UCM Lee’s Summit Missouri Innovation Campus Launches Mixed Reality Studio
The University of Central Missouri, Lee’s Summit R-7 School District and area businesses are coming together to showcase initiatives such as the new Mixed Reality Studio and other key educational projects that will help address the state’s critical need for a well-trained, technology-focused workforce.
The Mixed Reality Studio was launched by UCM in the fall of 2020, and is part of the Gigabit Lab housed within the MIC. The Missouri Excels initiative implemented by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development provided $674,500 toward the Information Technology Expansion Project that included the Studio and related UCM initiatives. All are designed to help facilitate development and expansion of employer-driven education and training programs to increase educational attainment.
The Mixed Reality Studio supports research, application development, education and workforce initiatives to help students, entrepreneurs and companies drive innovation in their industry through the power of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Using these technological tools, it has established a learning lab that is:
● focused on creating programs that that will help build a pipeline of VR/AR talent;
● instrumental in building the curriculum of professional education programs that include hands-on learning opportunities for students;
● allows faculty to perform research and create curriculum experiences at the MIC and at the UCM campus in Warrensburg;
● enables UCM to offer membership that includes consultation services to companies, including access to startups, projects and corporate innovation programs; and
● provides a state-of the-art location to prototype new solutions and launch new ventures.
The Mixed Reality Studio is equipped with various software and design platforms, multiple headset configurations, workstations, filming and graphic resources.
Through its work with Velocity Lee’s Summit, UCM will utilize the Mixed Reality Studio to help entrepreneurs take their business idea/concept/startup to the next level, providing advice, support, mentoring, networking and preparation for funding.