Day: June 19, 2023

Day 12/13

The majority of Friday I spent at Unreal Fest before going with the group Cyber Connect 2. I am really interested in the development and the technology behind video games; I even enjoy watching GDC talks and the making of documentaries in my free time. I got to see how they used motion capture technology to make a mesh follow movement live from a camera reference – I even got to try the headset on. They also let me use the sphere that takes a bunch of pictures at once and turns your face into a mesh for a video game character.

We met as a group in the hotel lobby before making our way to Cyber Connect 2. I’ve never gotten to tour a studio of any kind before, so this was a very cool experience. After this tour, we were free to do as we wished since this was the last scheduled day of the trip. I ended up on the same plane as both Professor Jacobs and Professor Sten, as well as another student so I spent my last day hanging around the hotel with them, mostly trying my luck at the arcade machines; which I did win a prize.

I was fortunate enough to not have anyone sitting next to me on any of my four flights. This was by far the longest plane ride I’ve ever experienced, and I was pleasantly surprised that we got three meals, free headphones, and access to hundreds of free movies.

While I was glad to be home, I found myself already missing the group of students, professors, and the KCG professors, I spent almost everyday with. I am beyond grateful to have gotten this experience and I can already see the short-term effects from this trip: greater confidence, better problem-solving, etc. But I am almost more excited to see how it will impact my life long-term. Thank you for this amazing trip!

Day 11

We started out the day at a mall with a life-size Gundam statue out front. While I have never seen Gundam, I loved seeing the larger-than-life figure in person. It even moved a little, lit up, and played voice lines. There’s apparently another one that moves it’s arms or legs but it was closed for renovation for at least several weeks.

We also got to go to TeamPlanets – which reminded me of Otherworld in Ohio – a huge warehouse filled to the brim with different light, sounds, and tactile experiences. First walking in, we walked up a ramp that was running water continuously. Then we walked through a giant room covered in pillows and bean bags. Which was surprisingly hard to not fall over in, but it was so much fun.

My two favorite rooms came next: the mirror and light room, and the koi pond. There were thousands of lights dangling from the ceiling and mirrors on the floor and ceiling. The room had quite a few cycles that showcased different light patterns creating a number of kaleidoscopic sights. The koi pond was a large room filled with opaque water topped with koi made of lights. Being a big fan of water, I found the dark room very relaxing.