Facilities & Technology

All our students are given their own full-size desktop tower PC with a large GPU for the duration of their time at the ETC, and their desks are equipped with two top-of-the-line monitors: a 32" 4K monitor and a 27" 1440p monitor on the side. 

The model changes from year to year based on what's available and what best suits our students' needs; for the 2025-26 academic year, this is a Lenovo Legion gaming PC with an RTX 4080 Super GPU. 

All student PCs come preloaded with professional-grade software, including: 

• Windows 11 Enterprise Edition
• Maya
• 3ds Max
• zBrush
• Houdini
• Adobe Creative Cloud (full suite)
• Unity 6 (education license included)
• Unreal Engine 5
• Reaper (license included)
• WWise
• Audacity
• Microsoft Office

Students can request other licensed software, such as Marvelous Designer, Cinema 4D, Nuke, Arnold, RedShift, Mari, Katana, Unity and Unreal plug-ins, etc., based on project needs.  Access to subscription-based software is also available on request if approved for project use, such as cloud-based GenAI services.

We also have a variety of devices that students can sign out to use in their work, including: 

• Wacom tablets
• VR headsets (Meta Quest 3, Varjo, Apple Vision Pro)
• AR glasses (XReal, NReal, Viture)
• Motion capture solutions (Perception Neuron, etc)
• Body tracking solutions (Azure Kinect and Femto Bolt)
• Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and Phidgets kits
• MIDI keyboards for their desk
• Apple iPhones + iPads
• Android phones + tablets

At the ETC, we are exploring the future of play and entertainment with robots. Our center is outfitted with the Unitree G1, a bipedal humanoid robot designed for diverse applications.

It features 23-43 degrees of freedom, two force control dexterous hand, advanced AI, 3D LiDAR, and depth cameras for navigation. The G1 supports C++/Python/ROS2, making it a versatile platform for developing robotics and machine learning.

The CAVE takes you for a ride. Literally! Our 3-wall CAVE system combines immersive, 3D projection with an active motion base powered by a pneumatic system, making it the perfect tool for designing ride simulators and creating dark ride experiences.

Think big. Then think 270 degrees of stereoscopic 3D in a 20-foot cylindrical space lined with motion sensors. The CAVERN allows our students to design multiplayer virtual experiences where immersive interaction meets full-body storytelling.

At the ETC, we don't just make games. We also make consoles. Modeled off a drum circle, this 4-player interactive table fuses projected visuals, drum pads, and spinner controls into a powerful tool for creating collaborative games.

This dedicated space features two soundproof WhisperRoom recording booths equipped with Pro Tools and Native Instruments software, plus four Mac-based workstations loaded with high-quality audio interfaces, full MIDI keyboards, an extensive suite of pre-installed VSTs, and access to several sound effects libraries. Whether you're composing original music, designing immersive soundscapes, or editing crisp audio for interactive experiences, this is where audio magic happens.

This isn’t just a lecture hall, it’s a storytelling venue. Equipped with a 200 foot screen, 5.1 surround sound, theatrical lighting controls, and an advanced A/V system, the RPIS hosts everything from classes to demos to speaker series. Named after our late co-founder Randy Pausch, this room is the heart of the ETC.

Make reality optional. The ETC’s Green Screen Studio gives students a controlled environment to explore VFX, compositing, and virtual production, turning imagination into believable on-screen worlds.

From set pieces and costumes to interactive installations and physical prototypes, this fabrication space is built for bringing ETC projects off the screen and into the real world. Inside, you'll find everything from a resin (SLA) and FDM 3D printer, to a laser cutter (24" x 12" bed, 40W CO₂), to soldering stations with fume hoods. A dedicated build lab supports electronics and large-scale prototyping, while our fully equipped woodshop — featuring a table saw, bandsaw, drill press, mitre saw, and more — makes cutting, carving, and creating simple.