2021 Symposium

Decorative poster with the date and time of the event described here: http://rit.edu/framelesslabs/symposium

6th Annual Frameless XR Symposium

November 18-19, 2021

The Frameless XR Symposium is an interdisciplinary gathering that combines technology-focused approaches with humanities-inspired theoretical inquiry, empirical research and artistic creation in AR/VR/MR. Following the symposium, proceedings will be published online through the open-access peer-reviewed journal Frameless.

Registration is free on Eventbrite, find link HERE.      Register early: First 20 people receive a google cardboard with their free drink ticket at the Friday demo session.

Safety requirements for all visitors to RIT campus

On campus parking directions and map: please enter the campus utilizing the main entrance on Jefferson Road at the traffic light and proceed past flags/roundabout to the visitor's information booth to obtain a parking pass.  Visitor parking is available in Lot E, just in front of the building (turn left into the lot). You can't miss the building it looks like nothing else on campus!  The building address is: 300 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester NY 14623.

Photography: Please note the symposium will be documented throughout the event without the expressed written permission of those included within these photographs or videos.  However, if attendees have any concerns or if wish to be exempt from this activity please contact the event organizer at framelesslabs@rit.edu.

All times listed are Eastern Standard Time (USA).

Schedule

Interpreters can be requested at myaccess.rit.edu.

Thursday, November 18th

All sessions will be in person at the RIT MAGIC Center and remotely via zoom. Snacks available during the event in the Demo Lounge, MSS 2170

9 a.m. Introduction to Instagram’s Spark AR
  Tim Stringer and Emily Haldeman, Optic Sky
Location: Animation Lab, MSS-2010 (this workshop is in person only)
10:30 a.m. Shaping Reality: A Meta Reality Labs Panel Discussion
 
  • Welcome from Frameless Labs Director Susan Lakin
  • Introduction by Dean Doreen Edwards
  • Keynote: Introducing broad interdisciplinary research at Meta Reality Labs, this panel discussion aims to address the evolving landscape of XR and its future. Engage with experts in areas such as optics, audio, computer perception, and content creation to learn how their work is building connections within XR.
  • Directors will present remotely.
  • In person audience location: Color Correction Suite, MSS-2160

    Chris Barbour
    Director, AR Business Development & Partnerships

    Thomas Lunner
    Research Lead, Superhuman Hearing at Meta

    Yaser Sheikh
    Director of Meta Reality Labs, Pittsburgh

    Barry Silverstein
    Director of Optics & Display Research at Meta Reality Labs
11:30 a.m. Meet up in student designed Mozilla Hubs room
  Link to the Mozilla Hubs room will be sent via email by Eventbrite. Audience members at MAGIC can engage with a headset at MAGIC. Location: Animation Lab, MSS-2010
12:30 a.m. Break
  Break time for participants between between morning and afternoon sessions, online and in person activities include the following:

Online - Flash Talks: a sampling of XR research at Rochester Institute of Technology.

In person - Hostile Terrain 94 Exhibition: Location in the hallway outside the University Gallery (2765 Booth Hall). The Hostile Terrain 94 exhibition is a memorialization of lives lost along the US-Mexico border. It consists of about 3200 toe tags of people who died in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, after crossing the border without authorization. The individual toe tags were written by hand by groups of volunteers and then pinned in the exact location in which their remains were discovered. Organized by Juilee Decker and Christine Kray, with the support of more than 100 volunteers from the RIT community. The events are made possible by the generous support of Art Bridges, the RIT Department of Sociology and Anthropology, the RIT Museum Studies Program, and the RIT College of Art and Design Galleries. The producers of Hostile Terrain 94 spoke at last years symposium, you can view their talk (first twenty minutes) on the Frameless YouTube channel.

Moderator: Professor Elousie Oyzon

Location: Color Correction Suite, MSS-2160

1 p.m. Point and Listen: Bringing a 3D Map to Life with Audio-Based AR
  James Coughlan – Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
Brandon Biggs - Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
Huiying Shen - Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
1:20 p.m. VR Sound Mapping: Make Sound Accessible for DHH People in Virtual Reality Environments
  Ziming Li – Rochester Institute of Technology
Roshan Peiris – Rochester Institute of Technology
1:40 p.m. Exploring the Psychological Consequences of Distances in VR
  Gary Jacobs – Rochester Institute of Technology
12 p.m. Liza Savage-Katz
 

Join our Frameless Labs resident yoga instructor Liza for a mindful break!  Location: Color Correction Suite, MSS-2160. No mat or experience required!

