"The point here is not to have a lot of people just talking about (VR)," comments VRAR Chicago Founder Matthew Wren, of the upcoming Chicago XR Summit.

"...We want them to come into the space, put the headsets on and actually try this."

VRARA's Chicago XR Summit, happening on June 4th at Illinois Institute of Technology and virtually, in Frame VR, will be unique in several ways.

Breaking new ground, hands-on

In addition, no speakers will be featured. Attendees get to explore exhibitors' innovations in immersive technology through hands-on demonstrations.

Also, Matthew says, exhibitors will not be charged for exhibiting their products and services! While they'll pay a deposit to reserve the space, that deposit will be returned after their appearance at the Chicago XR Summit.

And last--but absolutely not least--Matthew and his team are exploring a new way for virtual attendees to experience the Chicago XR Summit!

"We are experimenting with technology that, frankly, I haven't seen anyone do before," Matthew says.

The overall goal: to educate and involve Chicago industries--and individuals--in the uses of immersive technology in day-to-day life in the workplace, education and creative disciplines.

A mission of exploration

VRAR Chicago, which Matthew founded in 2017, supports individuals and organizations in implementing virtual and immersive technologies into their products and services. For the past eight years, they've hosted their free hybrid monthly event series, The Next Evolution, where attendees explore the ways new immersive technologies can become valuable tools in their industries and future employment opportunities.

In other words, they're showing people the ways immersive technologies' capabilities extend far beyond the "gaming" applications with which many people associate them.

And Chicago XR Summit supports this goal by introducing attendees to some of the uses of immersive technology which they may never have imagined.

Matthew shared the story of creating VRAR Chicago, talked about some of the exhibitors during last year's Chicago XR Summit, and offered some guidelines for successful virtual events.

And, be sure to reserve your tickets for Chicago XR Summit. Matthew warns that this is going to sell out!

Can we work in tandem with AI to craft a future world in which we'll want to live?

Futurist, AI ethicist. anthropologist and educator Dr. Lollie Mancey says we can--and must.

The infusion of artificial intelligence, into all sectors, is inevitable, she continues.

"We can't just shut our eyes to it and say, 'it's not going to happen. It's already happened," she says.

"And actually there are some amazing, incredible benefits, as well as some not-so-good things, coming."

A proactive approach

As Programme Director at University College Dublin's Innovation Academy, Dr. Mancey's expertise is based on her experience in multiple areas.

In addition to her background in anthropology, she is an entrepreneur who has. so far, founded and directed three businesses. She is a broadcaster, whose most recent work included co-hosting RTE's "Futureville Ireland" and her radio show on Dublin South FM. Dr. Mancey also hosts a podcast, "An Entrepreneur Like You", on Spotify.

An award-winning storyteller and keynote speaker, Dr. Mancey likes to challenge her listeners to explore new ideas--and specifically, to imagine the ways they can have "a place at the table" as artificial intelligence evolves into all aspects and industries of the future. Her research and exploration of the challenges of AI focuses on the ethics of its use, for a human-centered approach to a rapidly-changing world.

Dr. Mancey talked about her background, some of her research in AI and the directions she recommends everyone take, to stay proactive and collaborative with artificial intelligence in education and the future workplace.

As the world watches the activities of NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 what is life like, aboard the International Space Station?

NASA Astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Captain Stephen G. Bowen can certainly answer that question.

Steve has flown four separate missions aboard the International Space Station. Most recently, he served as commander aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission to the ISS, in 2023. Over the course of his career, he has conducted 10 spacewalks. In all, he's logged a cumulative total of 227 days in space.

And the best part of it, he says, is getting to work with his fellow astronauts towards the goals of each mission.

"There is no better feeling you'll have in life, than achieving something or succeeding as a team," he says.

In fact, those achievements included rebuilding parts of the ISS!

Steve says that his first three flights on the International Space Station included bringing up the galley for the U.S. side, a module for the Russian side and a new stowage module for equipment.

