Mixed Reality in Education, . . .

... to mainstream applications requires the convergence of people, knowledge, and conventions from divergent disciplines. Solutions involve more than combining functional requirements and creative novelty. To transform technical capabilities of emerging mixed reality (MR) technology into the mainstream involves the integration and evolution of unproven systems. For example, real-world applications require complex scenarios (a content issue) involving an efficient iterative pipeline (a production issue) and driving the design of a story engine (a technical issue) that provides an adaptive experience with an after-action review process (a business issue). This article describes how a multi-A multidisciplinary research disciplinary research team transformed core MR technology and team transforms mixed methods into diverse urban terrain applications. These applications are reality technology into used for military training and situational awareness, as well as for diverse applications used for community learning to significantly increase the entertainment, edu-military training, situational cational, and satisfaction levels of existing experiences in public awareness, and community venues. learning. Background An MR experience is one where the user is placed in an interactive setting that is either real with virtual asset augmentation (augmented reality), or virtual with real-world augmentation (augmented virtuality). 1 Figure 1 depicts these discrete points in the MR continuum. In previous projects, the Media Convergence Laboratory at the University of Central Florida has developed novel tools, displays, and interfaces to produce instances using each of these aspects of MR technology. The Mixed Reality Software Suite includes a special-effects engine that employs traditional scenography and show control technology from theme parks to integrate the physical realities of haptic and olfactory devices. 2 The graphics and audio engines capture, render, and mix visual and audio content for both augmented reality and augmented virtuality. 3 Th