This Halloween, BL4KM4SS Co-Founder Reyna Velarde may unsettle you. Or, she and her fellow creatives might outright scare you--in your own home. And it's all part of the fun, as BL4KM4SS brings interactive horror to their fans, virtually. Using Zoom, Discord and lots of talent, they'll make you a part of a scary-fun experience. But that's only one aspect of what they do, year-round. BL4KM4SS, pronounced "Black Mass", is a performance art theatre group. Their noir-style productions incorporate their guests into their plot lines, keeping them involved in the action. A vein of dark humor runs through their shows. Their performances aren't exclusively horror-based. However, they are always about storytelling. Reyna, who is an actor, director, writer and educator, is one of BL4KM4SS' four co-founders. She is also their Communications and Finance Director. Her work with the troupe has included creating and performing in her one-woman show, "M90SN" ("My Nineties Nightmare"), which she will be bringing to Discord, at the end of 2021. Reyna also created BL4KM4SS' first virtual show of 2021, "3DD13", after the pandemic forced cancellation of their live events. BL4KM4SS will be offering virtual experiences for the remainder of this year. But Reyna says more onsite experiences, and touring shows, are part of their plans for the not-too-distant future. Reyna talked about her experiences creating horror entertainment, shared the story of the creation of BL4KM4SS and a preview of upcoming shows, and offered some tips for anyone who might like to virtually create a spine-tingling Halloween experience! On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover: How the horror genre first captured Reyna's creative imagination; Her perspective on humor in horror; How the BL4KM4SS troupe came about; The company's experience with "pivoting" to remote shows after the start of the pandemic; A behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Reyna's first remote interactive show, "3DD13"; How BL4KM4SS experimented with effects, evolving their remote shows; Reyna's guidance for anyone who might like to create a remote Halloween experience for friends or family; What works well, for keeping a remote audience engaged; Some of Reyna's favorite resources for observing other innovations in remote performance; How to sign up to be considered as an audience member for "M90SN' What you might expect from a BL4KM4SS show; One of Reyna's best experiences for growth,, as a performer, from working remotely; A "tease" of some of the shows in the works for 2022.

Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Make STEAM Work For You

Horror, Fun and Technology

(Photograph courtesy of Dr. Fabienne Cap, and used with permission.) "I'm still as in love with this profession as I was on my first day. It's so cool," says Furhat Robotics Solutions Engineer Dr. Fabienne Cap. And what she's doing is especially so. Furhat Robotics have created the world's first social robotics and conversational systems platform. Their robots can actually make people forget they're talking to a machine! And there are several reasons why this happens. First, the Furhat robots' faces can be customized to become any character. Gender, ethnicity and age can all be changed. After the introduction of a new face engine, just a few weeks ago, these social robots' faces can move in even more lifelike expressions as they speak. They can also communicate in more than 200 voices, in over 35 languages, according to Furhat's website. Or, they can even be customized with a user's own voice! Furhat's mission: to revolutionize human-machine interactions. Their robots have almost unlimited applications. They can give travel directions, become anime characters for special events, teach language lessons, offer health screenings, provide on-the-job training... Actually, the possibilities are limitless. But they all have the same objective: to put people at ease, through their interactions with these very "human" robots. Pioneering robot, serendipitous name Now, why the unique name? Well, according to Furhat Robotics' blog, it was serendipity. Their robotic prototype premiered at the London Science Museum. At that time, the prototype was "a plastic face, but no skull". Cables were protruding, distracting attention from what the creators wanted to emphasize: the face. But, a student had forgotten his hat at the office, that cold, wintry day. It was--you guessed it--a fur hat. Inspired, the creators slipped the hat onto the robot. A perfect fit, it disguised all the cables--so spectators could focus on the face. And visitors to the museum began referring to the robot as "the robot with the fur hat". The name stuck. Today, Furhat Robotics continue to break new ground, with technology geared towards creating human connections. And they have a free virtual conference on social robot interactions, coming up on October 14th! Here's the link for registration. Fabienne explained social robotics, discussed some of the ways Furhat Robotics is implementing their social robots into daily life, and shared a free resource for educators. On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover: How Fabienne's professional background in languages led to her current work in robotics; A definition of a "social robot" and the concept behind it; Furhat's current pilot programs, using their robots in educational applications in Stockholm; Some of the programming applications for classrooms; A closer look at the myths surrounding the use of robots into the classroom; What it's like for Fabienne, in her daily creative work with Furhat Robotics; Some of the use cases (present and future) where the Furhat social robot can be highly effective; A look at a landmark experiment done by Stanley Milgram in the 1960s, updated this year with two Furhat robots, in which Fabienne participated; The next steps, for the Furhat social robots, in integrating them more into daily life; How the robots' faces can be customized (hint: the possibilities are endless!); And, an exciting free resource for educators (it's OK if you download it but aren't yet in a position to buy a robot!)

