Holy Holodeck! Imagine being able to virtually travel the earth in 3D.
This is a prototype product at this stage, and it is not focused specifically on education, but man is it cool! Seriously though, there’s no doubt this type of tech could play a constructive part in the instructional process. Of course, this assumes that affordable commercial versions of this technology can be produced.
Google’s Liquid Galaxy system uses images from Google Maps and a panoramic layout of screen displays to create a virtual 3D world you can ‘fly’ through.
These YouTube videos show the technology being demonstrated. The first video contains a lot of footage of actual use of the tool (although I wish it showed more of the full surrounding panel configuration of the system). The second video gives further perspective on the technology, with a focus on applying it to scientific uses such as climate change modeling, interspersed with visuals of the tech in action.
This CNN video article is where I came across this first, and provides additional insight into the technology.
Related Posts (if the above topic is of interest, you might want to check these out):
Immersive Technologies and the Future of Education
Telepresence (this is just too cool!)
Insight into the future of virtual worlds & virtual reality