 | |
| Company type | Non-Profit Organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Virtual Reality Serious Games Educational and Training Software |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Pine Technical College |
| Headquarters | Pine City, Minnesota, Minnesota, United States |
Key people | Dr. Robert Musgrove (President) John Heckman (Director) Tim Jewell |
| Products | Inspect and Protect Perspectives Haptic technology Virtual Spray Paint |
| Website | www.johnsonsimcenter.com |
The Johnson Center for Simulation (JCS) is a local leader in custom virtual reality, serious games, and educational software development, and deployment.
Johnson Center Mission
editThe mission of the JCS is to develop cost-effective, computer simulation-based learning and training tools. The Center serves state and local agencies, education providers, and business and industry. The JCS is self-supporting, funded by a variety of government, business, and non-profit agencies. The JCS collaborates with educators, trainers, and businesses to develop games and simulations used in a range of programs to accelerate learning, improve skills, and increase the employability of the learners.
History
editThe Johnson Center for Simulation (JCS) was established at Pine Technical College as a Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (MnSCU) service center in 1999 as part of a regional project to extend East Central Minnesota's technology infrastructure and services.
What does the Johnson Center do?
editThe Center staff includes computer programmers, digital artists, and technicians who collaborate with subject-matter experts from education and industry to produce a wide variety of learning tools, including:
- Virtual reality simulations where users work inside a detailed computer model,
- Force-feedback devices, called haptics, that let users touch and interact with virtual objects,
- Serious games that combine computer game technology and learning curriculum,
- Situation simulations where users are challenged to perform complex tasks in a virtual world.
All of these tools use technology to provide valuable practice of important skills in safe, practical, engaging, and effective ways. The JCS harnesses technology to bring powerful learning experiences to wherever learners need to be: classrooms and labs, on shop floors, and through the internet and portable devices such as Androids and iPhones, to homes and work places nationwide.
Examples of Johnson Center Work
edit- Virtual Reality Spray Paint Training: The user sees a virtual paint booth and applies virtual paint to virtual objects. Safe, effective, and clean, this tool can be used almost anywhere.
- An online serious game called Perspectives at: guatemala.johnsonsimcenter.com
- The player can learn about some economic realities in Central America.
- This project was developed in collaboration with Lynn Rabuse at MnSCU’s Southeast Technical College.
- An online serious game called Inspect and Protect at: cp.johnsonsimcenter.com
- The player can learn about a small subset of corrosion prevention and control called cathodic protection.
- This project was a collaboration with the United States Department of Defense.