Architects of the Virtual World
King’s College London has released the final report on the Theatron 3 project, which has been mostly developed by Beta Technologies for King’s Visualisation Lab. The report should prove invaluable for researchers and educators willing to engage in long-term projects in Second Life, and it is considered to be very objective, addressing the advantages and some of the barriers to institutional use of Second Life as a research tool.
I-Learning Workshops, Immersive Learning for the Classroom and Workplace, is DHR New Media’s division for hosting workshops and seminars using the Second Life® platform for job training.
As part of their extensive area in Second Life, Beta Technologies was assigned to redevelop a Coffee Shop to be used as a scenario for the Talent for Growth language classes. Supervised by professional educators, Beta Technologies’ creative team presented DHR New Media with high-quality, realistic content for this first setting.
Coordinated by Profs. Alexandra Gago da Câmara and Helena Murteira from CHAIA (University of Évora), Beta Technologies deployed an historical representation of the city of Lisbon in 1755, shortly before it was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake, to be included in the presentation City and Spectacle: a vision of pre-earthquake Lisbon in the workshop Serious Games in Cultural Heritage at the VAST2008 (Braga, December 2, 2008).
Having previously recreated a model of the Royal Opera House, this latest project involves the recreation of the eastern side of the Terreiro do Paço (Royal Courtyard), including the palaces built by King Manuel and King Phillip, as well as the Terzi Tower. The recreation extends to the Gardens behind the palace and the streets and courtyards leading to the Royal Opera House, which was included in this model.
This was also Beta Technologies’ largest-scale project based on OpenSim server technology, having been built in its entirety on Beta Technologies’ own OpenSim mini-grid. Internauts (residents subscribed to the Open Grid Public Beta Trial) are able to visit the 3D models directly; images are also available here and here.
In a long-term project, Beta Technologies has been modelling in Second Life® 19 European theatres (from Ancient Greece up to the 20th century) for the Theatron 3 project of King’s Visualisation Lab (part of King’s College London).
During this undertaking, old models from the Theatron 2 project (done on legacy technologies) are being adapted by Beta Technologies’ experts in virtual archeology so that they can be fully used as buildings inside Second Life. The extraordinary detail of the historical models require a high level of expertise to be properly recreated in Second Life, and be used by several European universities as objects for further study (which include the recreation of historical plays in its proper environment). The historical accuracy of the models and the research are provided by experts from King’s Visualisation Lab who supervise the work in close collaboration with Beta Technologies’ creative director, our specialist in virtual archeology (recreation of historical buildings in virtual worlds).
As part of the project, the Theatron Reservation System was also developed by Beta Technologies. This is a device allowing the universities participating in the Theatron project to register for a particular theatre to be displayed, select a “pedagogical pack” (usually a set or scenario specific to a certain play or epoch), and have the corresponding building rezzed at the apropriate time. The terrain of the “Theatron” simulator is also terraformed accordingly.
Continuing well into the third year of developing unique content for Language Lab, the first and largest language school entirely run inside the Second Life® virtual world, Beta Technologies designed Language Lab’s Registration Centre, with a mix of futuristic and Oxbridge elements, which will serve for potential students to have individual interviews with Language Lab’s teachers, as well as their welcome area.
The Arch Plaza and the Café (not shown) were also part of this project.
Developed separately, Beta Technologies also provided Language Lab with their own branded version of the Second Life® Client, which will soon be available for all students to log in to Language Lab’s areas.
Marco Aldany is the leading Spanish hair salon chain, being around since 1957 and having 400 franchised shops spread over Spain, Portugal, Central America, and Eastern Europe. Besides their hair salons, they also have their own hairdresser school, having trained more than 4,000 professionals.
Reaching out to more markets, their presence in Second Life®, integrated into the Beta Business Park, will aim a wide variety of potential customers: end-users looking for their unique styles (a few of which will be available for avatars to wear in Second Life); hairdressers looking for their school; potential interested parties in opening a franchise operation; and investors, as the group goes public on the Madrid stock market after being bought by the Chic Corporation.
Using Marco Aldany’s hypermodern and distinctive look, their presence in Second Life closely follows the look & feel of the real franchised shops. It features not only the hair salon but a space for the school. As an innovation, a special area was set apart to create a club — MAD — where Marco Aldany fans, friends, guests and visitors will be able to attend parties and special events, thus binding the community closely together in the virtual world.