In addition, Steve and his crew members were involved in some very exciting research projects, from around the world, that could have some exciting implications for medical science in the future.

"What we learn on orbit really informs how we understand the world," he explains.

In this interview, recorded in early 2024, Steve talked about his background, offered a look at life aboard the International Space Station and explained some of the ways astronauts’ work in space can improve life on Earth.

As Air Rocket Works Co-Founders Rick Schertle and Keith Violette discuss their work, one word keeps coming up.

"Fun".

That's because Rick and Keith, both passionate makers, enjoy creating cool things that fly.

And so do the teachers, students, parents and various enthusiasts who get to build and launch their rockets--and learn engineering, hands-on, while having a great time!

Rick and Keith's small business, Air Rocket Works, came about almost by accident.

It all started when Rick, a middle-school teacher, dad and lifelong maker whose MAKE magazine bio says he "specialized in fun growing up", became intrigued with the idea of making a compressed air rocket launcher.

Rick came up with a project that, unlike other launchers available at the time, was inexpensive to create, as well as durable--and a lot of fun!

About a year after publishing his project in MAKE magazine, Rick and his family assembled a few rocket kits, and offered them through the magazine. When they sold out rapidly and customers wanted more, he began exhibiting his rockets and rocket launchers at maker fairs.

Meanwhile, Keith, who is an engineer by profession, as well as a dad and a maker who describes himself as a "big kid", saw Rick's projects in MAKE magazine and brainstormed ways to create a new working air rocket glider.

Keith and his son took videos and sent photos of their finished work to Rick--and the rest is history.

Today, Rick and Keith, who live in California and New Hampshire, respectively, have numerous rockets and launchers available on their website. They've developed rockets and launchers for educational programs all around the world. These include educational outreach programs by NASA, United Launch Alliance and The Tech Museum of Innovation.

Meanwhile, they continue to wow visitors at maker fairs--and may very well be coming to Maker Faire Bay Area this September!

(Like to get some hands-on experience before then? Here's a link to Rick's book "Planes, Gliders and Paper Rockets: Simple Flying Things Anyone Can Make" on Amazon!)

Rick and Keith shared the story of Air Rocket Works, discussed some of their favorite experiences and offered a preview of what's next!

This post and podcast are not, in any way, shape or form, affiliated with, nor endorsed by, NASA. We are not employed by, or otherwise connected with, NASA. We just find this very exciting stuff!

In honor of Anne C. McClain's return to space with NASA's Crew-10 mission, this week we're reposting our 2023 interview with her about her career and achieving her dreams. Safe journey to Anne and her crew, and we'll be watching and cheering!

NASA's Space-X Crew-10 mission, has a targeted launch time of 7:48 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 12th, according to NASA's website.

"It was a dream ever since I was little," says NASA Astronaut and U.S. Army Colonel Anne C. McClain, of her space career.

On March 12th, 2025, she's scheduled to experience the next chapter of that dream.

As the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket and Dragon spacecraft launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, Anne will be serving as commander of NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station.

However, that's only one exciting aspect of her assignment.

Anne is one of eighteen astronauts selected for training for NASA's Artemis missions. Along with her colleagues, she is preparing, for NASA's return to the Moon and their ultimate goals: to establish a lunar outpost and prepare for human missions to Mars.

And there are no blueprints for the groundbreaking missions. Consequently, Anne and her colleagues are discovering what equipment and procedures will be needed for Artemis--which is very different from preparing to fly aboard the ISS.

"It's not just about training for space; it's figuring out what you need, to train for space," she explains.

The Crew-10 mission will be Anne's second spaceflight.

December, 2018, marked Anne's first launch, as flight engineer for ISS Missions 58 and 59. During her six months aboard the International Space Station, she served as the lead on two spacewalks.

Her journey to the stars

On the way to her ultimate goal of becoming an astronaut, Anne garnered numerous professional accomplishments and accolades.

