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01/06/2021 – About the Topic:

Even during travel restrictions, augmented and virtual reality allow us to experience arts & culture from far away places. While it will never be a replacement for seeing the Mona Lisa or the Great Wall of China in person, VR and AR can bring these masterpieces right into your home.

Programs like “Let’s Create! Pottery VR,” “Tilt Brush,” and “Kingspray Graffiti Simulator” allow our imaginations to run wild and try new art forms without the mess. Augmented reality can make works of art come alive, jump out of their frames and tell their story. Even programs as “simple” as Google Earth VR can shrink the world and allow people to walk a distant street, admire the local architecture and even observe the remote fashion trends.
Immersive technologies make the world seem both approachably smaller and larger than life with the wealth of possibilities to explore. Join us as we explore how arts and culture are being made more accessible through augmented and virtual reality.

What’s the Format:

6:00-6:15pm – Networking & Preparation

6:15-6:30pm – Introductions & Welcome

6:30-7:30pm – Panel Discussion and Q&A

7:30-8:00pm – Networking

Expert Panel Members:

VRAR Chicago Virtual Meetups

The VirBELA virtual environment resembles a physical space, so you will be able to talk with other attendees prior to the start of the presentations. We suggest that you arrive no later than 6:00pm and we will get started promptly at 6:15. Please try to get familiar with the technology prior to the day of the meetup, as we will be unable to provide support during the event.

We will start with informal networking, then host a panel discussion to answer audience questions, and we end with more networking. We keep it simple and informal – this meetup is about you, our members, and not just a soap box for the host, presenters, or our sponsors. Come and get your questions answered, take your next step in XR Technology.

Signing up for VirBELA

VirBELA is available on mac, windows, rift and vive.

First, you will want to create your account and then download the program onto your computer by going to their registration page. For Rift and Vive, it should be pretty straightforward in their interface. 

  • You will need to verify your email address
  • Create an avatar
  • Log into their “open campus”

Once logged in and in the VirBELA open campus area, walk around with your arrow keys and then click the Go To menu on top left of the screen. Our program will be in the Conference Hall, so you will need to click that option to join us.

System Recommendations

  • PC or Mac, Windows 7 SP1+ or newerMac OS X 10.11 or newer
  • Headphones and a microphone
  • Power cord plugged in for extended use

Entering the Venue – Conference Hall

  • Log into VirBELA
  • Click Go To menu on top left of your screen
  • Select Conference Hall

VRAR Chicago Virtual Environment Code of Conduct

Open microphones and/or not using headphones can create an echo effect that can negatively affect others’ experiences

  • Please use headphones if you can.
  • Keep your microphone on push-to-talk (using the number 1 key)
  • Act as if this is a space that you are in physically!
  • For the Questions and Answers portion
    • Click “Raise Hand” on bottom of your screen
    • Wait to be called on
    • Ask your question
      • Press the 1 key and hold it to open your mic
      • Ask your question and wait a moment
      • Release the 1 key

VirBELA tricks

  • Press and hold the 1 button to open your microphone to speak
  • Pressing the spacebar unlocks your view or “head” to look around
  • You can click someone’s name and click Go To and automatically walk to them
  • Your Go To menu lets you raise your hand, wave, or even dance!
  • Click the screen menu on top of your screen once in the Conference Hall to select your preferred ‘view’ to enjoy the program. 
    • You can toggle between these selections during the program

thank you to our sponsors

thank you to our partners