Welcome to the ARVRinEDU Advent Calendar 2022! Our special focus this year is on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). These mini blogs will spotlight an immersive resource that can be easily implemented into the curriculum.
Figmin XR (ART)
We spent a day exploring Figman XR with Lake Shore Central School District. Tech integrators Michael Drezek and Deann Poleon invited two high school classrooms to create art in the multi-purpose augmented reality program powered by Tilt Brush.
“Anything is possible! Decorate your room, create physics games, educational experiences, awesome videos for social media, storytelling, art, marketing, visualization, or anything that you can imagine.” -Figmin XR
What you can do in Figmin XR
The real world can be enhanced with holograms through augmented reality.
Take video storytelling to the next level with AR.
Your collection will last as long as you save the things you or others have made.
Use AR in your curriculum. Make lessons or videos.
Use physics to replicate real life in augmented reality.
App Features
Integrations include SketchFab, Giphy, and YouTube.
Import & Export content to share by web links or QR codes.
Use hand physics to engage with holograms naturally. (Hololens 2 only)
Put the powerful physics editor into action.
Design and paint in 3D.
Add 3D Text with customized font, color, material, size & depth of your text banners.
Edit, sculpt, paint & carve 3D objects.
Build your own brushes by turning a 3D or 2D model into a brush.
Notes from Michael Drezek about the Figmin XR Experience
The class began with an introduction to VR, AR, and XR based on students' prior knowledge. A year ago, there were not as many students that had experience using a Quest device, but this year when we surveyed the class, it seemed half either own one or have tried one. We started with the Figmin promo video to capture their interest. Since we were working with a class that had some programming background, we talked a little bit about the development of VR-type apps and how students could learn to create their own apps using Unity. Many students in the class explored https://learn.unity.com for the first time.
Before students can dive into creating, they need to play, get curious, and learn the functionality of existing applications to get inspired. Exploring Figmin XR allowed for this. After one full class period, we only scratched the surface of what is possible with this creation tool. We created a boundary in the school hallway that allowed plenty of space to create and build. The first student that used Figmin described how the Quest boundary acted like a wall that became part of the scene.
Our school network prevented us from successfully casting what students were viewing, but we observed students moving a virtual Earth and Moon and being blown away by the physics of these assets being able to interact with the physical space. We challenged students to think of two things to create with Figmin XR:
create something for fun
create something that might be useful to someone else
We have had conversations about what it means to #UseTech4Good through a digital citizenship lens. We are excited to hear from students about how they would like this type of technology to be used beyond just for novelty and entertainment.
With any “sandbox” tool, we always view the possibilities as endless. Figmin XR is a tool that various classrooms can use to have students create scenes based on something they are learning in class. For example, using CoSpaces in past years, students created scenes related to Romeo and Juliet in VR and virtual representations of the periodic table and various elements. As an educator, I am curious as to what this might look like in Figmin XR and how students might use this technology as a tool not only for creativity but for learning.
Steps to get started
Download the Figmin XR app here. ($19.99)
Follow the tutorial when first beginning to use hand-tracking features.
Save the scene.