Case Study: FocuSStem NextGen bridges the digital divide with CrossComm's mobile AR and VR summit platform

FocuSStem NextGen reaches students region-wide with CrossComm’s XR summit, despite 47% high-speed internet gaps

FocuSStem NextGen, in collaboration with the Karmanos Cancer Institute, faced the challenge of making their annual STEM summer intensive accessible to students who lacked VR headsets or reliable high-speed internet. They partnered with CrossComm to develop a mobile AR solution that could bridge this digital divide and provide an immersive, remote experience for a broader audience of underrepresented students.

CrossComm built an asymmetrical extended reality (XR) platform using the Photon multiplayer engine. This allowed students to participate via a freely available mobile AR app, while presenters used VR and speakers joined via a simple webpage. The solution successfully hosted a live summit that overcame connectivity and hardware barriers. The event won a silver Telly Award for "Virtual Events & Experiences" and a bronze Telly for "Craft-Use of AR," enabling FocuSStem NextGen to continue its programming during the pandemic.

FocuSStem NextGen