KUALA LUMPUR: Taylor's University has launched its Vortex XR Lab for XR adoption and immersive technologies in teaching, learning, and research.
Taylor's University deputy vice-chancellor and chief academic officer, Professor Dr Pradeep Nair said the university has invested more than RM1 million in the lab for the XR content (immersive content) and to facilitate XR research.
"Students are no longer satisfied with just information downloaded from lecturers, and sitting in a class for hours. They want to see, feel, touch, and experience. We are witnessing a shift in learner expectations, where they expect learning to be flexible, on-demand, personalised, engaging, and immersive," he said.
This allows students to get their 360-degree learning experience and expose them to the demands of the XR job market.
The Vortex XR Lab is equipped with augmented, virtual, and extended reality software and hardware, as well as features facilities like Green Screen Studio, XR applications, an LED stage powered by Zero Density, Mixed Reality Immersive rooms, VR Head Mounted Displays powered by Meta Quest and HTC, and a HoloLens 2 station.
The lab supports all faculties from hospitality and architecture, to medicine and culinary arts.
"With Vortex, all students across the university and college will be exposed to some form of immersive technology. This is part of our journey in transforming the curriculum and pedagogy to embed tech skills and modules into our degrees, in order to prepare our graduates to work in jobs of the future," he added.
The launch allowed the public to delve into numerous experiences like virtual welding and woodworking, kayaking in Antarctica as a virtual tourist, attending a virtual moot court simulation, viewing augmented reality Barbie dolls donning fashion designed by Taylor's Fashion Design Technology students and exploring the human anatomy through a hololens.
Pradeep added that the XR technology demand has grown and the Malaysia Shopping Malls Association (PPK) indicated that retailers are embracing technologies.
Taylor's University senior lecturer at The Design School and Vortex XR Lab director, Dr Charles Sharma Naidu said there is a need to transform into an innovator in the education space to drive innovative XR research, ideas, and solutions alongside the nation's growth in these areas
He said that aside from creating immersive educational content, the lab will also be an XR Incubation Centre entailing three components (XR Services, XR Action, and XR Advocacy)
Besides that, Vortex XR Lab is collaborating with industries like Ministry XR and Broadcast Elements.
The lab uses Zero Density's Reality ecosystem to create a 3D real-time rendering of virtual environments for teaching, presenting, etc using AR and MR.
Zero Density's regional manager, Serkan Acar said "Since the company's first introduction of Unreal Engine into the broadcasting industry, Zero Density has always provided cutting-edge tools for the global real-time production community. With an ever-growing global footprint in virtual production, there is an immense demand for Reality Engine professionals worldwide. Our partnership with Taylor's University will bring this technology to the students with our decades of experience and technical guidance.
"The resources and capabilities that the University offers to its students are unrivalled. Spearheading the Education Partner Programme in Southeast Asia with such a forward-thinking institution as Taylor's University truly excites us. We look forward to welcoming the next generation of talented visual designers, technicians, and technologists to this industry and the community," said Serkan.
Vortex XR Lab has signed an agreement with Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Bumiputera Sarawak (TEGAS) Digital Village to promote XR technologies in Sarawak.