You can visit the MAD Club at this SLURL.
Dolce Vita is an international shopping centre chain in Europe with a strong presence in Portugal. They’re launching a contest for the “Best Fashionable Avatar” in the Second Life® virtual world.
To register, you only need to go to a Dolce Vita kiosk and touch it to get an unique registration code. With that code you can now send postcards with pictures of your avatar and have them displayed on a voting site. The 10 most voted avatars until May 15th will be invited to a fashion show (with live music) on May 16th, where a jury will pick their choice among the best. Contestants can pick up free clothes (up to a limit) from the Portuguese fashion designer Maria Gherardi on her MG Fashion shops in Second Life.
The winner will get a voucher to spend €500 on any Dolce Vita Shopping Centre in Portugal. There will be a second round of voting on May 23rd with another €500 to be won.
All design and programming were developed by Beta Technologies.
Languagelab is the world leader in a new approach to language learning. The approach combines the interactive and social potential of virtual environments with highly qualified, innovative teachers from around the world to provide a unique space for formal and informal learning. And all of this can be accessed from your computer. Learning in Languagelab is memorable and effective, realistic and immersive, targeted and informal, collaborative and enabling. Their project is quite long-term, and they have been developing in Second Life for a few years, even introducing voice technology well before Linden Lab released their own software.
Beta Technologies has been working with Languagelab from the very start, creating realistic content for the many settings and environments used to teach classes in several languages.
Sustainability is the main subject when Grundfos the pump group open the doors to a brand new world in the virtual universe of Second Life on September 12th.
“New ideas, the option to invite users to take part, dialogue across national borders, innovation power and a large amount of curiosity are the reasons why Grundfos is going to open a new and completely different island in Second Life,” said Thomas Koldbæk from Grundfos eBusiness & -innovation.
Looking at the world with new eyes
Grundfos is primarily entering the three dimensional universe with the purpose of learning. “We want to examine all the possibilities of the computer made worlds. The natural way to enter for us is to focus on sustainable development, and so we have built up our island with environmental issues and energy consumption as the main topic. We want as much interaction as possible. In several places visitors are invited to support projects that, in the longer view, will result in initiatives in the real world. For instance, users of Second Life are invited to buy virtual SQ Flex installations and thereby contribute to the donation of one real SQ Flex installation for a water supply project in Africa in the real world”, Mr Koldbæk explained.
More than 4 walls and a logo
“We have used quite some time to decide how and why we want to be present in Second Life. Our island is of optimum quality and facilities and buildings have inviting and exciting designs. Users are constantly invited to be active. Grundfos will let the island live for about six months, during which time we shall take stock and evaluate the efforts and benefits,” Mr Koldbæk said.
Long-term perspectives
Grundfos also want to clarify the trends of the virtual worlds now and in the future. “The virtual universes are right now going through a phase of experimentation. Our approach is focusing on our commitment to sustainability and our corporate values. The primary aim of Grundfos is to learn and then analyse what use we can make of the virtual universes. For instance, this could be a forum of co-operation in which we arrange meetings and conferences with all the parties interested in our business,” Thomas Koldbæk concluded.
To visit Grundfos Energy Saving Island, all you need is to have Second Life installed and click here.
Launch event
To promote the official launch today, a rather intense schedule of several events are scheduled. They include a DJ and a live piano player, as well as a series of presentations related to sustainability.
Xerox’s virtual presence, developed by Beta Technologies, was officially presented on Fenway Park in Boston to an audience that has seen Second Life for the first time ever.
Loosely inspired on the “office park” theme, the major areas of Xerox’s sim are two building complexes, one for an auditorium, the other a pavillion for partners. There are also areas for a dance floor, some lounges and chill-out areas, as well as a short track to experiment the virtual recreation of the Xerox Nu-Ness motorbike. The launch event, besides being a mixed-media event, also included, on the in-world side, a panel discussion on the possibilities of virtual worlds, hosted by Linda Jacobson from Xerox PARC, and having as panelists Bob Moore from Xerox PARC, Ron Meiners from Multiverse, Sandra Kearney from IBM, Jonas Karlsson from the Xerox Innovation Group, and Eggy Lippmann and Gwyneth Llewelyn from Beta Technologies.
After the event, in good, old, Second Life tradition, the audience met for some dancing and chatting.
See also the article on the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, the Xerox “Big I, little t” Blog, and on UgoTrade.