The Future’s Human Face

Due to a family emergency, we are reposting one of our most popular 2021 episodes. Please enjoy this rebroadcast and we'll look forward to resuming our current episodes next week. Quick! Who was your favorite teacher in high school? If you ask middle-school students in Milton, Georgia, a lot of them might answer, "Mr. Jones". That's because Steve Jones, The Space Teacher, is all about learning by exploring and experimenting. Steve, who teaches STEAM at Hopewell Middle School in Milton, Georgia, is a lifelong space-science enthusiast.  He is both a NASA Solar System Ambassador and freelance Principal Investigator for experiential STEM learning organization Magnitude.io. And if you try something and fail--that's fantastic. In this March, 2021 nterview with Steve, he discussed his passion for space and space science, the ways he incorporates those into his classes to capture students' interest, and some of his favorite educational resources. On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover: How the space program first sparked Steve’s imagination; Why Steve (who originally didn’t care much for math!) came to incorporate it into his passion for science; The best creative challenge that faced Steve, in interesting non-science-oriented students in science; How Steve’s unusual perspective on failure in his classes encourages students in engineering; One of Steve’s favorite STEAM lessons from the NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador program; A new experiment which the students are doing in cooperation with NASA and Miami’s Fairchild Botanical Garden; How Steve gave the students ownership of their own creativity on this particular project; What first started Steve off as a STEAM teacher, when beginning his career in education; The work of Magnitude.io and how Steve first became involved in the program; How Steve’s seventh-grade class began research with Magnitude.io’s ExoLab 6 experiment; How to get involved in the Magnitude.io program, if you are an educator; One “failure” that led to better research in Steve’s science class; Some additional educational resources, including Zooniverse, which relates science to various arts and humanities topics among its citizen science exploration.

Space and Imagination

The first black-and-white image from NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, April 19, 2021. (Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL, and used with permission.) This podcast and blog are not, in any way, affiliated with, nor endorsed by, NASA nor the Jet Propulsion Lab. For NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, the original plan was, simply, a technology demonstration. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Robotics Technologist Gerik Kubiak and his colleagues created the four-pound helicopter for an experimental test flight, according to JPL's website. Their goals: to demonstrate miniaturized technology in an autonomous aircraft while establishing whether the little helicopter could survive Mars' environment. And the ultimate objective? Initially, according to JPL's fact sheet, scientists hoped to have Ingenuity perform up to five test flights, in thirty Martian days. Fast-forward to today. So far, Ingenuity has flown a total of thirteen test flights. Since arriving on the Martian surface aboard the Mars Perseverance Rover in February, 2021, Ingenuity has steadily "pushed the envelope". Her inaugural flight, on April 19th, lasted just over 39 seconds, as Ingenuity climbed to a prescribed maximum height, then hovered 10 feet above the Martian surface. NASA;s flight log shows Ingenuity's flight times and distances progressively lengthening. May 7, 2021, marked Ingenuity's fifth successful flight. Designed to fly for ninety seconds, Ingenuity has exceeded that figure numerous times during her test flights. At the time of our conversation, her longest logged flight was the twelfth: 169.4 seconds. And the miniature helicopter (which,, NASA says, weighs less than two pounds on Mars!) has been sending back both black-and-white and color images of her groundbreaking journeys. On the day of Ingenuity's twelfth flight, Gerik talked about the process of designing the spacecraft, shared a closer look at the missions and discussed his favorite moments as Ingenuity made spaceflight history. On thie edition of Over Coffee® we cover: How Gerik first became involved in the robotics field, as his professional path; How he began, working with the Ingenuity helicopter; Some of the challenges involved, in preparing Ingenuity to fly on Mars; A closer look at the technology that's enabling Ingenuity to fly; Gerik's recollections of the first day Ingenuity flew; How the helicopter is communicating, from Mars to Earth; Why Ingenuity's twelfth mission was one of the most challenging; A closer look at the initial mission plans, and the ways in which the helicopter has surpassed them; How the helicopter can "troubleshoot" if a problem occurs; Gerik's favorite part of getting to work on the helicopter and operate it; What he especially enjoyed learning, that he didn't know previously,, about robotics, from operating Ingenuity on Mars; A quick look at some possible future plans; Some of the images that Gerik found most breathtaking; Where to find educational resources connected with Ingenuity's flights. (These include a downloadable 3D model on NASA's "Mars Helicopter" page!)

