Project Title: “The Golden Age of the Jews of Al-Andalus”
Project Description: The Golden Age of the Jews of Al-Andalus project centers around adding an immersive mixed reality component to a curated physical exhibition that invites visitors to explore the daily life of Jews in the Iberian Peninsula. By donning a headset, a visitor’s environment is transformed into a reconstructed medieval synagogue, overlaid on top of the physical environment. Users can interact with others, including those that are not physically present, and even speak with an AI avatar of the philosopher Maimonides.
Principal Investigators: Shai Cohen, Ph.D. (pictured below | Dept. of Modern Languages and Literatures), Tom Merrick (Dept. of Interactive Media)
Team: Nefele Talavera (Architect), Chris Eagar (Project Manager), Kayleen Ramirez (Developer), Bryson Rudolph (Technical Lead)
Dr. Shai Cohen discusses what living in the 12th century was like while simultaneously having a virtual rendering of himself appear in a full virtual synagogue where others can remotely join in.