Moderator: Professor Roshan Peiris

Location: Color Correction Suite, MSS-2160

3 p.m. How Bright Should It Be: Diffuse White in Optical See-Through Augmented Reality
  Lili Zhang – Rochester Institute of Technology
Mike Murdoch - Rochester Institute of Technology
3:20 p.m. Real-Time Illumination Capture and Rendering on Mobile Devices
  Snehal Padhye - Rochester Institute of Technology
James Ferwerda - Rochester Institute of Technology
3:40 p.m. A Real-Time Gaze Estimation Framework for Mobile Devices
  Yu Feng – University of Rochester
Nathan Goulding-Hotta - Facebook Reality Labs
Asif Khan – Facebook Reality Labs
Hans Reyserhove – Facebook Reality Labs
Yuhao Zhu – University of Rochester

Moderator: Professor Yunbo Zhang

Location: Color Correction Suite, MSS-2160

4:30 p.m. A Review of XR Classrooms in Institutions of Higher Education
  Brandon Patterson – University of Utah
Tallie Cassucci – University of Utah
4:50 p.m. The Studio X Karp Library Fellows: Peer-to Peer XR Learning & Engagement
  Ayiana Crabtree – University of Rochester
Muhammed El-Sayed – University of Rochester
Nefle Nesli Oruc– University of Rochester
5:10 p.m.  Extended Reality in the Graphic Design Curriculum
 

Tina Korani - San Jose State University
Meghan Saas - Louisiana State University
Samantha Tan - San Jose State University

Friday, November 19th

9 a.m. Teaching as AR Performance Art
  Steve Guynup, Southern New Hampshire University
Location: Animation Lab, MSS-2010 (EventBrite reservation required)
10:30 a.m. JOVRNALISM at USC: Stories and Alumni
 
  • Welcome from Professor Tom Dooley
  • Introduction from Provost Ellen Granberg
  • Keynote: Robert Hernandez
  • Panelists will present remotely
  • In person audience location: Wegmans Theater, MSS-2180

    The award-winning, student-led publication based at the University of Southern California Annenberg, School for Communication and Journalism, has produced stories about climate change, intimate partner violence, homelessness, youth in foster care and much more. Graduates acquired skills that have led to careers in journalism and immersive technology.

    Learn how this hackathon-style course is delivered, funded and how they form partnerships with tech and media companies. The panel will share projects they produced and the technologies utilized, leading to successful careers for graduates of the program who will join in the panel discussion of XR in journalism.

    Giovanni Moujaes
    Emerging Platforms Video Producer at KTLA

    Kaitlyn Mullin
    Senior Immersive Producer at National Geographic

    Chaitanya Shah
    HMI Engineer at Skyryse

    Jordan Winters
    Associate Producer at NBC News
11:30 a.m. Meet up in student designed Mozilla Hubs room
  Link to Mozilla Hubs room will be sent via email by Eventbrite. In person audience can access the Mozilla Hubs room on a headset at MAGIC. Location: Animation Lab, MSS-2010.
12:30 a.m. Break
  Break time for participants between between morning and afternoon sessions, online and in person activities include the following:

Online - Flash Talks: a sampling of XR research at Rochester Institute of Technology.....link coming soon.

In person - Hostile Terrain 94 Exhibition: Location in the hallway outside the University Gallery (2765 Booth Hall). The Hostile Terrain 94 exhibition is a memorialization of lives lost along the US-Mexico border. It consists of about 3200 toe tags of people who died in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, after crossing the border without authorization. The individual toe tags were written by hand by groups of volunteers and then pinned in the exact location in which their remains were discovered. Organized by Juilee Decker and Christine Kray, with the support of more than 100 volunteers from the RIT community. The events are made possible by the generous support of Art Bridges, the RIT Department of Sociology and Anthropology, the RIT Museum Studies Program, and the RIT College of Art and Design Galleries. The producers of Hostile Terrain 94 spoke at last years symposium, you can view their talk (first twenty minutes) on the Frameless YouTube channel.

