My AR Studio at the Politecnico of Milan

At the beginning of November, we held the final lecture of the course "Augmented Reality and the Metaverse" at the Politecnico of Milan as part of the Passion in Action program: a catalog of educational activities with free participation, designed to promote the development of transversal skills, soft skills, and social skills in students, and to encourage and facilitate a personalized enrichment of their personal, cultural, and professional baggage.

The realization of the course was the result of a long dialogue with Politecnico since it would have been the first corporate reality to enter the Passion in Action framework. Politecnico wanted to ascertain the actual value that a tool like My AR Studio could give to students. After a series of adjustments to the topics to be addressed, the final approval arrived at the end of September 2022, and the official call for applications was published.

Students responded immediately with keen interest; in fact, despite being an extracurricular course, enrollments exceeded the available places. Students from various departments participated: communication design, interior design, fashion design, and product design.

The course took place in 3 sessions held between October and November, during which Augmented Reality was presented to students as a tool that can already be part of our present and will likely greatly influence the way projects are communicated and products are sold in the future.

Students were provided with basic skills to independently create content for augmented reality. These skills can be used to effectively communicate their products, facilitate the design review process with teachers through Virtual Prototyping logic, and create interactive digital portfolios.

The concept of the Metaverse was discussed, providing an overview of the technological foundations up to the software currently available in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets. In particular, the opportunities that are already beginning to be offered to industrial designers and designers in general were illustrated.

Finally, we focused on practical exercises for processing and exporting 3D digital models through the synergy of Keyshot and My AR Studio software. Whether it's an appliance, a garment, an accessory, or a furnished space, students were able to use their digital models to develop an Augmented Reality view, accessible via a link or QR code, or directly accessible from their website.

The feedback received during the course was very positive. Students appreciated the dynamics of the presentation: the alternation of speakers, the practical quality of the content, the interaction on real projects, bringing the perspective of the "world of work" into an academic context. In particular, students were amazed by My AR Studio. The fact that they proceeded on their own, exploring its features independently, confirms the ease of use and the possibilities that such a tool offers to those who want to enter the world of Augmented Reality with simplicity.

We already plan to repeat the experience by including an additional lesson in the official Keyshot course next December.