By Preston Banas
Overview
This semester the EMC’s Well-being team is collaborating with OVR Technology, local tech entrepreneurs. The team is working towards developing and testing a prototype VR experience aimed at supporting college students’ well-being through an olfactory virtual reality experience. This project has multiple components and ties in the connection between smell and neural response. The end prototype will allow students to experience VR and olfactory features while exploring a virtual setting and aiding in improving their well-being. This project is created in collaboration with Dr. Kim Quinn and Dr. Barbara Colombo, professors of psychology, as well as Joe Manley, designer, artist & associate professor of game design.
“I’m happy to be back because while remote work allows for some benefits, in person work is so much more enjoyable as you get to be in the environment of the EMC with your whole team and interacting and getting to know each other. It is really much more enjoyable to come in for shifts!”
Katherine Townsend, 3D Artist
Student Workers Explain The Well-being Project:
“Currently, the team is in full production mode at the movement, we have planned, researched, and tested the last two phases and are now ready to start implementing everything we have learned.”
Bram Van Overbeeke-Costello, Producer
“This project is an exploration of the impact of scent and VR on a wellness experience, at least for our testing. The experience as a whole is really about providing an environment where students can destress and experience different sensory input than what we usually encounter on campus. It almost feels like we’re creating a safe space.”
Katherine Townsend, 3D Artist
Highlights for the team have been:
“I think a great highlight has been seeing the dynamic of the team adjust to being in person. I loved working with the team remotely and we were able to accomplish a lot, but everything feels so much more connected and lively when we’re in a room together working.”
Katherine Townsend, 3D Artist
“The most recent highlight was finally getting to meet up with the whole team in person for meetings. Remote work was accessible and productive but nowhere near as enjoyable as coming down to the EMC to chat with, work beside, and connect with the whole team.”
Bram van Overbeeke-Costello, Producer
“The members of the team have been fantastic to work with. Everyone is so passionate and excited to work together to make an experience that we can be proud of. The people of the EMC are so dedicated and friendly, it’s wonderful to be a part of the environment.”
Olli Machina, Lead VR Programmer
“It’s been such a valuable experience to be able to work on a team with people from many skill sets who all bring their own talents to the project. Even if members arrived later in the project or have graduated already, everyone has contributed their own ideas and added vital pieces to the overall project and end result.”
Bram van Overbeeke-Costello, Producer
“Daily tea :)”
Zemyrah Loss, Audio Producer
“The atmosphere and work ethic, everyone is excited to show up and get to work. Creating a very healthy and engaging environment to get work done in.”
Joseph Tecce, Interactive UX Designer
Reflecting back on your experience so far with the EMC and this project, what has been the most valuable experience so far?
“I think the most valuable experience was first seeing all the assets included in a build – when you’re working on (especially 3D) assets in their software, it’s hard to visualize everything coming together. It felt really momentous to see it come together in VR.”
Katherine Townsend, 3D Artist
“I think remote work itself was valuable because in a post-COVID working environment remote work is more popular so having experience with it was useful. That said, I think that the most valuable experience I have had as a producer on this project was the size of the team I have been working with. Getting to work on a larger team scale has let me learn a lot about how to utilize Agile development and Scrum methodologies to large team sizes.”
Bram van Overbeeke-Costello, Producer
“Through this experience, we have had to be really efficient in communication with an outside company. I’ve learned a lot through using another team’s technology and working on creating something new while integrating the material they have already developed and communicating any questions or clarifications.”
Olli Machina, Lead VR Programmer
“For me as a designer, I would say the amount of health and wellness based psychology I have had to learn. I came into this team with a very base level of knowledge on this topic, but after the help from the team and Reid specifically. I have learned many new valuable skills in the psychology field in general.”
Joseph Tecce, Interactive UX Designer
The team will be working to finish the VR experience this semester, then professors, Drs. Quinn and Colombo can begin focus group testing with Champlain College students to gain insights about the experience and if it helps students de-stress and increase their well-being.