Professor Ali Momeni and Student Team Awarded Grable Foundation Grant for SocialVr Project

Posted on September 20, 2016

Associate Professor Ali Momeni along with Ralph Kim BFA ‘16, Michelle Ma BSCA ‘17, and Ben Scott BFA ‘17 were awarded Grable Foundation grant for SocialVr.

SocialVR is a browser-based interactive design tool (see screen-shots below) that allows non-technical users aged 8+ to create personalized Virtual Reality (VR) experiences. Using a simple browser, phone, and low-cost camera, individuals who otherwise would not have access to VR technology are equipped to build personalized immersive experiences using 360 photos and videos, text, and audio. Using these media primitives, users can create customized stories, games, and learning resources. In addition to providing an intuitive design interface for creating VR experiences, SocialVR also provides a mechanism for multiple people to view the experience concurrently: VR experiences created with SocialVR can be shared easily through iOS and Android app stores.

Momeni’s practice and teaching spans performative applications of robotics, playful urban interventions, interactive projection performance, machine learning for artists and designers, interactive tools for storytelling and experiential learning, mobile and hybrid musical instruments, and the intersection of sound, music and health.

Project website