Zone1:
Explore FUTURE Center for Design and Technology Transfer, a space created to drive the design agenda of the 21st century. View the Encore Presentation of 1st Annual CIA Animation and Preproduction Show. Learn about new media innovations and startups in FUTURE's business incubator. Explore plans for CMA at CIA Co-laboratory for Virtual Reality.

Zone2:
Experience media installation work, including robotics, game design and interactive media, created by undergraduate and graduate students at The CIA. Jump into Biomedical Illustration, T.I.M.E. Digital Arts, and other studios at CIA.

Zone3:
Plug in to the exploding portfolio of interactive games created by CIA and CASE Western Reserve University collaborative teams in a upstart gaming space. Meet the students and hear the stories behind the magic.

The Communication Sciences Department (COSI) at Case Western Reserve University is currently building a revolutionary state-of-art 180 degree immersive virtual reality (IVR) training simulation research laboratory to increase student clinical competency skills and carry over of therapeutic skills for children and adults with communication disorders.

The IVR training simulation research lab includes:

• Customized two dimensional branched HD films targeting “real life” scenarios
• External displays and supplemental computer monitoring/recording systems to track users virtual experiences
• Specialized authoring software allowing for high levels of social interactions with “real life” scenarios
• Dynamic instructor station allowing SLP clinicians/instructors the ability to control social interactions within a given virtual setting
• Biometric feedback data for monitoring anxiety levels throughout a virtual experience

This tour previewed the technology for the COSI Virtual Immersion Center. Tour participants had an opportunity to observe and/or participate in a fast food simulation exercise. Tour participants were encouraged to place a McDonald’s food order either in the simulated drive thru or restaurant scenario. Interested participants were able to operate the instructor station and control the social interactions of the users during the McDonald’s virtual experience. Future research endeavors and additional “real life” scenarios for the Virtual Immersion Center were also previewed at the conclusion of the tour.

This tour featured digital media projections of works from the BFA and MFA students from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Attendees will see animation, video, and digital art from the Cleveland Institute of Art projected on the walls of the Geary building. Attendees also had the opportunity to play interactive games made by CASE Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Art students, with the gameplay projected on the walls of the Geary building. The scores of the game were tracked and posted, and the players with the most points won a special prize!

This was a "hands on" tour of the new Virtual Worlds Gaming and Simulation laboratory in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at CASE.

The lab forms the basis for an introductory freshmen and sophomore course in the area of game design and implementation (offered this Spring), a planned intermediate course on game programming concepts, and an advanced game design project taught in conjunction with the Cleveland Institute of Art (offered this past Fall). The lab will also be used as the basis for homework and projects in existing courses in such areas as graphics, artificial intelligence and networks.

The lab has six rooms with all computers and gaming consoles connected to the CASE Gigabit network: The PC room contains 18 Alienware Aurora 7500 systems (with 24” Dell LCD monitors and high performance graphics cards), the Console Room containing XBOXs, PS2s, an XBOX 360 and Gamecubes being displayed with Sony DLP short throw projectors, a single station Immersion Room incorporating an Alienware graphics workstation and a 2D/3D (!) projection system with a 6’x8’ screen, a Music/Sound mini-studio, a Virtual Reality Room with 2 Alienware graphics workstations, and a Medical Simulation Room.

Join us for the Opening Reception to be held at the Intercontinental Hotel and sponsored by Apple Computers. Good food will be served and a cash bar offered. This event is an excellent way to meet other conference attendees and see your friends from the past.

You don't want to miss out on this reception and dinner at the famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The entire museum will be open for viewing for attendees, with live music performances by Focus. A special jam session will also be held with music performed by NMC conference attendees.

Special tickets are available for purchase for your spouse or significant other to attend the Wednesday Night Opening Reception and the Thursday Night Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Reception and Dinner.

Spouse and significant other ticket prices for both events are $75.00 and include only tickets to the Wednesday Night Opening Reception and the Thursday Night Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Reception and Dinner. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be available for purchase onsite at the conference. You may purchase these tickets when registering for the conference and for your convenience seperating business and personal credit card payments. We have set up the registration so that the attendee and spouse may register seperately. Simply use the link above to register a spouse or significant other for either or both of these events.

Be sure to fill in the name of the conference attendee the spouse or significant other will be accompanying, as the name badge and tickets will be put in the conference attendee's registration packet onsite at the conference.