Humber’s Faculty of Media & Creative Arts creates its first augmented reality experience featuring Howie the Hawk

By Janice Saji

In today’s ever-changing technology and innovation landscape, Humber College faculty members, students and industry partners continue to meet shifting demands through creativity and collaboration. A prominent example highlighting this commitment is Humber’s Faculty of Media & Creative Arts’ (FMCA) initiatives that integrate the newest technologies in academic settings.

In a recent initiative, FMCA’s faculty and students joined hands with the Office of the Registrar to create the first augmented reality experience for Humber’s beloved mascot, Howie the Hawk. Released in June 2022, the augmented reality experience allows Humber students to celebrate their graduation by capturing videos with a motion capture dance featuring the Hawk.

To learn more about the project, Humber’s Office of Research & Innovation spoke with project lead, Cory Avery, Professor in FMCA and Program Coordinator of Humber’s 3D Animation, Art & Design program; David Neumann, Professor in FMCA; and Adam Yee-Stewart, one of the FMCA students at the forefront of this creation.

Birth of an idea

So, where did it all begin? It all began with a simple idea—make the Hawk dance.

It had never been done before; it would represent an iconic symbol of Humber and be an excellent resource for departments to use in the future. At the end of the day, it was also something everyone could have fun with. With the pandemic taking away traditional college experience from students, especially international students, David thought that using the dancing Hawk during the spring convocation would be an excellent way for them to feel more in touch with their college. With this idea in mind, David started collaborating with Cory and Adam to bring the idea to life.

With support from the Office of the Registrar, they were good to begin working on the idea.

David credits the Registrar’s Office for being open to explore emerging technologies for the convocation. Their support helped the team move forward with the project.

Stepping outside comfort zones

Innovation rarely evolves from within one’s comfort zone. The FMCA project is a testament to this.

David notes that when they were first asked by the Office of the Registrar to create something for convocation, they developed a filter for Instagram. But instead of stopping there, the team decided to go beyond and explore how much further they could take this project. With the Office of the Registrar supporting their vision, the team eventually decided to incorporate motion capture into their project. What started off as a simple idea soon evolved into an innovative creation. Within less than a month, the team worked together to bring the dancing Hawk to life.

David recalls fearing not being able to complete the project by the Spring 2022 convocation due to limited time. Still, the team pulled it off successfully mere days before the ceremony. The Hawk has since been used at Humber’s Fall 2022 Orientation as well as the Fall 2022 convocation ceremony.

Reflecting on the collaboration, David states:

“What I love about collaborating with faculty members like Cory is that it is not about if it is possible or not; it is about, ‘How can we make it work?’”

Bringing research to life

When faced with the possibility of creating something new, Cory’s main thought was to “make it work.” Cory explains that while 3D scanning was something they had done before, this was their first time scanning this particular type of subject. It was a new experience for the team. David says their guiding thoughts while working on the project were to spark curiosity, build confidence, and discover or expand agency on what students and faculty can do with their skill sets. And with technology evolving rapidly, David notes, “It’s important to have faculty members like Cory who are very much not risk averse and are open to trying and exploring new ideas.” Also, having IT support from team members like Michael Simmons, an IT Specialist from the FMCA, was crucial in the success of the project.

So how did an idea revolving around 3D scanning evolve to include motion capture and augmented reality? The answer is: Through collaboration. The project was a direct result of fruitful collaboration between faculty members, researchers, 3D animators, graphic designers, and support staff members.

A hands-on learning experience

Humber students were the backbone of this project. The entire project, from the dance and the poster to the development of the 3D model, was created by the students with support from the faculty and staff. Adam, an FMCA student who closely collaborated with David and Cory, says working on the project provided him with an opportunity to practice what he was learning in class. Adam notes that being able to work on topics related to his field will help him merge better in the industry and improve his employability skills.

“It was fun being able to work with other work-study students. It was also interesting to observe their work process and see outside of what I do.”

—Adam Yee-Stewart, FMCA student

Cory notes the important role the students played in the project.

“The students played an important role in pulling all the elements together and making it a cohesive project. It was a hands-on learning experience for the students.”

— Cory Avery, FMCA professor

Keeping the momentum going

As one project ends, another one begins. Cory is currently pursuing a new venture, this time with Donna O'Brien-Sokic, a professor from the Film & Television Production program. While the project is still in its early stages, the new technology is expected to transform the use of 3D animation in television. In addition, David is in the process of working on a project that focuses on collaboration between industry and academia.

David notes that success of these projects should also be credited to the FMCA administration, support staff, and students who consistently work together to create a culture of innovation and creativity.

With several exciting projects underway, the FMCA is heading into the new year with a focus on keeping up their innovative momentum.