[10/01/2009]

Marquette University creates STEM content for grades 7-9 using EON Reality’s Software Solutions

IRVINE, Calif., October 1, 2009 – EON Reality, the world's leading interactive 3D software provider, is pleased to announce that undergraduate and graduate students, along with their faculty mentors, in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Marquette University have created content, called Vascular Voyage, using EON’s software tools as part of ongoing cardiovascular disease research. 

Marly Bergerud, VP, Education Development, EON Reality, indicates, “EON is also being used to modify this content to convey and teach concepts rooted in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines as part of a biomedical engineering education.”  “Basic proficiency with STEM principles is a nationwide thrust required for personal or professional success and to meet the demand for STEM-related careers in the U.S. and global workforce,” says John LaDisa, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering. 

“Vascular Voyage is made possible through collaboration between the Department of Biomedical Engineering in Marquette University’s College of Engineering, Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin, and the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin,” LaDisa points out. ”The goal of Vascular Voyage is to enhance the understanding and confidence of students in grades 7-9 with principles used in STEM-related disciplines by intrinsically linking their personal interests in technology and computing with the intrigue of exploring the human body. Students interact with immersive 3D multimedia content and interactive demonstration stations where the human circulatory system is experienced under normal, diseased and treatment conditions, as a means of illustrating the importance of STEM principles, and assessment and evaluation is performed using impact-based indicators and measurement metrics rooted in academic standards.”

“Using EON is desirable,” says LaDisa, “since the Human Interactive Virtual Education (HIVE) system within Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin is currently running this software and constant accessibility to the HIVE by their patrons requires the use of software that is robust and stable. Based on experience with other virtual reality systems, EON provides a more user friendly environment for developing virtual reality content.  Using built-in EON features and several custom scripts, we were able to create an immersive simulation that displays blood flow through the cardiovascular system without any low-level programming experience. More importantly, the high-level functionality of EON allowed us to create our content in a relatively short period of time.”

Bergerud indicates that, “STEM simulations using EON technology solutions such as the Vascular Voyage created by Marquette are in high demand nationwide as educators rapidly move toward integrating such objects and modules into their existing and new curriculum.” 

‘Marquette’s efforts in the creation of the EON based STEM content have largely moved forward as a result of substantial work by Tim Gundert in the CV T.E.C. lab (Laboratory for translational, experimental and computational cardiovascular research),” says LaDisa, who is also Director of the CV T.E.C. Lab.  “Further, Vascular Voyage will soon be poised to provide as many as 300,000 students within Milwaukee and the surrounding area with a unique opportunity to benefit from a truly innovative approach to STEM education that is rooted in the HIVE system within Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin, and leverages the core competencies of collaborating institutions.“  The HIVE is a virtual reality chamber that uses EON software along with rendered data, high-end projectors, 3D viewing and motion tracking technology to create an immersive digital environment and is one of only two such public systems in the world.

About EON Reality
EON Reality, Inc. is the world's leading interactive 3D visual content management and virtual reality software provider. EON’s solutions enable all organizations to more effectively visually communicate, collaborate and accelerate knowledge transfer. Industry leaders using EON’s solutions include Atlas Copco, Bechtel, Boeing, Bombardier, Hon, Intel, Lexus, Lufthansa –Teknik, Peterbilt, Samsung, Siemens Medical, Suzuki, Toyota and Whirlpool use EON solutions to enhance the interactive user experience to effectively increase sales, better communicate product functionality and decrease the cost of service, training and technical support.  Educational institutions and organizations who have adopted EON’s SBL technology solutions include: the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (located on the campus of the Florence-Darlington Technical College), Honolulu Community College, Old Dominion University, Marquette University, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Discovery World Museum, Oklahoma City Community College, Concord University, Texas State Technical College – Waco, El Paso Community College, University of Alabama, University of Hawaii, University of Kentucky and Fayetteville Technical Community College in North Carolina. For further information, visit www.eonreality.com.v