What is IVRC?
IVRC is the acronym of the International collegiate Virtual Reality Contest. Been held since 1993, it is the world oldest Interactive product contest, which is mainly related Virtual Reality technologies. The English name has changed for internationalization to the current name on IVRC 2004 because we began to invite French teams which gain high rating at the Laval Virtual contest.
Should participants be students? Can vocational school students apply?
There is no problem if the primary participant belongs to any school such as a elementary school, a junior high school, a high school, a vocational school, a junior college, a technical college, a university, or a graduate school.(Please interpret samely as "ac" or "ed" domains). Business worker can join only as a volunteer member.
Can only a group apply IVRC?
One-man team can entry if you have enough skill and time for production.
It is difficult to make something without any theme...
Our only restriction is to use "the interactive technology including virtual reality". Try with your own imagination. Though some previous IVRC had themes such as "VR in Life" or "Liberation"(For more information, see the previous IVRC websites), there are no special theme this year. We are looking forward future VR-contious new-generation virtual reality products and interactive arts
What is the "unpublished work"?
The applied work should be unpublished and unreleased. Though, depending on the project, an application of an existing product or an application of a pre-released basic technology may be recognized as "unpublished". The products which have gained awards on other contests are not permitted. A little modification, such as a change of just a name, may be thought as "lack of novelty".
Is no restriction for the size of a product?
The size of a product should be in 2mx2m for the preliminary contest in Tokyo. For the final contest in Gifu, please consult us when you would like a larger space. Though, the important things to deside the size of a product are meaning and artistic quality. A wonderful work can be made with the size even smaller than 1 cubic meter. If your product need a bigger space for meaning and quality, appeal it in the proposal.
May we gain the production cost support?
Yes. IVRC provides the production cost support for participants if their projects are excellent and recognized as "good for realization" through our examinations. There is no restriction for usage of the amount as far as you turn your interactive product up until the preliminary contest. And we require the expence report after the contest.
The Production Cost Support is not enough to realize our proposed project.
IVRC don't care the actual cost to realize your project. You can find sponcer corporations or borrow epuipments each other on your own responsibility. Please inform IVRC when you are provided machines or the production cost from your laboratory or companies.
What the addtional cost support in the production cost support?
When your team passes the documentary examination, then you should try the presentation as the second examination. The additional cost support, up to 50,000JPY, is distributed proportionally depending on the score of the presentation examination.
Recent IVRC contests seem smaller than previous IVRC contests in the cost support and the exhibit space...
IVRC has changed from the contest mainly for the larger products to the one mainly for the small or moderate sized products since the 10th anniversary contest(2002). Please try to entry more than 2 projects if you applied in a large group before.
What type of product has an advantage for the presentation examination?
The Judging Committee for the presentation examination consists of industrial and academic professionals in the VR industry. Each member comprehensively exteems the technological/artistic novelty of the project, and the capability and realization-possibility of the product. For example, if a member of the committee is the successful entrepreneur of a venture business, he/she appreciates the realization-possibility, the profitability, and the social impact of your product.
Who is in the Judging Committee of the presentation examination?
This is not published in this stage because this information is important for the strategy of participants. They are of course the people who has an interest and an approval to the IVRC philosophy. If you betray the expectations of them, your project would not pass the presentation examination. We plan the excellent Judging committee of the world famous VR researchers, VR industrial professionals, Game and amusement industrial professionals, and press people... And the Judging members see participants as not students but professionals and ask hard questions. But don't be panic and answer only the truth. They do so for the educational reasons.
Whatever project do you welcome?
As far as it is an unpublished product using "interactive technologies such as virtual reality" planned by a group which members are mainly students, we only care if it is interactive in an exhibition?" Though, a proposal may be rejected in the documentary examination if it is difficult to exhibit, such as a plan using a lot of water or fire, dengerous, or socially problematic, such as a plan including discrimination or aspersion.
When we have to start the production?
The actual exhibit is permitted only for the teams which pass the presentation examination. Because we don't set the startline of the production, though, if you have a self-confidence you can start the production of prototype anytime. (The presentation of a prototype would be a powerful material for the persuasion in the presentation examination.)
I don't think that I have enough skill to realize my project...
What is your anxious point in skill? Because IVRC is the contest using interactive technologies and virtual reality technologies, at the very least it requires "skill" to make your imagination interactive. Though, in the examination we put an importance on the "technological/artistic novelty of the project". So "advanced technology" and "artistic novelty for human beings" are considered equal.
I don't have the skill which let my planned product interactive?
Before the submittion of your application, try various measures. To research for the technological support, to find collaborators who are good at engineering, or to refine your project to the level which you can realize...All participants fight to "make their own imagination interactive".
May I have more detail of the extra prizes?
Overall winner gain help to submit to the Etech of SIGGRAPH, U.S.A. and the right to join the externship travel to SIGGRAPH. IVRC executive committee provides 500,000JPY for the cost of the travel. If there remains some amount of difference, you can use it as you like. Or, it is also possible to share the amount among many people and pay the extra cost for yourself. Though, if you don't submit to Etech, or no one joins SIGGRAPH, the extra prize is dismissed. In the case your submission is rejected by Etech, you can gain 500,000JPY of the travel fee if you join the externship travel to SIGGRAPH.
We cannot have an enough projection distance with the restriction of 2mx2m in Tokyo Preliminary Contest.
We plan to provide a backyard for a projector outside of the exhibit space if the venue condition permits. Or, with consulting us, you can exhibit the application using outside of your exhibit space, like "walking around the venue". (the safety of visitors are required.)
I don't have the software license which can write in the Adobe Acrobat PDF format.
If you register Create Adobe PDF Online, you can use the free exchange service up to 5 files as the trial period. As another solution, softwares to exchange Tex to PDF are released. Masamichi HOSODA introduce the way to make PDF using free Ghostscript software on http://www9.plala.or.jp/trueroad/pdf-make/ .
The product in my plan is too big to transport with the provided cost support.
Recent IVRC don't recommend to make a big and heavy product, because the bigger size should be a demerit for the exhibit abroad, the transportation, or the domestic strage afterward. Why don't you make the plan of the product which can transport within the provided cost? For the exhibit, we may provide an enough space for an over-sized product if the form can be controled frexibly. You should give the enough appeal in the proposal.
Is there restriction of the number of members?
Last year IVRC paid each team the travel cost for up to 3 people. Though, this limit is just for the cost support from IVRC, and the participation of more members is possible if the team pays the extra cost. Or you can ask many helpers only for the production because the production stage needs no travel cost unless you go to the final contest in Gifu.