Unique resources available at the Duderstadt Center

The James & Anne Duderstadt Center: Digital Media Commons

At the hub of North Campus is the James & Anne Duderstadt Center – open seven days a week, 24 hours a day, to provide you and your students with access to cutting-edge technologies and expert advice to support coursework and research. Some of the unique and special services provided by the Digital Media Commons that are detailed below include:

  • Emerging Technologies – Visualization resources for extended reality and 3D modeling featuring a one of a kind XR classroom space.

  • Ground Connections – Maker resources including a fabrication studio, media projects tools and a gallery for exhibits.

  • Media and Student Arts – Hollywood quality audio and video production tools and facilities including spatial audio, high-speed cameras, and green screen presentation spaces.

Additional details for each area can be found below. Please plan to visit the Duderstadt Center in person the next chance you get, but in the meantime, check out our website for more information or to book a tour for yourself and/or your students.

Emerging Technologies

The Emerging Technologies Group provides many resources to support the use of extended reality and 3D modeling techniques for teaching and research. Staff are available to consult on development of XR tools along with recommendations on technology use. These resources are available for a combination of walk-in and reservation based access. Some of the unique cutting edge technologies you can experience are:

  • Visualization Studio lab providing 22 VR-headset equipped stations for development and review of XR applications. 

  • Photogrammetry Station that creates a digital 3D mesh from a collection of 2D digital photographs. 

  • Vicon Motion Capture System (“mocap”) for tracking the motion of point markers attached to humans or mechanisms.

  • MIDEN for a highly immersive life-size visual experience that doesn’t require wearing a headset.

  • We provide consulting and partner with users to make their XR projects reality.  Check out some of our recent projects. Using this resource in combination with Fabrication Underground and the Video Studio can allow you to create larger projects and support end-to-end development projects.

Ground Connections

The Ground Connections team supports learning in the Gallery, Fabrication Underground, Groundworks, and Design Lab 1.  The team also supports special projects that use multiple DMC resources both in-house and in the field.  miden

  • The Gallery hosts new events and exhibits every 2-4 weeks, featuring work by and for the U-M community. Classes are encouraged to request guided tours and artist talks.  

  • Fabrication Underground is a maker space for anyone on campus.  New industrial grade 3D printers produce small, intricate parts and large format or complex geometric prints. 

  • Groundworks allows you to plug into unique resources to complete any media project like a pro. 

  • DMC Checkout offers gear to link DMC in-house resources to coursework in the field:  audio recording equipment, specialty cameras, kits to enhance cell phones, and AR/VR devices are checked out at the Groundworks desk.

  • Design Lab 1 encourages collaborative ideation with tools and materials for sketching from various disciplinary perspectives. Classes, teams and clubs can schedule regular meetings. Drop-ins are welcome on weekdays.  

  • Embedded student staff members who develop expertise through individualized apprenticeships are our most valued resource. Ground Connections Consultant positions are open to any student with a passion to develop technical and soft skills to support teaching and learning in the DMC.

Media & Studio Arts

The Media & Studio Arts team is at the nexus of interdisciplinary collaboration, innovative research, and ideation for media creation and performance technologies at the University of Michigan. Empowering world-class productions, the MSA team supports students, staff, and faculty within state-of-the-art facilities through consultation, creative guidance, and production support. Technology-rich and always evolving based on the input and needs of the diverse communities we serve, the MSA studios are a resource for the entire University community.  MSA resources include:video-studio

  • Video Studio A collaborative sandbox, where faculty, students, visiting educators, scientists and artists come to collaborate and to produce or display high quality video and audio and to experiment with media technology.

  • Audio Studios  Three state-of-the-art audio production facilities, ranging in size and capabilities, equipped with industry-standard technologies to produce professional-quality recordings.

  • Personal Studio Designed to be an easy-to-use video production resource for creation of publication-ready videos at the push of a button.

  • Multimedia Rooms Media editing suites optimized for a wide variety of post-production needs, such as video editing, color correction and grading, digital audio production and editing, VFX and digital animation, and single or small group podcasting.