Moderator: Professor Sungyoung Kim

Location: Wegmans Theater, MSS-2180

1 p.m. Cultural Preservation Using Game Architecture
  Atia Newman - Rochester Institute of Technology
1:20 p.m. Creating a Virtual reality Experience in Service to a Non-Profit Agency
  Frank Deese – Rochester Institute of Technology
Isabelle Anderson – Rochester Institute of Technology
Susan Lakin – Rochester Institute of Technology
1:40 p.m. Virtual Visits to Places of Pain: The Digital Kormantin Project
  Michael Jarvis – University of Rochester
2:15 p.m. Liza Savage-Katz
  Join our Frameless Labs resident yoga instructor Liza for a mindful break! Location: Wegmans Theater, MSS-2180. No mat or experience required!

Moderator: Senior Associate Dean, Richard Doolittle

Location: Wegmans Theater, MSS-2180

3 p.m. Protocol for an eHub as a Systemic Intervention for Homeless Shelter Staff and Resident Psychosocial and Behavioral Needs
  Celeste Sangiorgio - Rochester Institute of Technology
Cory Crane - Rochester Institute of Technology
Cassandra Berbary - Rochester Institute of Technology
Caroline Easton - Rochester Institute of Technology
3:20 p.m. Can We Walk in Our Patients’ Shoes? Immersive Virtual Reality as an Empathy Training Tool for Medical Students
  Riham Alieldin – University of Rochester
Raffaella Borasi- University of Rochester
Anne C. Nofziger – University of Rochester
Karen J. DeAngelis – University of Rochester
Sarah E. Peyre – University of Rochester
3:40 p.m. Embodying the Patient Experience: The Application of Virtual Reality in the Healthcare Classroom
  Jenna Sadue – Nazareth College
Linda Riek – Nazareth College

A Playlist of teaser videos for all demos can be found here.

 

Timed Events

11:30am, 2:30pm, 4:30pm RECONSTRUCTING THE AURAL HERITAGE OF THE HISTORIC ROCHESTER SAVINGS BANK (video)
 

RIT’s Immersive Audio Laboratory (RIAL)  -- ENT-2125 (EventBrite reservation required)

Sungyoung Kim – Rochester Institute of Technology
Xuan Lu  – Rochester Institute of Technology
Doyuen Ko -- Belmont University
Miriam Kolar - Amherst College
4:45 p.m. AR Fantasia: An Augmented Reality Musical Experience (video)
 

Atrium MAGIC Spell Studios

Joe Geigel – Rochester Institute of Technology
Yunn-Shan Ma – Rochester Institute of Technology
Juilee Decker – Rochester Institute of Technology
5:30 p.m. Been Set Free: A Distributed Virtual Theatre Dance Performance  (video)
 

MSS-2010 (EventBrite reservation required)
SoundStage East MSS-2060
Studio X, University of Rochester

Joe Geigel – Rochester Institute of Technology
Grace Fa
Kimmy Goewey – Rochester Institute of Technology
Theo Lincoln – Rochester Institute of Technology
Marla Schweppe – Rochester Institute of Technology
Lin Welsh – Rochester Institute of Technology

Continuous Demos / Reception

MAGIC Spell Studios -- Soundstage West (MSS-2020)

  Changeling VR  (video)
  Elouise Oyzon - Rochester Institute of Technology
  Choppy Forgeries (video)
  Jonah Warren – Quinnipiac University
  Come on Back to Me VR Music Video (video)
  Isabelle Anderson – Rochester Institute of Technology
  Demonstration of Virtual Production at MAGIC Spell Studios (video)
 

SoundStage East (MSS-2060)