Ingenuity Beyond Imagination

This post and podcast are for informational purposes only, and are not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional with any medical questions. Photo courtesy of Cooper and O'Hara Photography, and used with permission. Like her fellow medical professionals, Dr. Shawna Pandya is focused on keeping patients healthy. Unlike many of her colleagues, though, she has to take space dust, zero gravity and radiation into account. And as she practices space medicine, she's experienced some of the circumstances her patients will encounter. Besides being a physician, Dr. Pandya is a citizen-scientist astronaut with Boulder, Colorado-based Project PoSSUM. This 501c nonprofit uses astronautics to study the role of our upper atmosphere in climate change. {"PoSSUM" is an acronym for "Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere". In 2015, Dr. Pandya completed her citizen-astronaut training. She was a member of Project PoSSUM's first crew to test a commercial spacesuit in zero gravity. And today, she serves as Director of Space Medicine for Project PoSSUM. A multifaceted career She is also Vice-President of Immersive Medicine at Sasketchewan-based virtual-reality pioneer Luxsonic Technologies Inc. In addition, she serves as Director of Medical Research at Orbital Assembly Corporation, the world's first large-scale space-construction company. And "so much more", as Dr. Pandya says. She's a chief instructor in Operational Space Medicine for the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences....Medical Advisor for Mission Space Food...a physician with Alberta Health Services... And, as you'll see on her website, she's currently working on obtaining her pilot's license, is an aquanaut and has given multiple TEDx speeches. Dr. Pandya talked about the conisderations of space medicine, what's involved in keeping the crew healthy, and what's next for her, as a citizen-science astronaut. On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover: What first inspired Dr. Pandya's passion for space science; Why "space is trying to kill you", as Dr. Pandya says; What it's like to be in zero gravity! What's involved in mitigaing some of the health risks of space; What Dr. Pandya might pack for travel to the Moon or to Mars; How a medical emergency might be handled, if one occurs in space; A look at the virtual-reality space-medicine training program Dr. Pandya has created, with Luxsonic; Technologies; What the results of Dr. Pandya's space-medicine research can mean, for maintaining good health on Earth; What's next in Dr. Pandya's journey, as a citizen-science astronaut.

