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Sara Larson,
Yingqi Huang,
Ellorah James,
Rohnak Banerjee
July 7, 2014
Assignment #3
Virtual Reality Applications Center

Have you ever wanted to dive into the world of hi-tech ingenuity and experience virtual
reality hands on? The Virtual Reality Application Center (VRAC) here at Iowa State, gives a
person the opportunity to do so. With this center being one of the most elite in the nation, group
six could not help but to be intrigued by this fascinating building we have, practically in our own
backyard. In this brief profile of the VRAC, we will discuss the mission statement, history, and
what the VRACs goals for the future.
The Virtual Reality Center was established in the 1990s and was originally named
the Iowa Center for Emerging Manufacturing Technology, otherwise known as the ICEM
(VRAC Review, 2012). It is in Howe Hall, an engineering building, located on Bissell Road . It
was changed to the VRAC in 1992 when they were granted their first patent for a three year
project focused strictly on virtual prototyping research (Fakespace Systems, 2006). With this
new grant the VRAC could officially reach unpredictable limits and soar to new heights, while
maintaining its astounding reputation.Undergraduate and graduate students can work together on
complex creations, such as ways to improve human computer interaction,welding together
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intricate
pieces of
metal to
create an art
piece or aid
in the making of the newest and greatest invention of the twenty-first century in the METal lab
(Iowa State, 2011).
The room most interesting to group six is C6, which is a room with six walls containing
6.3 million mega pixels total giving the illusion of being in an extremely vivid environment, such
as being outside in the woods or being on a battlefield in action (Fakespace Systems, 2006). With
multiple partners and sponsors working with the facility to ensure maximum potential of the
Virtual Reality Center. The VRACs ultimate mission is to provide
unique learning opportunities to Iowa States undergraduate and
graduate students, facilitate the world, and foster technology and
economic development in support of ISUs strategic stakeholders
(VRAC Review, 2012). More than $20 million have gone into the
VRACs development and is internationally renowned as one of the
worlds premier research facilities (Newswire, 2009). We are proud
that the VRAC, the leading research institute in the Virtual Reality
area, chose the IC.IDO[, a 3D Immersive Product Experience,] as a
partner and application provider for their research Ralph Heimberg, the CEO of ICIDO, stated
when giving a speech after announcing the partnership of the two facilities (Newswire, 2009).
ICIDO is one of the worlds leading providers of virtual reality software (Newswire, 2009) and
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possesses impressive credibility. Partnering and being recognized with an elite company in the
virtual reality business is an advantage to the VRAC, so it can remain one of the best virtual
reality facilities. With a building so modernized on our campus, one can ask, how can you not be
proud to be a Cyclone?
Group six was especially intrigued by a building we were not knowledgeable about, and
further wanted to investigate more about what we did not know. We become more
knowledgeable about the C6 room ,which can be used
for students and faculty to prepare them for live action
during a war. It is extraordinary that we attend a
university who takes pride in providing a facility more
than capable of helping the alumni in more ways than
just education. Students and staff who initiate the bold
decision to serve the country have an outstanding
opportunity to mentally, and possibly even emotionally, adjust themselves to the unpredictable
and indescribable world of war. Simulations will never allow a person to receive a full and
complex understanding of the world they are about to endure, but advanced technology
opportunities can aid them tremendously. Iowa State University does much more than meet
expectations, this university exceeds them.
The Virtual Reality Applications Center has been a vital asset to Iowa State for
twentyfour years, and is only continuing to expand the greatness it already entails. Partnering and
being recognized by an elite company in the virtual reality business it is an advantage to the
VRAC. In this analysis and brief profile of the VRAC we have obtained and shared information
about the facilities history, mission statement, what its goals are for the future, and how our
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group personally feels towards the establishment. Our group can boldly say we are proud to be
Cyclones.



Citations:
Eliot Winer. Iowa State University College of Engineering News.Iowa States
MIRAGE lab mixes real and virtual to create new research opportunities.
February 14, 2013. Web.
"Fakespace Wins Contract for World's Highest Resolution Virtual Reality Room,
Over 100 Million Pixels Provide Unprecedented Detail; Upgrade to Virtual Reality
Applications Center at Iowa State University Will Enable Breakthrough
Research." Internet Wire 18 May 2006. Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 14
July 2014.
"ICIDO and Virtual Reality Applications Center at the Iowa State University
cooperate on Virtual Reality applications." PRWeb 17 June 2009. Business
Insights: Essentials. Web. 14 July 2014.
Virtual Reality Applications Center Review. Iowa State University.2012.Print.
Virtual. Virtual Reality Applications Center. Copyright 1998-2008. Web.
Sara,Yingqi, Ellorah, and Rohnak,
Your team has completed most of the requirements of the assignment. You give a good
introduction. Your thesis, however, leaves out mention of an analysis of the source documents
you found with respect to their ethos (credibility), logos (logic), and pathos (emotion). You do a
good treatment of the history and mission of the VRAC, and you do a good profile. Your
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pictures are incorporated within the paper; however, there are no captions. You end your profile
with a forward looking, inspirational statement that leaves the reader with something to think
about.
With your Works Cited page, which it should be called in MLA style, it should be
formatted according to MLA style. The second and any additional lines of each source should be
indented. There should be no bullet points. Team six, this would be an excellent paper for each
of you to revise for your portfolios.
Ms. Fender