Imprint Interactive Computer Adventures SENSE8 Proudly Presents... VR ADVENTURES Serious Summertime Fun! Check out the kids 1998 Masterpieces! Virtual Reality Summer Camp Lets Children Experience and Create Real-time 3D/VR SEATTLE, WA.--(May 3, 1998) Computer Adventures, a leading provider of technology-based summer camps for youth, has joined forces with Imprint Interactive Technology LLC, a virtual reality education and development group to provide a series of virtual reality training and summer camp classes, in addition to their core high-tech curriculum. The Virtual Reality summer camps will be week-long excursions into this emerging computer revolution for kids between the ages of 10 and 16. Sessions will be offered twice on the University of Washington (UW) campus, and twice at the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC). "Through the Virtual Reality Adventures, we are exposing students to a new level of technology that is unsurpassed in other programs. We are giving students a unique opportunity to experience technology that until now has only been available for use in advanced research and technology institutions," states Alexa Ingram-Cauchi, co-founder of Computer Adventures. Participants will go hands-on with professional real-time virtual worlds and world-building for some serious summertime fun. "We want to encourage participation at many different levels," says Ari Hollander, principal at Imprint Interactive. "Computer technology is just one aspect of virtual reality. The rest is planning and designing how someone will use the environment from a perceptual and psychological standpoint." "Our focus is on using VR as a living medium," adds Imprint Interactive Principal, Howard Rose. "Camp participants are going to make and experience virtual worlds that are highly interactive, including virtual spaces where they can meet and collaborate over a network. We want to take them beyond the 'Oh, wow!' level of awe to the point where they can start to use this technology as their own tool." Using technology from SENSE8 Corporation, an immersive 3D interactive software and solutions provider, camp attendees will be able to experience existing virtual environments, as well as create their own. The skills and activities presented in this summer camp will provide these intrepid engineers with a taste of design and development using cutting-edge tools and technologies. Campers will get a firsthand feel for how virtual reality can deeply affect the senses. As a camp highlight, participants will experience the 3D simulation, "Drunk Driver" which demonstrates the positive potential of this medium. Drunk Driver was developed collaboratively by SENSE8, the California Science Center and West Office Exhibit Design, to let children and young adults experience the difficulties and dangers of driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .08%. "Although there are many effects of alcohol that just can't be simulated with a computer, like poor judgment, exhilaration, risk aversion and we think the driver's seat view and real-time driving of the SENSE8 software offers a pretty realistic impression of driving under the influence of alcohol," said Andrew Dunn, AV & Interactive Media Developer, California Science Center "The value of this program is that people will get to see, and to some extent feel, the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol without actually endangering any people or property." And this isn't just for boys, either. "Many of the best designers I have met have been middle-school girls", states Kimberley Osberg, Imprint Interactive principal. "I always like to encourage creativity coupled with attention to detail, and the young women with whom I've worked often bring both of these skills to the table." Dr. Osberg conducted research on the educational efficacy of virtual reality at the highly respected Human Interface Technology Laboratory, on the University of Washington campus. Imprint Interactive Technology and Computer Adventures will be expanding to offer more virtual reality courses for summer camps, schools and other enrichment programs. The spirit of this partnership is to increase children's access to technology through high quality educational experiences which build-in fun and creativity. For more information about Computer Adventures and their wide array of cutting-edge technology summer programs, please visit their Web site at http://www. computeradventures.com. For more information about Imprint Interactive Technology's services in virtual environment development and educational technology, please visit their Web site at http://www.imprintit.com. For more information about SENSE8 and its products, please visit their Web site at http://www.sense8.com. Imprint Interactive Technology Tel/FAX: (206) 361-6400 All contents of www.imprintit.com are the sole property of Imprint Interactive Technology. unless otherwise noted.