Staying Healthy in Space

This post and podcast are for informational purposes only, and are not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional with any medical questions. "Every single person that walks in the (exoskeleton) is the best experience," says Wandercraft Co-Founder and CEO Jean-Louis Constanza. Paris-based medical device company Wandercraft has developed the world's most advanced robotic exoskeleton, or "exo". Called "Atalante", the exo is self-balancing, designed to emulate a realistic human walk. And Atalante allows walking-impaired people to regain mobility--without having to use crutches for balance. For Jean-Louis, the innovation started with a question from his then-five-year-old son, Oscar. "You're a robotics engineer. Why don't you make a robot (that'll help me walk instead of using a wheelchair)?" Jean-Louis began exploring the answer to that question. The ultimate result was seen worldwide. On video, Oscar, now in his teens, comments on being "taller than his father", as he walks, wearing the exo. Dreams, grounded in reality Today, Jean-Louis' dream is that Oscar and his friends may ultimately be walking to their college classes. But for Wandercraft there's also a larger vision: a world where wheelchairs become a thing of the past. Jean-Louis cautions that these goals aren't yet a reality. "(We) don't want to hurt people (by overpromising)," he says. "(But) now we're getting closer to the goal." Currently, the exoskeleton is being used in hospitals and rehabiltation facilities, and going through some clinical trials. Jean-Louis and his team are also polling walking-impaired patients. Their question: what, besides walking, might these individuals like to be able to do, while wearing the exo? Next steps, Jean-Louis says, include streamlining the exo and getting FDA approval in the U.S. Meanwhile, Oscar has walked twice in the exo--and is waiting for a final product for regular use as he continues with his interests and prepares for college in the next few years. Jean-Louis talked about the creation of Wandercraft, previewed some of the ways Adelante is evolving and shared some of his favorite experiences. On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover: How Jean-Louis first discovered his passion for robotics; How Wandercraft, and the Adelante, came about; Some of the challenges involved in creating the exoskeleton; Oscar's experiences walking in the exo; Some of the health challenges affecting people in wheelchairs; How the exoskeleton works (hint: there are several ways a wearer can operate it!); The next steps in the process of developing the exo as a personal device; How the exoskeleton is currently being used; Some of the activities physical therapists and patients are currently suggesting, for exo wearers in the future; What Wandercraft needs most, in terms of support, as they pursue their goals of helping wheelchair users walk; An update on Oscar's activities, as the exoskeleton evolves; How the robot is being engineered, to help wearers move quickly and maintain their balance; Current research which Jean-Louis and his team are conducting, to make the next exo a device its users really love!; A shout-out to their medical partners with whom Wandercraft is currently working; The future vision for the exo, and the current steps Wandercraft is taking to realize that dream.

Engineering “Life-Changing”

This podcast and post are for informational purposes, and are not intended as medical advice. Please contact your medical professional with any clinical questions. (Photograph courtesy of Jason Voinov, and used with permission.) Your brain and your creativity are static, right? What you were born with, is the best you'll ever have. Not true, says cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Julie Fratantoni. As Head of Operations for The BrainHealth Project, Dr. Fratantoni leads a team of researchers at the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas, Dallas in a groundbreaking study. Her research focuses on ways to train the brain to work more efficiently and last longer. In the process, she's giving everyone a closer look at facts versus myths, when it comes to the ways our brains work. And the Center for BrainHealth's website says that our brains are "dynamic, adaptable and flexible". Their objectives: to unlock the brain's potential, fortify against decline and even repair brain health. Over ten years, The BrainHealth Project teaches participants strategies to optimize their brain's performance. Training is customized to each individual's circumstances. People can opt out at any time, and participation is free. Currently, The BrainHealth Project is seeking additional participants. They're recruiting both adults and youth, ages 8-17. And participation is fully virtual. In addition to The BrainHealth Project, the Center for BrainHealth offers a number of other resources. Their "Sips & Science Speaker Series" offers monthly presentations on brain science innovations. They also offer apps and virtual training. Their core concept: optimizing our brains' performances and improving brain health is well within reach, for everyone. And that would include improving our ability to come up with creative ideas. Dr. Fratantoni discussed what brain optimization can mean in terms of boosting creativity, debunked a common myth about the way our brains operate and offered a closer look at The BrainHealth Project. On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover: How Dr. Fratantoni first discovered her perception for high-performance brain science; Some of the common misconceptions about the brain and creativity; What's happening in our brains during an "aha" moment; Why "Oh, I'm just not creative" is a myth; A recommendation of a great book about creativity Dr. Fratantoni's own experiences as a scientist whose work enhances her creativity; A closer look at The BrainHealth Project; What's involved, for anyone who'd like to get involved in The BrainHealth Project; An example of one strategy a participant might be taught; One common practice in which many of us engage, that's actually toxic for our brains; How to promote creativity amid stressful situations; A preview of the August 19th "Sips and Science" speaker, Dr. David Eagleman (this is a free presentation!) How the use of technology might boost creativity, as opposed to draining it; What Dr. Fratantoni finds produces her best creative ideas; And, a preview of her brand-new podcast, Better Brain! Her personal favorite parts of her work with The BrainHealth Project. A closer look at the protocols of the research study. Like to hear some fascinating presentations on brain science? Here's a link to the Center for BrainHealth's "Sips & Science" free speaker series!

