An Introduction to the Unity Game Engine.
For our first event, we were joined by the amazingly talented Professor Bob Stone, an accomplished industry professional, with over 35 years of experience in the immersive tech sector. We were also joined by the super talented Professor Andy Miah, PhD, who is the Chair of Science Communication & Future Media, in the School of Science, Engineering and Environment at the University of Salford.
Professor Bob Stone shared some of his own practice and projects using Unity, as well as where he thinks the technology may be heading (more below):
Intro to Bob’s background and career.
Demo of things built using Unity.
Where will this technology be heading? Avoiding the hype.
Professor Andy Miah shared a wealth of knowledge and experience covering:
Intro to Andy's background and career.
'Lightning Talk' on the Metaverse.
Our first meetup event took place online, and also covered a wide array of topics:
Games made with Unity
Sample Projects: How To Use Unity: Professor Bob Stone
Sample Projects: How To Use Unity: AV
Unity Education: Artists & Programmers
What is VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality) and Immersive tech?
And what the heck is this Metaverse thing? Professor Andy Miah
How to use AR/VR
Make Learning Faster
Case Study: Design Prototyping for AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction)
The Future of Design: Superior Production
Q&A
Networking Event
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Bob Stone is a Human Factors specialist and a 35-year “veteran” of the international Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality community, having experienced the original NASA “VIEW” VR system in 1987 during a European Space Agency-funded study series on space telerobotics. In 1993, whilst researching VR and robotics at the UK’s National Advanced Robotics Centre, Bob established the world’s first industrial VR team, launching a countrywide collaborative VR initiative, wholly funded by industry. Bob’s research has taken him from Royal Navy vessels conducting close-range weapons and missile trials to underwater operations onboard submarines and rescue submersibles; and from search-and-rescue helicopter missions to operating theatres and medical units throughout the UK, US and South Africa. Today, as well as being an Emeritus Professor at the University of Birmingham, Bob works closely with the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine and various UK hospitals, researching the use of VR and MR for physical and mental health restoration and rehabilitation, and for the training of future military Medical Emergency Response Teams. He also has a passion for the Virtual Heritage arena, exploiting VR and AR to help make invisible rural and oceanic historic sites visible once again, particularly around the Plymouth area where he was born and bred. Bob and his Team have been awarded numerous awards over the past 30 years. In 2011, he was awarded the Ministry of Defence Chief Scientific Advisor’s Commendation for his contributions to Defence Science & Technology, and, more recently, his team received the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors 2020 Innovation Award for their defence medical work.
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Professor Andy Miah, PhD (@andymiah), is Chair of Science Communication & Future Media, in the School of Science, Engineering and Environment at the University of Salford, Manchester. His research focuses on the promise and peril of new technologies and his career has spanned the areas science, technology, art, media, and culture. A passionate communicator, he believes that we need to unravel the future by examining the ethics and morality of our options. His interest in technology is born out of a desire to understand what happens to humanity in a world where digital and biotechnological innovations rapidly transform how we live. Author of 10 books and over 150 academic articles, he is also a frequent media commentator and has written for the Washington Post, Vogue, BBC, Wired, and many other outlets.