Virtual Reality Research and Applications

Catalog description

The course is designed to introduce students to basic immersive virtual reality (VR) concepts and technology with a strong emphasis on the use of VR as a tool for conducting scientific research and developing scenarios for real-world applications in education, psychology, neuroscience, and psychiatric and medical treatment. The course consists of lectures, in-class discussions on selected topics, and hands-on VR lab sessions, where students will learn the basic principles of experimental design to be able to use VR technology to build immersive experiences for hypothesis testing. The goal is for students to gain both practical experience and to understand the fundamentals of human perception and cognition that should be considered when using the medium. Students will learn through first-hand experience of developing VR-based research applications how to assess and evaluate user experiences while maintaining best ethical practices. This work will be complemented by a series of guest lectures by researchers in the field from the industry and other institutions.