Creativity and Your Brain

When Perception Founder/CEO Dr. Sirisilp Kongsilp first saw VR, he was fascinated. And it started him thinking of ways to create something new. Today Dr. Kongsilp, or Rabbit, as he prefers to be called (that's what his name means) has just entered into an exciting new partnership, that will benefit students worldwide. And he and his team will be creating new, free resources for educators! What Rabbit and his team came up with was desktop AR. This is a plugin to Unity Technologies' platform which allows users to view 3D objects from their computers, with just a pair of red-and-blue glasses! In addition, this is a very user-friendly technology that allows creatives to develop and share a 3D app--for free! Now, just in time for back-to-school, Bangkok-based holographic company Perception has an exciting new partnership that's going to benefit students worldwide. Again, it's free. Rabbit recently announced that Perception has entered into a partnership with the Imperial War Museums, and the Science Museum Group, in London. "Together, we will bring holographic exhibitions to more than 20,000 students worldwide" he emailed. A look at the museums' websites reveals some seriously cool stuff. Coming soon--in 3D Imperial War Museums' website lists five museums in their group. Among these are the Churchill War Rooms, which takes visitors inside life during WWII; HMS Belfast, the most significant surviving Second World War Royal Navy warship; and IWM London, which includes the "Extraordinary Heroes" exhibition among its permanent collections. Meanwhile, the Science Museum Group is the world's leading group of science museums. Their members include the National Railway Museum, National Science and Media Museum and the Science and Industry Museum. We can only imagine all the incredible artifacts which students will get to see, up close, in 3D in the future! Rabbit offered a look inside the process of creating museum-artifact holograms for student use, discussed a recent workshop which Perception hosted and shared a contact for educators, worldwide, to get their classrooms involved. On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover: How this new partnership came about for Perception; Perception's goals for reaching students; A look at the process of translating museum artifacts into 3D holograms; The next steps in the project; What to expect, virtually, when the exhibition goes live; How educators who aren't in the UK or Thailand can reach out and get access to the project when it releases; How you can create your own app through Perception; A sample "lesson" that educators might create, using one of the 3D artifacts; What Perception did, in a recent educational-technology workshop with students (who made their own holographic applications!); Rabbit's vision for the future of holographic artifact projects that reach "beyond the museum's wall" His vision for future applications; And, some of the lessons he's learned, as an entrepreneur/tech innovator working with desktop AR. Missed our earlier interview with Rabbit, about his experiences creating Perception? Here's the link!