Shaun Foster – Rochester Institute of Technology
David Long – Rochester Institute of Technology
Flip Phillips – Rochester Institute of Technology
Mark Reich – Rochester Institute of Technology
Emily Haldeman – Optic Sky Productions
Tim Stringer – Optic Sky Productions
  Designing an Interactive, Visual Emotion Measure (dVEM) for Digital Media: Theoretical Foundations and Validation Protocol (video)
  Celeste Sangiorgio – Rochester Institute of Technology
Cassandra Berbary – Rochester Institute of Technology
Cory Crane – Rochester Institute of Technology
Caroline Easton – Rochester Institute of Technology
  FASHSim Lab: Learning From Field to Virtual Fashion (video)
  Kelly Cobb – University of Delaware
Angela Beckett – University of Delaware
  HAR2bot: A Human-centered Augmented Reality Human Robot Interface (video)
  Wenhao Yang – Rochester Institute of Technology
Qinqin Xiao – Rochester Institute of Technology
Yunbo Zhang – Rochester Institute of Technology
  Jet of Blood VR: First Playable (video)
  Elizabeth Goins – Rochester Institute of Technology
Andy Head – Rochester Institute of Technology
Mason Hayes – Rochester Institute of Technology
  Mixed reality prototype device showcase: Using smart glasses to enhance language access (video)
  Aaron Parker – Rochester Institute of Technology / NTID
Connor Switenky – Rochester Institute of Technology / NTID
Roshan Mathew – Rochester Institute of Technology / NTID
Chase Roth – Rochester Institute of Technology / NTID
Wendy Dannels – Rochester Institute of Technology / NTID
  Novel 360-Degree Camera (video)
  Ian Gauger – Circle Optics
Andrew Kurtz – Circle Optics
Zakariya Niazi – Circle Optics
  Revising Humbead’s Revised Map of the World: Taking a Virtual Folk Music World Into Virtual Reality (video)
  Michael Kramer – SUNY Brockport
  Simulating Implant Procedures in Dentistry
  Brandon Patterson – University of Utah
Benjamin Engel – University of Utah
  Use of An Interactive & Customizable RITch®-CBT Avatar Platform to Treat Clients in the Healthcare Field (video)
  Caroline J. Easton – Rochester Institute of Technology
Cory Crane – Rochester Institute of Technology
Cassandra Berbary – Rochester Institute of Technology
Celeste Sangiorgio – Rochester Institute of Technology
Rupa Kalahasthi – Rochester Institute of Technology
Tory Toole – Rochester Institute of Technology
  Use of AR to Bring Medical Simulation to Life  (video)
  Zhenhua Yu – Rochester Institute of Technology
Richard Doolittle – Rochester Institute of Technology
Caroline Eastonn – Rochester Institute of Technology
  VR Sound Mapping: Make Sound Accessible for DHH People in Virtual Reality Environments (video)
  Ziming Li – Rochester Institute of Technology
Roshan Lalintha Peiris – Rochester Institute of Technology
  Warehouse and Logistics: Smart Picking with Vuzix Smart Glasses (video)
  Dawei Liu – Vuzix
Elise Hemink – Vuzix
  Water Trembles: Alternative Experiences of Poetry (video)
  Su Hyun Nam – Syracuse University

Student Contest

RIT students are invited to design a virtual room in Mozilla Hubs for the 6th Annual Frameless XR Symposium. Prizes will be presented to the winning rooms and will be showcased and utilized at the 2021 Symposium.

Decorative poster announcing student design contest

Learn more about our contest guidelines.

Isabelle Anderson

1st Place Winner

BFA New Media Design '22

Isabelle Anderson is a virtual reality artist, animator, and New Media Designer in the College of Art and Design. Her work focuses on empathy, education, and environmental issues. She utilizes Quill, Google Tilt Brush, and AnimVR to create her virtual reality environments. She’s created graphic virtual reality experiences for numerous non-profit organizations, including The Society for Protection and Care of Children and Music4Ethiopia.com, in order to generate awareness and funds. After graduation, she plans to pursue a degree in Human Interface Technology and work with organizations to build interactive experiences that educate the public about environmental issues.

A photo of the 1st place winner, Isabelle Anderson. She is smiling in a sunflower field at sunset.

Isabelle's room

 

Zachary Talis

2nd Place Winner

MS Human-Computer Interaction '23

Zachary Talis (they/them) is a graduate student, VR researcher, and ambient musician. They investigate the means by which folks reconstruct themselves in virtual space.

A photo of the 2nt place winner, Zachary Tails

Zack's room

Raffle

Blinking Headset animation to advertise contest

Oculus Quest 2 Raffle

Video tutorials to include:

Win an Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset by engaging with our student-designed Mozilla Hubs rooms and social media platforms! Participants do not have to be affiliated with RIT. The competition includes two different rooms, one for each day of the symposium.

