PUCPR has become the pioneer university in Brazil to establish an Extended Reality Center.
PUCPR has made a groundbreaking move by inaugurating its very own Extended Reality Center (XR Center) on June 5th. Located within the main Campus in Curitiba, this state-of-the-art facility spans over three thousand square meters. The space is fully equipped to facilitate the development of virtual, augmented, and 3D reality projects.
To prepare students for the ever-evolving job market and society, universities must transcend the mere imparting of knowledge and provide immersive experiences. Today’s youth are used to vast information and exposed to diverse platforms, which challenge the learning process and transform the role of higher education institutions.
Professor Ericson Sávio Falabretti, the Dean of Educational Development and a faculty member for the Graduate Program in Philosophy (PPGF) at PUCPR, highlights the need for modern education to emphasize fundamental skills and values such as ethics, critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication. However, it is equally important to incorporate digital skills and relevant technical expertise related to utilizing new technologies.
PUCPR is proud to launch the Extended Reality Center to foster experiential learning tailored to individual student needs. This immersive and multi-themed environment aims to bring the academic community closer to new educational technologies. Spanning over three thousand square meters, this unprecedented space in higher education institutions results from the university’s longstanding commitment to innovation.
This space aims to expand the possibilities of learning and collaborating in addressing real-world challenges. “Without a clear purpose, it would be just another technology. The key lies in using this space to present situations that challenge our students and evoke memories, sensations, and emotions related to their learning. It is a learning experience that can greatly contribute to problem-solving and meeting the current demands of society,” comments Falabretti.
The Extended Reality (XR) Center at PUCPR will serve as a platform for developing immersive experiences across various fields of knowledge. In the realm of healthcare, it will provide a real-time medical interview simulator and a virtual reality game aimed at enhancing physical movements during activities. In the engineering field, the center will offer a mixed-reality digital guide for electrical instrumentation training, virtual tours showcasing plant and production processes, and an application focusing on the structure of manufactured products. Theater students can utilize virtual environments for their performances, while those studying law can immerse themselves in crime scene simulations. The XR Center will also support biological sciences by facilitating the creation of 3D prototypes representing animals. Lastly, for the humanities, the center will aid in developing an immersive documentary and a game centered around mathematical functions.
Spanning across the yellow building of the Curitiba Campus and the PUCPR Digital Arena, the XR Center boasts multiple spaces dedicated to these immersive experiences.