Learning By Hologram

(Royalty-free image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.) How do you make the future your own? Especially with technology radically transforming the workplace? That's exactly what bestselling authors Cathy Hackl and John Buzzell cover in their new book, "The Augmented Workforce: How AI, AR and 5G Will Impact Every Dollar You Make". And their goal: to provide a guide for those of us that don't consider ourselves tech-savvy.   If you don't care about "how many pixels" or "why does it work", but want to know "How can I make this work for me?", you're the reader they have in mind. "We wanted this to be helpful, encouraging and (a springboard to the future for nontechnical readers)," says John. And indeed, "The Augmented Workforce" is both a great read, and a great resource. A layperson's guide Putting the technology into plain English, John and Cathy take their readers through six "pillars" that will change the future.  They explore: the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR), 5G, the cloud and blockchain. Chapters cover uses (sometimes unexpected!) of these technologies in a wide range of work situations.   Education, marketing, healthcare and defense are just a few of the fields John and Cathy explore. John, with whom I spoke in this episode, is an award-winning technology leader, whose areas of expertise include AR/VR, mobile apps, websites and much more.  Currently, he works with Epic Games, creators of both the Unreal game engine and the world's largest video game, Fortnite.  John also serves as President of the VR/AR Association's Atlanta Chapter. Meanwhile, Cathy is a leading tech futurist and globally recognized business leader.   Both she and John are very much in demand as speakers, in the area of innovation. And they'd both like to have you follow them on Twitter and LinkedIn!  You'll find their links here. John offered a look at "The Augmented Workforce", explored some of the reasons "nontechnical" readers might want to learn more about AI, AR and VR, and shared some of his favorite resources. On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover: The genesis of "The Augmented Workforce" (hint: robots are involved!; How the current breakneck-pace changes in technology may show up in the workplace of the future; One ingenious XR application which allows for effective training in a venerable New York system; How makers and educators (especially those who consider themselves "nontechnical") can use digital media to share knowledge and information; Some of the ways makers, educators and small-business entrepreneurs can put AI, AR and VR to work for them; A look inside some of the industries covered in "The Augmented Workforce" and how these emerging technologies facilitate them; Resources to get started, from the ground up, working with AI or AR; What a robot had to say, in review of "The Augmented Workforce: How AI, AR and 5G Will Impact Every Dollar You Make"; Why this robot's role as "book reviewer" doesn't necessarily mean workers in creative fields will become obsolete!  

“A Springboard to the Future”

Learning about the world by making things and experimenting?  Playfully combining art. science and technology to make some incredibly cool stuff?  Crafting both educational experiences and interactive art? That's exactly what Los Angeles-based design studio Wonderful Idea Co. is all about. And so is A Tinkering World Tour, their popular online hands-on workshop, which premiered in April!  Currently, Season Two of A Tinkering World Tour is in the funding stage on Indiegogo. And when Season Two starts in September, says Wonderful Idea Co. Co-Founder/Managing Director Ryan Jenkins, workshop participants get to "visit" five different countries.  But they won't just be visiting. Instead, they'll be working along with local makers, artists and educators, to create some exciting projects!   But no fancy materials will be needed.  These creative workshops will be using materials commonly found around the house. Among Season Two's "destinations" are Italy, Nepal and Singapore. While Wonderful Idea Co. introduced their Tinkering World Tour in April, 2021, the workshop series is just one of their recent innovations. Wonderful Idea Co. creates interactive exhibits and art for museums and makerspaces.  They offer professional-development workshops for educators and artists.  Often, their lessons lead to an epiphany--students can learn effectively while having fun making and tinkering. In addition, their blog and "projects" page, on their website, offer a lot of exciting ideas for projects -- including a mouse-powered knitting machine! And they're also planning some exciting Automata Tinkering Global Workshops  in September, in collaboration with U.K.-based Cabaret Mechanical Theatre. Ryan shared the story of Wonderful Idea Co., offered a look inside A Tinkering World Tour and shared some of his favorite resources. On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover: How Ryan first came to realize the value of playful exploration for learning; How the Wonderful Idea Co. came into being; The story of A Tinkering World Tour; One of Ryan's favorite experiences during the first workshop series; A preview of what's going to be happening in September: Some of Ryan's favorite resources for maker projects; A closer look at two eco-friendly maker projects Wonderful Idea Co. has been creating; Ryan's vision for the future with Wonderful Idea Co.'s approach of playful exploration; A look at sustainable resources for making and tinkering; A preview of the Global Automata Workshops; One epiphany Ryan witnessed, with a student who took a hands-on making workshop; What's coming up for the Wonderful Idea Co., after October.          

