[Florida A&M University is using a variety of presence-evoking technologies, including a new virtual version of its campus, to recruit prospective students and build community among current students and alumni. See the original version of this story from the Tallahassee Democrat for four more pictures and a 57 second video (also available on YouTube). Note the statement at the end from the alumna who “brainstormed the Rattlerverse idea”: “This is the next step in the era of spatial computing — to have immersive versions of universities, businesses and whatever else people have to offer… People can come at any time of day, and it’ll always be a beautiful day in the Rattlerverse.” –Matthew]
[Image: Aerial shot of FAMU’s Rattlerverse in Meta Horizon Worlds. Credit: FAMU]
‘The next step’: FAMU launches Rattlerverse, a virtual 3D world of its campus
By Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat
January 24, 2024
Florida A&M University is breaking ground — in the virtual world.
An immersive virtual world called Rattlerverse was recently launched by the university, giving the public a futuristic replica of FAMU’s campus and culture.
FAMU’s Rattlerverse makes it the first HBCU (historically Black college or university) to have a metaverse — or fictional world — on Meta Horizon Worlds, which is a free virtual reality (VR) online video game made up of 3D displays.
With immersive experiences that range from virtually playing football on the Ken Riley Field and marching as a drum major in the Marching “100” to getting on stage at the Will Packer Amphitheater, Rattlerverse can be accessed by anyone through the VR headsets Meta Quest 2, Quest 3 or Quest Pro.
FAMU alumna L. Michelle Salvant, who brainstormed the Rattlerverse idea, was one of the creators and leaders on the project as she worked with the university along with award-winning Meta Horizon World Builders Jeremy Duncan and Shika Duncan to create the virtual world.
“This Rattlerverse brings an entirely new dimension of experiencing the campus to the world in the most immersive way,” Salvant told the Tallahassee Democrat. “It’s a look at the culture and the excellence of the university all in one space.”
She says the 3D virtual world was built using about 3,000 intricate shapes.
As owner of LMichelleMedia — a media consulting company in Tallahassee — Salvant has worked with FAMU’s Office of Communications in the past, where they produced and edited the first-of-its-kind Marching “100” 360-degree Virtual Reality film in 2017 through a partnership with Google.
The Rattlerverse project, which took almost two years to make and is controlled by the university, also adds on to FAMU’s Virtual Tours initiative in 2018, which allows individuals to get an online tour of campus with a 360-degree view.
FAMU’s Vice President of Student Affairs William E. Hudson Jr. says the purchase and maintenance of both Rattlerverse and Virtual Tours cost approximately $20,000.
“As the No. 1 HBCU, I think it’s always imperative that we always look for new mechanisms to reach our constituents,” Hudson said in a prepared statement, describing the project as an addition to the university’s recruitment tools.
“We pride ourselves on being innovators and strategists for the new generation of students,” he added.
Although FAMU is the first HBCU to launch the virtual world through Meta Horizon Worlds, Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia was the first HBCU to launch a metaverse-based project in 2021 when it created the world’s first Metaversity — an interactive, virtual learning space where students of the college can attend class remotely.
Metaversity is another project that is currently being tested out by FAMU to also give its students a virtual reality classroom experience, Salvant said.
Maxwell Rolle, a second-year political science major, says he was “truly intrigued” when he first saw FAMU announce Rattlerverse.
“I began to think about all the cool things we could do, like Set Fridays and maybe even class one day,” said 19-year-old Rolle, a West Palm Beach, Florida native.
To access the Rattlerverse platform, individuals can download the Meta Horizon Worlds app using a Meta Quest 2, Quest 3 or Quest Pro headset device, type “Rattlerverse” in the app’s search bar and select the virtual FAMU world to launch it.
FAMU students who do not own one of the headsets can access them at the FAMU School of Architecture and Engineering Technology’s Virtual Reality Lab on campus. The university’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication also has headsets for student use.
“This is the next step in the era of spatial computing — to have immersive versions of universities, businesses and whatever else people have to offer,” Salvant said. “People can come at any time of day, and it’ll always be a beautiful day in the Rattlerverse.”