Using Consumer Robotics to Learn Programming

A few months ago, Sphero released a consumer robot called Spark, which is a rolling ball that can be controlled by a mobile app. Since its launch, the robot has been adopted as a teaching tool to teach kids programming and robotics in over 1000 schools across USA and Canada. Recently the company announced Spark’s second edition called Spark+. It has a tougher exterior so it can be handled by students without much wear and tear. It also comes with a more advanced version of Bluetooth so its easy for students to pair the robot to multiple devices in the classroom.

The robot works with the Lightning Lab mobile app which is designed to teach kids to learn coding through play by using the principles of gamification. It uses drag and drop nodes which allow kids to string together their own sequence of commands that the robot will execute. Astute students can also see textual version of the code to get a deeper insights into how computer programs work.

Spark+ is durable, easy to control and water resistant. Kids can program the robot to swim and even paint! Having something tactile to focus on holds the attention of students much better. Students for example, can program the robot to trace the trajectory of the planets in our solar system. This gives them hands-on learning experience and something to play with and have fun.

Learning to start coding with robots is a great help for students to overcome their initial barrier to entry and see that programs in action. This can open door for students to prepare for similar professions such as Game Development Courses. MAGES Institute of Excellence is one such game design institutes in Singapore which offers similar programs to help students learn technology for the creative industries.

VR to Transform the way we Enjoy Movies

The Oculus Rift is among the biggest names in VR technology, and that is because it aims to be the first great virtual reality consumer experience. Its main audience will likely be gamers going forward, but that does not mean that there are no other uses for the device outside of gaming. In fact, there's endless potential for the hardware. Theater fans have long dealt with a problem that movies are an experience completely dependent on other individuals. A noisy theatergoer can efficiently ruin a film for someone that isn't there to watch someone, say, playing on their mobile phone or have her or his chair kicked repeatedly!

But, as of now, a movie theatre is the only convenient way to get the 3D movie experience. Oculus Rift could very well change that. The Oculus Rift is 3D capable, meaning that consumers may have access to not only the first affordable virtual reality experience, but their first decent 3D screen as well. The sheer experience of watching a 3D movie is about to become available on the mass market. In a nutshell, 3D movies are definitely compatible with the Oculus Rift, and are a great reason to purchase the headset.

But there is another kind of experience the Oculus Rift may potentially offer consumers of 3D films. Some of us like the theatre experience itself, and the problem is the crowd. A Korean company sees a market there, and so has been hard at work building a virtual reality theatre you can explore. It not only provide the experience of your favourite theatre, but also plays your movies as well. Users could select between 2D and 3D visualization modes on the theatre screen itself. Not only can the Oculus Rift be utilized to watch 3D films, but additionally it may be utilized to simulate the entire theatre experience.  3D movies on the Oculus Rift won't just be 3D, they will feel more realistic than the traditional theatre or home TV experience.

It's a thrilling time to be a fan of films, since the Oculus Rift and its counterparts such as HTC Vive are going to change the accuracy of 3D film for the better.

Not only from the perspective of content consumption, but there will be a rise in demand for content creators as well. To make 3D content for VR films, a student need to be proficient in 3D graphics production. This can be achieved by taking VFX in Animation Courses. One such post graduate diploma course in Singapore is offered by MAGES Institute of excellence. MAGES also offers course on games modelling and animation where students learn to build playable games, a skill-set complementary to VFX in 3D films.