Contest Rules:

  • Participants must register for the symposium. Participants will receive links to the Mozilla Hubs rooms the night before each day’s challenges.
  • Participants must follow Frameless Labs  (@framelesslabs) on Twitter. 
  • Participants will receive one raffle ticket for each task in both challenges completed.
  • Raffle tickets will be entered into a drawing for an Oculus Quest 2. 
  • The competition is on Thursday, November 18th from 11:30am to 1pm EST and Friday, November 19th from 11:30am to 1pm EST. Participants must submit their Tweets during these date/time windows. 
  • To earn raffle tickets, complete each challenge listed below by sharing them on Twitter and to qualify each Tweet must include the following: 
    • The Frameless Twitter account (@framelesslabs)
    • The 2021 symposium hashtag: #Frameless2021. 
  • Winners who are not registered and who are not following @framelesslabs on Twitter will be disqualified.

Day 1 Challenge, Thursday Nov 18th:

  1. A creative photo of the student designed Mozilla Hubs room. 
  2. A group selfie in the room (how many avatars can you get in one group selfie?!).
  3. A selfie with a hidden turtle in the room. 
  4. A selfie at sunrise in the room.

Day 2 Challenge, Friday Nov 19th:

  1. A photo of your favorite feature in the student designed Mozilla Hubs room. 
  2. A group selfie in the room  (how many avatars can you get in one group selfie?!)
  3. A selfie with each item in the scavenger hunt (9 tickets possible)

Winner will be announced at the end of the symposium.  Winner will be contacted directly to collect information for delivery of the prize.

Code of Conduct

The Frameless Symposium organizers value the diversity of views, expertise, opinions, backgrounds, and experiences reflected within our community and are committed to providing a welcoming, productive, and safe environment for all participants of our events. This Code of Conduct is important for promoting diversity and creating an inclusive, supportive, and collaborative environment for all.

All event participants – including, but not limited to attendees, speakers, organizers, volunteers, exhibitors, personnel, members of the media, vendors, and service providers--are expected to abide by this Code of Conduct.

Read the full code of conduct

Organizing Committee

Symposium Chair:
Susan Lakin

Program:
Mike Murdoch
Shauna Cross
Rich Doolittle
Roshan Peiris

Frameless Journal:
Riham Alieldin
David Halbstein

Marketing:
Meaghan Moody
Mari Jaye Blanchard
Trent Hergenrader
Missy Warp

University of Rochester liaisons:
Riham Alieldin
Narges Mohammadi
Meaghan Moody
Emily Sherwood 

RIT participants:
Liza Savage-Katz
Elouise Oyzon
Yunbo Zhang
Tom Dooley
Sungyoung Kim

Mozilla Hubs / Accessibility:
Wendy Dannels
Mark Reisch

Demos:
Elizabeth Goins
Joe Geigel

Student workers:
Isabelle Anderson
Maxwell Bomb
Simar Khanna
Sophie Proe
Jaiden Tripi
Emma Yee

Hybrid Student Tech Team:
Jonah Edick
Jonny Gates
Shanee Gordon
Max Lama
Andrea Martinez
Maggie Wehler

Special thanks:
Ryne Raffaelle, VP for Research/Assoc. Provost RIT
Ellen Granberg, RIT Provost and Senior VP for Academic Affairs
Doreen Edwards, Dean Kate Gleason College of Engineering
David Long, MAGIC Director 
Jenn Hinton, MAGIC Associate Director
Brenda Schlageter, MAGIC Building and Operations
Amanda Hughes, MAGIC Technology Manager
Mark Marcello, Senior Web Developer
 

 

 

Symposium Sponsors

DB Creations logo
Meta Reality Labs
Vuzix logo
Darkwind Media logo
logo for Optic Sky. White background with black type

Publication

Symposium proceedings will be published online through the open-access peer-reviewed journal Frameless. This will include a symposium program, abstracts, and final (post peer-review) full papers.

Past Programs

View Past Symposium Programs 

Frameless Labs brings together diverse communities engaged in research, innovation, and artistic creations surrounding XR (VR/AR/MR) mediums and is affiliated with the RIT MAGIC Center.