Come explore the projects we do with international clients through our innovative studio initiative that is on the forefront of media design and learning.

The Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts (IDIA Lab) partners with Hybrid Design Technologies, within Ball State’s Office of Information Technology, to investigate the intersection of the arts, science, and technology.

Scholarly, creative, and pedagogical projects investigate the following:

  • virtual and augmented reality
  • human-computer interface
  • mobile apps
  • visualization and 3-D simulation

Projects and Recognition

The lab, developed through support by the Lilly Endowment Inc., has empowered students and staff to develop the following projects and recognitions with international partners, including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and UCLA:

  • The lab developed an open source software product for the Blackboard Greenhouse Grant for Virtual Worlds and its Cinema Arts Project. The project won an ACUTA Award for Institutional Excellence and the Campus Technology Innovators Award for Virtual Worlds Learning.
  • Author, critic, and museum director Michael Rush commissioned the lab to develop artwork and a virtual events program for the new Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University.
  • Scholars in the virtual archeology community have been working closely with IDIA Lab to create virtual simulations of lost architectural sites and more.

Partner with Us

Do you have questions about the IDIA Lab or would like to brainstorm collaborations?

Contact Us

Centers and Labs Dedicated to Community

The following centers and labs support our efforts to provide Indiana communities with low- or no-cost expertise while offering students excellent opportunities for real-world experience:

  • CAP INDY (College of Architecture and Planning: Indianapolis) affords the college a unique opportunity to help shape not only future professionals, but also the future of Indiana's capital and largest city.
  • Center for Energy Research/Education/Service (CERES) is an interdisciplinary resource focusing on issues related to energy and resource use, alternatives, and conservation. 
  • Center for Historic Preservation (CHP) provides experiences for students and services to communities seeking economic development through preservation.
  • Andrew Seager Archives of the Built Environment collects and preserves records about Indiana’s historic sites and structures.
  • Digital Fabrication, our fabrication area contains equipment to design and make 1:1 prototypes of building and furniture components as well as small-scale models.
  • Digital Intermedia Arts (IDIA Lab) The Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts (IDIA Lab) partners with Hybrid Design Technologies, within Ball State’s Office of Information Technology, to investigate the intersection of the arts, science, and technology.
  • Digital Simulation Lab The state-of-the-art environment and tools create stereoscopic 3-D design presentations that clients use for thermal, solar, environmental, acoustical, or structural simulations of proposed construction projects.