VR is connecting your classroom to the world

The Lenovo Virtual Reality Classroom Kit Ruckus is partnering with Lenovo to bring VR learning to students age 12 and up with the Lenovo Virtual Reality Classroom Kit. These self-contained kits are packed with everything educators need to get VR quickly up and running, including Lenovo Mirage Solo VR headsets, Lenovo Tab 4 PLUS 10” touchscreen tablets and thousands of hours of digital curriculum – all linked through Ruckus Wi-Fi access points (APs). According to Ruckus Marketing Director of Education Rich Nedwich, VR learning is immensely exciting for teachers and school administrators, although the technology itself can also be intimidating for some educators. “Teachers are already working hard to develop and deliver digital lesson plans so they don’t have time to become an extension of their IT helpdesk. That’s why Lenovo designed the Lenovo VR Classroom to be simple, scalable and durable,” Nedwich told The Ruckus Room. “Each kit functions as a complete turnkey solution, with VR hardware, software, curriculum and Ruckus Wi-Fi all pre-configured and ready to go. There is no complex setup, or fiddling with settings to get and stay connected. You can just turn on the VR headsets, bring up today’s lesson plan on the tablet and start engaging students.” As Nedwich notes, the virtual reality kits feature rugged casings to withstand heavy use throughout the year. Moreover, there are no external antennas to snap off or reorient. And because the kits are packaged with their own Ruckus R510 Wi-Fi AP, they don’t need to run on the school’s existing wireless network. This means no dropped connections or choppy video when the school Wi-Fi gets congested. “The Ruckus R510 AP – which is designed for dense and demanding environments – delivers more capacity and higher performance than most schools require,” Nedwich added. “As you scale your VR deployment and add more headsets (even expanding to 1:1 VR headsets per classroom), you’ll get the same reliable and high-performance connectivity.” The Ruckus R510 AP in the classroom Hundreds of schools across the United States are currently using the Ruckus R510 AP to support digital learning and 1:1 computing initiatives in the classroom, such as Forest Hill Public Schools. Built for dense public environments with dozens of simultaneous users and high-bandwidth multimedia content, the R510 is also the perfect solution for the most demanding and immersive VR learning scenarios. Key Ruckus R510 features include: 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi: Supports data rates up to 1200 Mbps. Dedicated “Ruckus Unleashed” Wi-Fi connectivity: These APs are designed to run entirely on their own – without a wireless controller. Just power up and start learning. BeamFlex+: Ruckus BeamFlex+ dynamically adapts antenna patterns in real time to mitigate interference and extend AP range. PD-MRC: Ruckus BeamFlex+ uses PD-MRC antenna technology to preserve a clear, high-performance connection even when devices change their orientation and polarity – which frequently occurs when wearing a VR headset. SmartCast: Ruckus SmartCast automatically segments and prioritizes demanding HD video and voice traffic over a network to deliver consistently smooth, vibrant VR experiences. Compact, rugged form factor: Ruckus R510 APs have internal antennas, as well as protected uplink and power ports to prevent tampering in busy classrooms. Interested in learning more about Lenovo’s Virtual Reality Classroom Kit and our R510 AP? We’ll be showcasing the VR kit at ISTE 2018 in Chicago (Booth 2332) from June 25-27. If you cannot attend ISTE this year, or are simply impatient, then download our joint solution brief.