Commissioned as an Army officer in 2002, she is a Master Army Aviator and Experimental Test Pilot. Her flight experience includes more than 2,000 hours in 20 different types of aircraft. Her professional honors include the Dennis Hart Mahan Memorial Award for excellence in Aeronautical Engineering, as well as Honorary Doctorates of Engineering from both the University of Bath and the University of Bristol.

And her NASA experience includes serving as an Instructor Astronaut in three different areas: Robotics, EVA, and CAPCOM.

During our 2023 conversation about her career and her spaceflight preparations, Anne shared, not only her story, but a great "blueprint" for anyone who would like to achieve their dreams

"I want more people to use our platform and find out that art-making is fun," says iBoda CEO Professor Sunah Kim.

And her new South Korea-based platform offers students multiple opportunities to make that discovery.

Using AI as a tool in collaboration with art education experts from Hanyang University in Seoul, iBoda assesses a student's artistic tendencies, as well as the art styles they prefer. Then, based on these findings, the platform customizes art lessons to that individual's interests and abilities.

From there, the art educators assess the student's uploaded work, guiding them as they improve. The student also does a self-assessment, and the platform allows them to chart their development in a "process-folio".

In addition, students can display their work in online galleries. and write about what they've created. Art educators can use the platform to design lessons customized to individual student interests, and resources are available, including lesson plans and videos on specific techniques. And the iBoda platform features multiple media for art creation, including weaving, origami and digital art. (Several examples of student work are shown on their Instagram page.)

It's all about creativity as an ongoing process.

"(Art-making) should be continuous," says Professor Kim.

"It's not some activity you can do one day and stop."

She's speaking from considerable experience.

An artist for as long as she can remember, Professor Kim holds multiple art-education credentials. She is a Professor in the Department of Art Education at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea. She chairs three art-related graduate programs at HYU, as well as serving as Director of the university's Art Gifted Education Institute. In addition, she is the Director of the Hanyang Education in Art + Design Lab.

Professor Kim shared the story of the iBoda platform, offered a look at the ways it works and discussed the ways she'd like to expand the platform in the future.

ILO is a new educational robot, created in Quimper, France.

And describing it as "highly adaptable" would be an understatement.

Designed to teach programming progressively, the ILO robot can be programmed through a mobile app by beginning students. Then, as these students continue learning, there are intermediate lessons, with block coding, through the Vittascience platform.

And for advanced students, ILO can be programmed with the Python language.

The innovations don't stop there.

ILO can move both forward and sideways, due to the construction of its mechanical wheels. It's open-source, so users can create and 3D print their own accessories. It's made for durability, so that parts are easily reparable or replaceable.

In other words, this is a robot designed to travel through the user's learning journey.

ILO Founder Simon Le Berre shared the story of creating his innovative educational robot, explained its capabilities and discussed what may be coming next!

"Speaking their language," says EducateAug Founder/Company Director Tim Limon.

He's explaining his approach to empowering students through creativity and XR.

Tim, who is both a media professional and an education professional, works with U.K. students on improving their reading and phonics skills. His Manchester-based educational technology company boosts student literacy skills through interactive work in augmented reality, extended reality and AI.

Tim starts with the students' interests--then gets them involved in creating social-media content, based on the music, movies and other areas that spark their imagination.

And as the students create their content, they're incorporating phonics and reading--along with a considerable amount of fun and imagination.

Along the way, Tim makes sure that his young creators, who often have low self-esteem due to having fallen behind their peers in their classwork, get a new perspective on themselves and their skills.

"I just want to help children realize...that they are assets," he says.

While Educate Aug is a relatively new company, one of Tim's products--the Augmented Reality Phonics Soundboard--has already earned a Finalist spot in the Innovate UK Immersive Tech Awards.

Additional creations include a holographic testimonial, as well as a Cosmic Canvas, which you can see on Instagram.

Tim shared the story of Educate Aug, explained how his AR Phonics Soundboard works and talked about his creative journey.