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The Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts (IDIA Lab) at Ball State University explores the intersection between the arts, sciences, and humanities using a broad range of technologies. Founded in 2005, IDIA Lab has been designing scholarly, creative, teaching and learning projects that investigate virtual reality, human computer interface (HCI), augmented reality, mobile apps, interactive artworks, immersive environments, head mounted display, visualization and 3D simulation. The IDIA Lab studios were initially incubated through the Eli Lilly Endowment’s Digital Media Initiative as part of two generous grants to the University. IDIA Lab’s research facilities include five distinct labs – IDIA Lab, CAVE Lab, DOME Lab, HCI Lab, and SIM Lab – all working in concert with tour partner, the Digital Scholarship Lab (DSL). The labs’ faculty, staff and students develop projects in collaboration with a cohort of international clients in this innovative initiative that investigates the forefront of emergent design, expression and learning.


Oculus Rift and Leap Motion Demo

The Oculus Rift allows users to be visually transported to virtual 3D worlds. When paired with the Leap Motion, users now have the ability to interact with a 3D virtual world using their own hands. The visual displays on the Oculus Rift project the user into an immersive 3D environment. The Leap Motion then allows […]

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Virtual Apollo 15

IDIA Lab’s Virtual Apollo 15 is a simulation of the mission which launched on July 26, 1971 from the Kennedy Space Center, at Cape Canaveral, Florida. During the launch, the S-IC did not completely shut off following staging for four seconds, creating the possibility of the spent stage banging into the S-II engines, damaging them […]

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Virtual Kitty Hawk

IDIA Lab’s Kitty Hawk is a simulation of the moment recorded in the famous photograph of the flight of the Wright Flyer (often retrospectively referred to as Flyer I or 1903 Flyer). This flyer was the first successful powered aircraft, designed and built by the Wright brothers. They flew it four times on December 17, […]

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Virtual Izapa

IDIA Lab’s Virtual Izapa, is a simulation of the site that is considered to be the birthplace of the Mayan Long Count, which ended its cycle today on December 21st, 2012 – the winter solstice. Viewed today, the site is oriented on an axis where it is aligned generally but not precisely to sunrise on […]

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Virtual Giza Necropolis

BSU IDIA Lab’s Virtual Giza Necropolis is an archaeological site on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. This complex of ancient monuments includes the three pyramids known as the Great Pyramids, the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries, a workers’ village and an industrial complex. It is located some […]

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Virtual Mosque Demo

Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts at Ball State University (IDIA Lab). A demonstration level featuring architecture of the Mosque. Visit Virtual Mosque Demo in Blue Mars http://blink.bluemars.com/City/IDIA_Mosque/ Virtual Mosque Demo in Blue Mars Video Walkthrough https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYS7Zafr0bk

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Virtual Chichen Itza

IDIA Lab’s Virtual Chichen Itza is a simulation of the large pre-Columbian city built by the Maya people of the Post-Classic era. The archaeological site is located in the municipality of Tinum, in the Mexican state of Yucatán.The layout of the Chichen Itza core site developed during its earlier phase of occupation, between 750 and […]

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Oculus Rift + Leap Motion controller 3D printing.

Using our MakerBot Replicator 2X 3D printer, IDIA’s Chris Harrison worked with David Rodriguez to create a family of 3 brackets with varying uses and advantages to mount a Leap Motion Controller to the front of an Oculus Rift DK2. Finding that double sided tape was not doing a very effective job of holding the Leap […]

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