By Janice Phelan,
July 13, 2022
Thanks to a new collaboration involving the University of Central Missouri, PeakActivity and Unity Technologies, students are participating in enhanced augmented-reality (AR) experiences in the
university’s Mixed Reality Studio, located in UCM’s Missouri Innovation Campus in
Lee’s Summit.
PeakActivity representatives worked with both UCM and Unity Technologies to facilitate
the cooperative venture designed to provide technology that supports AR opportunities
and experiences at the new state-of-the-art Mixed Reality Studio.
“We formed groups between UCM students and external companies, giving students the
chance to use Unity to help solve actual business issues,” said Rob Petrosino, head
of the Emerging Tech and Innovation Division at PeakActivity.
“Through our joint partnership with Unity Technologies and PeakActivity, we are able
to prepare students for the future, while deepening our innovative mindset internally
and inspiring our corporate partners externally,” said Joe Mullins, UCM Center for
Workforce and Professional Education consultant.
UCM opened its cutting-edge Gigabit Lab and Mixed Reality Studio in 2020, a working
lab unlike any other in the region. This dedicated space helps students, educators
and industry innovators explore emerging technologies at the Lee’s Summit campus.
Within the facility’s space, UCM students and employees and entrepreneurs are able
to prototype new solutions, launch new ventures and explore high-tech production and
storytelling techniques for immersive environments.
Unity Technologies is a cross-platform game engine which has expanded to also support
a variety of desktop, mobile, console and virtual-reality platforms.
PeakActivity is a digital acceleration and technology services company that enables
progress for businesses at every point of their digital journey through modernization,
optimization, innovation and engineering services.
For more information about the UCM Gigabit Lab and Mixed Reality Studio, contact Joe
Mullins at jmullins@ucmo.edu or (816) 441-2861.