Using the Metaverse to Innovate in Virtual Production and Architectural Education
By Janice Saji
At the Office of Research & Innovation at Humber College, we often come across various curious minds interested in conducting research. Sometimes we come across faculty who have burning research questions that stem from a professional and educational background that enabled them to think about how to innovate in their field. They ask, “How can I combine all the amazing resources at Humber and formulate a robust research project with a diverse and talented team?”
Our response: We are here for you to realize your vision.
Just one idea has the possibility of growing into a highly impactful project. All it takes is acting upon that one idea.
Dr. Eva Ziemsen and Elizabeth Fenuta, OAA, M.Arch are testimony to this.
Dr. Ziemsen, a professor in the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts (FMCA), teamed up with Fenuta, a professor in the Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology (FAST), to conduct her first research project at Humber.
Their initial research related to the metaverse, titled “Harnessing Higher Education in the Metaverse,” aimed to build a prototype of a sample metaverse learning space in the context of a higher education setting.
The project received the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Seed and Cultivate grant (SoTL) from Humber’s Office of Research & Innovation in September 2022.
The researchers were awarded the Research Excellence Award at the Humber President’s Awards 2023 for their significant contributions to the college’s research program through their project related to the metaverse.
While this project ended in December 2022, it shed light on various opportunities yet to be explored within the metaverse. This drove them to conduct a research project funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)—Applied Research and Technology Partnership (ARTP) grant.
They partnered and collaborated with Tim Hatch, Vice President of Virtual Production Service Solutions, to work on the research project, “Metaverse-Based Virtual Simulations for Virtual Production and Customer Engagement, Education and Training.” The result is a working prototype—a Multiplayer, VR and PC-based application.
Metaverse-based virtual simulations and virtual production
Dr. Ziemsen says the Educational Volume Walk-Through Application offers two tools. The ‘EducatiOnal LED Volume Walk-Through’ tool allows the user to experience being in a “Volume” typically used for Virtual Production (VP), no matter where they are in the world. The tool guides users by an AI-generated voice to understand the key components of the “Volume,” including the Brain Bar, Motion Tracking System, LED Wall, LED Tile and Electrical Distribution.
The “Custom VP Volume Design” tool allows potential clients of APG Media to see a full mock-up of a potential VP Volume, complete with LED wall, customized to their space, specs and needs. The application will allow clients to view their space via a PC or Quest Headset via Link to truly get a sense of what their future Volume designed by APG Media Group could look like.
Prospective clients and educational institutions can request the app for free by using the contact page on their website.
Transitioning from SoTL to NSERC-ARTP
Dr. Ziemsen says they always knew that their SoTL project was a starting point for many iterations in the Metaverse.
“SoTL gave us a great opportunity to test a proof of concept and the outcomes of that project allowed us to showcase what is possible to build using Metaverse-based technology. This led to us being able to dive deeper and conduct an applied research partnership project.”
– Dr. Eva Ziemsen, Ph.D., professor in Humber’s Faculty of Media & Creative Arts
She notes that SoTL gave them an opportunity to showcase what is possible to build and led to them being able to speak to industry partners who were interested in using Metaverse-based technology and approaches in their business models.
Collaborating with Tim Hatch from APG Media helped them evolve the project by transforming their earlier concept to something very specialized for APG Media Group’s business needs.
Meet the research team
Dr. Eva Ziemsen, Ph.D., is a professor in the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts at Humber College. She is a researcher, educator, and filmmaker with 20 years of experience. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, an MA in Feature Film Development and a Micro-Credential in Virtual Production completed at SIRT Centre. Dr. Ziemsen teaches courses in Virtual Production and is the lead curriculum developer of new programs in VP at Humber College. Dr. Ziemsen is an early adopter of Virtual Production and Metaverse technology; she has made films in virtual worlds and has taught in the Metaverse.
Elizabeth Fenuta is a professor of Architectural Technology in the Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology (FAST) at Humber College and a licensed Architect. She received her Master of Architecture and Honors Bachelor of Architectural Studies from the University of Waterloo. Through the study of architecture in Italy and by working at various prestigious architecture and design firms in Toronto, she provides a unique interdisciplinary approach to spatial practice. Fenuta has taught at the University of Waterloo and researched with Dr. Elizabeth English on Amphibious Architectures. She has also taught Architecture at Toronto Metropolitan University and Interior Design at Yorkville University.
Speaking about the two research assistants who were part of the project, Dr. Ziemsen says, “Elizabeth and I are very focused on ensuring women are part of building the Metaverse and wish to amplify the complex technical work that these research assistants did.”
Elijah Alejandro, a fourth-year Interior Design Student at Humber, and Ju-Chieh Liao, a graduate of Humber’s Game Programming program, were the research assistants on this project.
Speaking about their experience working on the project, they said:
“I learned a lot while working on this project. This was my first time developing a VR application implementing interactive features and exploring text-to-speech technology. The highlight of this project was working together with team members from different fields and learning new things from them.” – Ju-Chieh Liao, graduate of Humber’s Game Programming program
“The project exposed me to new and different possibilities of Interior Design within the industry. It also honed me to improve other skills such as graphic design and web design.” – Elijah Alejandro, fourth-year Interior Design Student at Humber College
The research assistants noted that this project served as valuable experience for their future careers.
“I gained valuable knowledge about Unreal Engine in implementing interactive features, optimizing performance, and creating video clips through a sequencer recorder which is an Unreal tool that I rarely use as a programmer. All these techniques enhance my knowledge of Unreal Engine while providing me the opportunity to understand the world of virtual production and metaverse.” – Ju-Chieh Liao, graduate of Humber’s Game Programming program
“Aside from learning technical skills and knowledge, Eva and Elizabeth have also empowered me to communicate my ideas and make them even better. These skills are very important especially when working towards a creative industry.” – Elijah Alejandro, fourth-year Interior Design Student at Humber College
Moving forward
The recently launched Educational Volume Walk-Through Application has been met with high interest. Dr. Ziemsen says that APG Media informed her that there were quite a few inquiries to try out the app.
The app has been used in a film course that prepares students for Virtual Production and allows students to learn about the key components of a “Volume” before ever setting foot in a real one.
The team has showcased a demo for an international partner at Humber College and will disseminate the outcomes to more partners as film curriculums evolve using virtual production.
Dr. Ziemsen mentioned that the positive response towards the project has filled her with excitement to see what new projects are waiting on the horizon.
She says that her team is driven to lead more metaverse-related research as the world and Humber College adapt to rapid changes in higher education and technology.
Learn more about ways to get involved in research projects taking place at Humber.
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.
