At an educational symposium earlier this month, the world’s only liberal arts college for deaf students explored the potential of distance learning by testing a life-sized holoportation device called Proto Inc.’s Epic. .
Proto (formerly Portl) will launch its Epic hologram projection unit in 2021. It is designed to “beam” life-size images of people into a conference room, museum, or event space for deep, real-time interaction. The viewing window is touch-enabled, and an AI-powered camera, speaker, microphone, and internal LEDs help with shadows and reflections.
The company’s first application of this technology in Washington, DC was at the recent Visual-Centric Teaching and Learning (VCTL) symposium hosted by Gallaudet University, a learning center for the deaf founded in 1864. Deaf educator Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet.
Since its inception in 2020, the VSTL project has explored using digital visual technology to teach American Sign Language (ASL) and English bilingualism. At the symposium, the university’s president, Roberta J. Cordano, “sent” to Protohis Epic to interact with the participants. Use ASL. She was able to see and react to people in front of her 7.29 x 4.5 x 2.3 ft (2.22 x 1.37 x 0.72 m) standalone unit live thanks to her camera feed. .
Gallaudet University’s first Chief Bilingual Officer (and other faculty, administrators and students) also spent time as holograms on stage, effectively demonstrating the technology’s potential to host speakers and guests from around the world.
“This is a dream come true for me personally and for the Deaf community,” he said. “We have long wanted to harness the bilingualism of ASL and English through holographic technology that allows him to fully express himself in his ASL, a spatial language.”
Doug Barry, founder and CFO/COO of the company, said: The university hopes to show how holograms make conversations much clearer than any flat screen and facilitate his learning in ASL. ”
The video below shows how Proto Epic helps bring ASL to life with Proto HQ.
American Sign Language (ASL) using Proto Hologram technology
Source: Proto Co., Ltd.
