Category: VAR Lab

Behrend’s Own “Ready Player One”

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By Heather Cass, Publications Manager, Penn State Behrend

This spring, several staff and faculty members recommended Remington Orange, above, a Digital Media, Arts, and Technology (DIGIT) major, for an annual feature on the Behrend Blog that highlights graduating students.

There was just one problem: Orange was a junior.

Their mistake is understandable. In just three years, Orange, an immersive administrator in the college’s Virtual/Augmented Reality (VAR) Lab, has left his mark on campus—literally. From 3D scanning equipment and building video game consoles in the VAR Lab to creating 360-degree virtual tours for industry partners, Orange’s work can be seen all over Behrend.

“He oversees several of the undergraduate employees in the lab, working with them across a half dozen or more projects, helping them to achieve their own goals,” said Dr. Chris Shelton, associate professor of psychology and director of the VAR Lab. “He goes out of his way to learn and help others who are trying new techniques in the lab, while also improving the atmosphere with his positive attitude and calm demeanor.”

Orange is also collaborating with Jane Ingold, reference and instruction librarian and Behrend’s archivist, to digitally preserve college artifacts as part of his Schreyer Honors College thesis project.

“He is so engaged and is a real champion of Behrend history through the preservation work that he’s doing,” Ingold said. “This spring, he did 3D scans of Ernst Behrend’s old steamer trunk, the bust of Moritz Behrend’s head, and Bruno’s headstone.”

Behrend Blog caught up with Orange before he returned home to New Bethlehem for the summer.

How did you get involved in the VAR Lab?
I met another student, Marcus Jacobs (a ’22 Business Economics and International Business grad), who worked there, and he roped me in. I was interested in what they were doing in the lab. Now I do a lot of the project managing. I joke that I’m Marcus 2.0.

What are some projects you’ve worked on?
Most recently, I helped create a 360-degree virtual tour for Snap-tite, an Erie company, and I’m working on the Echoes of HistERIE project—scanning historical sites and artifacts like the Presque Isle Lighthouse. If something ever happens to these places, at least we’d still have them digitally.

We heard you built a turntable to help scan people in 3D?
Yes! It’s hard to do 360-degree scans of people while lugging around the camera and cables, so it’s easier if the person rotates on a platform while the camera stays put. You can buy turntables like this, but my true gumption is being frugal—so I wanted to build one. My dad and I used the motor from a pig roaster, since it offers a slow, strong spin. It turned out great.

You also created an augmented reality sandbox. Tell us about that.
It’s an interactive display that lets users shape and manipulate 3D topographic maps in real time. A 3D camera senses the shape of the sand, and a projector overlays a topographic map onto it. You can build mountains and valleys right in front of you. Again, you can buy these, but we made ours out of plywood and an old projector.

And the VARcade?
That’s an arcade machine I built from an old kitchen cabinet. It runs classic games and also gives students a platform to test new games they create in computer science or game design classes.

You sound like an engineer. Why did you choose DIGIT?
DIGIT is the best of both worlds. I get to work with emerging technology but in a more creative or artsy way. I like 3D modeling, photography, making movies, and videogames. I’m also minoring in game development.

What are some practical uses for VR and 3D images?
A lot of people think VR is just for video games, but it has serious real-world uses—training simulations, for instance, where it’s safer to make mistakes. It’s also great for exposure therapy for phobias and PTSD. And 3D tours can give people a sense of what a place looks and feels like without needing to physically go there.

What motivates you?
My faith—especially Jeremiah 29:11: “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

What are you looking forward to when you return in August?
My Schreyer thesis project, which is a continuation of the work I do in the lab. I’ll be using different scanners on various artifacts to find the most efficient methods for digital preservation. And I’m excited to see what else comes my way in the VAR Lab. I’m up for anything. 

Standout Seniors: Meet Marcus Jacobs (Business Economics and International Business)

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Penn State Behrend’s class of 2022 is ready to make its mark on the world!  We’re proud of our students and the things they’ve accomplished and learned while here at Behrend. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be introducing you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have overcome challenges, pioneered new technology, participated in important research projects, and left an impression at Penn State Behrend.

