another Lethbridge instructor, Kris Hodgson-Bright, has researched the educational potential of the new technology.
Virtual reality has become a hot ticket in video games over the last few years, with Sony, Microsoft and Valve all launching specialized consoles featuring the new technology. Storefronts in major cities offer VR ‘arcades’, allowing people to sample the technology for a smaller fee than the still-pricey devices. One such business, called VRKADE, opened in Lethbridge in 2016. Augmented reality, which applies a video game “layer” on the real world, is used in many popular mobile games.
The 2019 edition of Merging Realities will take place this September. In addition to displaying cutting-edge technology, industry and academic conferences also often serve as a venue for networking, with resume and business card printing at local print shops often a staple. Last year’s conference was streamed online by thousands of viewers. Lethbridge College hopes that the conference will be a showcase for its Virtual and Augmented Reality Certificate program, which enrolls its first students this fall.