Empow Labs Announces Opening of State-of-the-Art XR Makerspace
Built and supported by educators and experts, the collaborative center’s opening kicks off November 8th.
Newton, MA— Empow Labs, a collaborative center for teens and adults focusing on technologies likely to change the world, is excited to announce the grand opening of their brand new XR Digital Makerspace at their Newton, MA, studio. Empow Labs’ core mission is to provide opportunities for learning, professional development, and peer networking in the areas of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies, 3D design and modeling, robotics, wearable technology, sensors, the IoT (Internet of Things), and human-machine interfaces.
The importance of these tech areas is in their significant potential for future professional opportunities despite being difficult fields to kickstart learning in, simply because of the cost of equipment and lack of viable educators/mentors. With this venture, Empow Labs is seeking to break down those obstacles. The prevailing hope is that users of the XR (Extended Reality) Makerspace studio will derive new STEM interests; broader technology, science, and engineering knowledge; and new career pathways as a direct result.
We’ll offer something for learners at any level, from novices who would like to gain basic understanding of today’s technologies, to teens and young adults who want to explore potential careers, to professionals looking to develop, produce, and test their projects.
–Leonid Tunik, Empow CEO
“The space will serve pre-professional learners, young professionals, entrepreneurs, software and game developers, career-changers, nearby businesses, educators, artists, hobbyists, retirees…really, anyone who wants to learn the new technologies hands-on,” explains Empow’s CEO, Leonid Tunik. “There will be a variety of classes, services, training, mentorship and consulting opportunities, along with events and workshops. We’ll offer something for learners at any level, from novices who would like to gain basic understanding of today’s technologies, to teens and young adults who want to explore potential careers, to professionals looking to develop, produce, and test their projects.”
Built and supported by educators, experts, and AR/VR advisors, Empow Labs has been intensely developing new programs that kick off on November 8th. Upon the opening, the Lab will announce new membership models that allow for members to reserve, use, and rent space and various high-end commercial and consumer equipment. Virtual reality and augmented reality technology continues to rapidly expand, from being employed exclusively for gaming and entertainment to positioning itself as an integral part of new, engaging, and immersive learning experiences across multiple industries.
“The XR Digital Makerspace initiative is to build a collaborative center, first and foremost,” adds Dave Gutierrez, Vice President of Operations for Empow. “We want to nurture and grow a community of people who have interests in emerging tech and introduce these modern technology subjects to folks who are looking to learn a new craft and add to their professional skill set.”
Here’s the opening schedule of Empow Labs’ classes and workshops offered through the fall and winter:
- Virtual Reality Paint Night (Nov. 8th, 2019)
- Intro to AR/VR Design with CoSpaces (Nov. 13th, 2019)
- Digital Painting with Photoshop (Nov. 16th, 2019)
- Introduction to Worldbuilding through Photogrammetry (Nov. 18th & 20th, 2019)
- Image Editing in Photoshop (Nov. 23rd, 2019)
- Intro to 3D Modeling and Sculpting Characters & Creatures (Dec. 4th & 11th, 2019)
- Digital Painting with Photoshop (Dec. 14th, 2019)
- Intro to AR/VR Design with CoSpaces (Dec. 18th, 2019)
- Image Editing in Photoshop (Dec. 21st, 2019)
- 2D Animation Fundamentals (Jan. 4th, 11th, & 18th, 2020)
- Intro to 3D Modeling and Sculpting Characters & Creatures (Jan. 8th & 15th, 2020)
- Intro to AR/VR Design with CoSpaces (Jan. 22nd, 2020)
- 3D Animation Fundamentals (Jan. 25th, Feb 1st, & Feb 8th, 2020)
For more more information on Empow Labs and all its program offerings, go to empowlabs.com.
For updates and information about all of Empow Studios’ locations and programs, visit empow.me or find us on Facebook.