Today, we’d like you to meet Marcus Jacobs: 

marcus jacobs

Major: Dual majoring in Business Economics and International Business

Hometown: Mount Washington in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scholarships: Bayard D. and Ethel M. Kunkle Scholarship, Pathway to Success: Summer Start Scholarship, Behrend Faculty and Staff Scholarship, and the Lawrence and Elizabeth Held Scholarship.

Why he chose Behrend:  In a way, I didn’t. I originally went to a community college in Pittsburgh. There, I had the opportunity to tour several universities. Penn State’s University Park stood out to me, and I applied. Because I was a transfer student, I had to do a 2 + 2 program (two years at a Commonwealth campus and two years at University Park). I chose Behrend, but within three weeks of being here, I knew I wanted to stay.

Decision made, period: The faculty relationships I had made in just a month, the energy that I experienced at Behrend, and the plethora of opportunities available made up my mind. I am a decisive person so when I decided that I was staying, that was that.

On Business Econ: Unlike many other schools, Behrend houses the Economics program in its business school, so there is a particular focus on the business applications of economics, which was of most interest to me. I have been particularly interested in the field of Behavioral Economics, which studies decisions being made in real-world situations that might not line up with the expectations set forth by the traditional Economic view.

On International Business: I.B. is a concurrent major that must be taken in combination with another business major. This allows you to get two degrees with just a few extra courses.

Can talk and walk backwards:  I have been a Lion Ambassador since the fall semester of my first year. In that time, I have served as historian and treasurer. I got to call Midnight Bingo twice, and I have given countless tours around the campus. I am very good at walking backward around campus.

Virtual tour leads to research work: After spearheading a virtual tour of Behrend, I got involved with the college’s Virtual Augmented Reality (VAR) Lab, which is directed by Dr. Chris Shelton, assistant professor of clinical psychology. I’ve been working as a student researcher and project manager in the VAR Lab for the past year and a half.

Hike the gorge with Marcus: One of the projects I’m most proud of is a virtual hike through Wintergreen Gorge. I had the chance to work with all types of unique hardware and software while working on it, and my “office” was the great outdoors for several weeks in early summer. I even presented it at a Penn State Alumni Association WE ARE Weekend virtual event.  I’m currently working on a four-seasons tour of Wintergreen Gorge.

He’s an idea guy who can take the lead: I really enjoy brainstorming. I love to think of visual improvements that I would like to see in the world and look at them from many different angles, then loop in a lot of different individuals to ensure a well-rounded solution. That is why I decided to pursue a graduate degree in project management. I’ve learned that the most fulfilling work for me is moving a project along, pushing it as far as I can before passing it on to those who come after me.

Thrill seeker: I have been skydiving and white-water rafting. (Watch us on the water in 360 here.) Also, the first time I ever went tent camping, it was along a 10-mile section of the Appalachian Trail in the mountains between Tennessee and North Carolina…in January…with a couple of friends as inexperienced as I was. I’m proud to say that I planned that trip, and it included a second and third day with an additional 16 miles of hiking (optimistic in hindsight, I know). I maintain that I’d have finished that trip if my friends hadn’t chickened out after one night in 26 degrees. We high-tailed it out of there that morning and caught a shuttle back to the car.

His definition of the good life: Surrounded by nature with the self-sufficient infrastructure around me that is necessary for comfortable off-the-grid living. Alaska, here I come!

What he’s passionate about: My involvement in the VAR Lab at Behrend. I believe in our collective vision, and I believe that we provide value and fill a gap in the emerging immersive technologies space.

PSB-VAR-LAB_010

Advice for first-year students: Whenever I see this question asked of a senior or alumni, they say “get involved.” All can say is that I’ve been fairly involved since day one here, and I still feel like I ran out of time. So, yes, get involved, the sooner the better. And don’t be afraid to try something completely out of your wheelhouse. If I hadn’t, I might never have gotten involved in immersive experiences or mixed/extended reality (XR).

Marcus is not quite done at Penn State. After his graduation in May, he will pursue a Master of Project Management degree, which is administered by Penn State Behrend through World Campus.