Playful Exploration = Learning

When it comes to a great time, futurist Celeste Lear is a triple threat.  Not only is she a musician/performer: she's also an event planner and 3D artist.     As well as a composer!  So far, Celeste has released five albums and ten singles of her original music. And she's taking her gifts to the metaverse. "DJ Celeste" as she's known,is one of the first DJs to build venues and perform in virtual reality. Her DJ skills get people up and dancing, onsite or virtually.   Her avatar and venue are eye-catching and fun.   And she has a rare talent: she can play guitar, live, to match the beats! Meanwhile, as founder of Los Angeles-based entertainment company Boutique Electronique Music, she also coordinates events and is working with a new team on futuristic performances. When the pandemic forced the 2020 Burning Man Festival to go virtual, DJ Celeste crafted her venue and brought the party to the metaverse--complete with her pet unicorn! This year, she's looking forward to another Burning Man performance.  And she's designing her own virtual venue, once again.   (Here's a link to her Burning Man 2020 mix!) And if you'd like to know more about virtual stage design, she has a free tutorial on her website. DJ Celeste talked about her background as a performer, her experiences in the metaverse and what works well for creating a party in VR. On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover: How Celeste discovered her passion for music; The professional experience that inspired her to work in virtual reality; Her first performance experience in virtual reality; How the 2020 Burning Man virtual experience "supercharged" her interest in working in the metaverse; Celeste's plans for the 2021 Virtual Burn (you can get involved, and if you're lucky you might hear her perform live!) Her favorite mind-blowing memories from Virtual Burning Man 2020; Celeste's advice for anyone starting to create new worlds in virtual reality; Some of Celeste's favorite platforms and resources for working in VR; What's involved, in creating your own virtual venue; One of Celeste's favorite experiences creative experiences, designing a unique venue; How to prevent problems or troubleshoot, if something goes wrong while working "live" in VR; Lessons learned, from DJ Celeste's creative experiences in the metaverse; Where to find DJ Celeste's music, see her tutorials and any upcoming events at which she'll be performing; And how to learn more about being a part of this year's Burning Man experience!      

The Futurist and Her Music

An Over Coffee® special-edition podcast (Graphic courtesy of NASA, and used with permission.) As the world applauds Sir Richard Branson's successful flight aboard his own spaceship, NASA continues exciting work on another front.  For the NASA Artemis mission, the first step is to return humans to the Moon. Colonizing the Moon comes next.  Along with exploring the surface--while looking forward, possibly, to future Mars flights. As NASA Mission Design and Planetary Science specialist Matt Wittal explains, the program will include three major launches. Artemis I and Artemis II will be preparatory work.  Then, within the next few years, Artemis III will return humans to the Moon. In April, we had the pleasure of talking with Matt about the Artemis program and NASA's current work.   Here is an updated version of our conversation! On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover: What’s been happening since our 2019 discussion with Matt (Since this was recorded, in April 2021,NASA has announced its choice of SpaceX to build the rocket that will fly astronauts to the Moon.  And congratulations to everyone at NASA on Ingenuity’s historic, first successful flight!); A look at what will be happening, with the Artemis project and beyond; Some of the safety and sustainability considerations involved, in creating the missions to the Moon (and ultimately to Mars); How NASA determines the location for a Moon landing; Some of the program’s upcoming milestones; What will be happening as Artemis II returns astronauts to orbiting the Moon; How the design of the mission has evolved, since 2019; How other nations are collaborating on the lunar-exploration program; Some of the science goals of the mission; One of the coolest technologies Matt has seen in spacecraft development within the last year; What the Artemis III crew will be doing, after their arrival at the Moon; Some of the educational opportunities coming up in the future, as the Artemis launches get closer; What Matt considers some of his most exciting moments as he works on the Artemis program. Over Coffee®, and Two Maverix® Multimedia, are not, in any way, shape or form, affiliated with, nor endorsed by, NASA.  (We just think this is seriously cool!)  

Next Stop: The Moon

You enter a workplace.  You've never been here before.  But you know exactly what to do--and you execute the tasks competently. This is one of the goals of Bit Space Development.  They're an interactive digital media studio, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. And their mission says their goal is to build "the best, most innovative and creative interactive learning experiences we possibly can". Bit Space Development Owner/CEO Dan Blair created his startup in 2015.  Since then, Dan, who describes himself as an "idea guy" and technology enthusiast, has worked with his team to develop multiple VR and XR projects for experiential learning.  Currently, classrooms and on-the-job training are their main applications.  But Dan says the possibilities extend far beyond those uses--to social experiences as well. Dan talked about his experiences, explored the ways his company's technology works for hands-on virtual learning experiences and shared some of his favorite resources. On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover: Where Dan's interest in "building things that solve problems" began; The creative project that served as a catalyst this interest; The story of Bit Space Development (which Dan says he created accidentally!); One very cool XR project Bit Space Development is doing with the schools in their area; How Dan and his team are using immersive technology to work remotely due to the pandemic; A walkthrough of planning an educational experience in XR; How XR can become more accessible; What's ahead, for Bit Space Development; A 360 experience they've created, reconstructing a site in their local community; Dan's recommendations for anyone who's new to XR and would like to learn more.

