The IAIA (Institute of American Indian Arts) - with its Digital Dome, the world's only fully articulating dome - has just announced that it has received a $573,321 grant from the Department of Defense: Research and Educational Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MIs). The project entitled Fulldome Development for Interactive Immersive Training Capabilities will support the research the development of interactive technology for fulldome theaters.

The research project will build on an existing partnership between the IAIA and the University of New Mexico’s Art, Research, Technology & Science Laboratory (ARTS Lab). IAIA is one of three partners in a 2010-2012 National Science Foundation Partnership for Innovation (NSF PFI) grant to the University of New Mexico (UNM) entitled “A Consortium for Fulldome and Immersive Technology Development”.

The project will further develop this existing research to deliver true interactive immersive environments. The primary objective is the development of real-time interactivity for fulldome technology through the use of external devices and gestural navigation. Fundamental research problems in group interaction, perception, and interactive display will be investigated.

IAIA will collaborate with the UNM ARTS Lab to develop curriculum and deliver a series of courses in the areas of immersive media, interactive visualization, 3D animation, computer programming, and fulldome technology. Through these courses, students will work alongside professional researchers and computer programmers to engage in hands-on studies, experiments, and techniques to develop an interactive environment. Students will also have an opportunity to work as paid interns on the project.

Ethan Bach, Director of the Digital Dome at IAIA, will serve as the lead Principal Investigator. David Beining, Associate Director for Immersive Media at the University of New Mexico ARTS Lab, will serve as co-Principal Investigator. Jonathan Strawn, UNM ARTS Lab technical director, and Charles Veasey, IAIA’s Lab Technician and software developer, will serve as key project personnel.

This is a great news for the fulldome community: let's see what they'll come up with!

Many wishes to the whole team and good luck with this new exciting project!

Source: Digital Dome @ IAIA, by Ethan Bach