NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering will use a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to bring 3D video technology to dance education. The project, led by NYU professor Yong Liu and his research team, focuses on Point-Cloud Video, a technology that uses data points to virtually represent surfaces and other entities in 3D spaces.

The research team is collaborating with the Mark Morris Dance Group’s Brooklyn center and the dance department at the Tisch School of the Arts to recruit students and instructors for the project, who will perform on a stage specifically designed for shooting 3D video. The technology currently requires fast internet and high computational power, but Liu’s team will try to reduce these requirements to allow PCV to be streamed on standard internet-connected devices. 

“This project will create unique opportunities for art and dance faculty and students to participate in computing, to understand how physical art can be represented in digital form and how new technology can be adopted to advance art education,” Liu said. “We also plan to offer PCV Streaming Vertically Integrated Projects to undergraduate students from programs throughout the university, including engineering, digital media, education, dance and other performing arts programs.”

The technology will help provide students with a better understanding of depth perception, spatial relationships and movement. Liu said the team will continue to conduct research on future applications of virtual reality to gather a better understanding of its potential impact. 

“By facilitating the use of emerging technologies, NYU Tandon is laying the groundwork for greater accessibility in the dance and education spaces while broadening the creative possibilities for artists,” said Tisch dean Allyson Green in a press release. “As a longtime choreographer, performer, and dance educator, I am thrilled that our Department of Dance will be joining NYU Tandon and Mark Morris Dance Group at the forefront of this research, and I’m eager to see how these advancements modernize the field.”

Contact Stella Zhong at [email protected].