Capturing Worlds in 360

    "So much awesomeness out there," says Zappar CEO and Co-Founder Caspar Thykier. And he and his team are simultaneously adding to that awesomeness--and democratizing it. With their recent project, LEGO® Mythica, London-based augmented reality/creative studio Zappar was instrumental in creating  the first amusement-park experience of its kind. Visitors to LEGOLAND® Windsor get to visit different "portals" through augmented reality.    LEGO® statues come to life in augmented reality.  Alicorns, hydra and chimera appear in an alternate world.    Three new augmented-reality attractions take guests into a mystical realm. Central to the LEGO® Mythica experience is "Flight of the Sky Lion", the UK's first flying theatre ride. While Caspar has described LEGO® Mythica as a "dream project", Zappar has a number of additional milestones to celebrate.    Recently, they celebrated their ten-year anniversary.  Along the way, they've won multiple awards. But perhaps most excitingly, their mission of democratizing immersive technology continues with their brand-new six-degrees-of-freedom affordable headset, ZapBox. Recently fully funded on Kickstarter, ZapBox is now accepting pre-orders.  The price?  Listed at $40.  Caspar says the next iteration of ZapBox is due out this upcoming October. Meanwhile, if you'd like to know more about creating your own augmented-reality experiences, Zappar also has a toolkit, ZapWorks. Caspar shared the story of Zappar, talked about his experiences with the LEGO® Mythica project, and offered a preview of what's next! On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover: The serendipitous experience that led to augmented reality first capturing Caspar's creative imagination; The story of Zappar; A closer look at the LEGO® Mythica project; Some of the creative challenges involved in bringing the magic to life; What Caspar and his team experienced, just prior to the new experience opening; What he considers most magical about creating Mythica; Some of the keys to making AR work well, from Caspar's experience; Caspar's "Five C's" framework for success, in AR; A closer look at ZapWorks and ZapBox.      

Zappar: A Sense of Wonder

"It can't just be because it's cool," says UgoVirtual CEO Co-Founder Michael Cohen.  "It's got to be effective." He's talking about what works--and what doesn't--for hybrid events. Focusing on the human experience, Michael explains, is key to engagement.  That applies to real-world use of XR for conferences, seminars, job training and much more, And if you're creating a conference, festival, workshop or other onsite event, there are ways virtual, augmented or mixed reality can help keep participants engaged.. AR can allow for hands-on training.   Holographic historic figures can engage students' interest.   A scan of a phone can give attendees digital conference "swag". And Michael, who is also the President of the Toronto chapter of the VR/AR Association, says new 3D creation tools are currently available.   Educators, he adds, can expect to see even more of these coming online within the next two to three years. Meanwhile, UgoVirtual specializes in creating hybrid events.   Their website highlights the ways augmented, virtual and extended-reality technologies can enhance onsite conferences, meetings and presentations. Michael shared the story of UgoVirtual, explored the ways educators can put XR technology to use and highlighted some new resources for crafting applications. On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover: How Michael himself first experienced the evolution of immersive technologies; Michael's first AR  "wow moment", during his career in advertising; The story of UgoVirtual; How a hybrid experience can work in an educational setting; Several of the resources for creating immersive applications for education and events (including a new, just-announced one from Apple!) Applications of augmented reality for both an academic setting and on-the-job training; One of UgoVirtual's technologies, which adds holographic imaging to a physical setting; What Michael considers the most important lesson he's learned, about XR and its uses.              

UgoVirtual: Hybrid Creativity

Interviews with guests who innovate, create and make a difference!

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Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection o...

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