Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality are collectively referred to as eXtended Reality, or XR. The Research Computing Center (RCC) can help with coordinating XR efforts across ×î¿ì¿ª½±Ö±²¥½ÁÖé½á¹û. If you have questions on how youÌýcan best leverage VR and AR solutions, have an idea or would like a demo pleaseÌýcontact us.
TheÌýRCC VR LabÌýis a resource that is available for members of the ×î¿ì¿ª½±Ö±²¥½ÁÖé½á¹û community. The lab is run by members of the Research Computing Center (RCC), and is currently hosted in Dimond Library. Our goal in creating this lab is to reach out to researchers, educators, students, and other community members and find out how Virtual Reality technology can assist them in accomplishing their goals, innovative ways to explore research and educational experiences.
Available Hardware
The RCC VR Lab has three Head Mounted Displays (HMDs), which were donated by a combination of the
generosity of supporters of ourÌýÌýefforts and our friends atÌý. These includeÌýtwo Oculus Rift SÌýHMDs and anÌýOculus QuestÌýHMD. All of these units use state of the art "inside out tracking" and wireless Oculus Touch motion controllers to deliver an immersive virtual experience without the need for tracking sensors to be placed around the area where the units are used.
TheÌýOculus Rift SÌýunits are wired solutions that are attached to Lenovo Thinkstation P330 desktop computers. They feature Windows 10 and high-end Nvidia RTX 2080 graphics cards that were donated through our partnership withÌý. These computers deliver the Oculus Rift S HMDs the power to maximize their efficiency in both computing and graphical fidelity. Both units are connected to mobile media carts.
TheÌýOculus QuestÌýis a new stand-alone HMD that requires no computer. The headset runs a modified version of the Android operating system to create a truly wireless experience. This headset sacrifices the power of having a desktop to do all of its computing for the freedom to go nearly anywhere. The Oculus Quest can be used in conference rooms or class rooms with nearly no setup involved.
What We Are Doing
We are making these Virtual Reality resources available to members of the community for exploration and experimentation. As software developers, we have been experimenting with different programming technologies that create VR scenes. We have experience with Unreal Engine which allows creation of 3D scenes in a polished gaming engine and is used by many of the top video game companies to create their software.
RCC has extensive expertise in web programming, and we have been working with A-Frame, which is a javascript framework that uses WebGL to interpret specialized HTML tags and create 3D scenes with them. These scenes can be embedded in web pages, which can be viewed in Virtual Reality using an HMD. One of the beauties of this technology is that it is not limited to VR and can be viewed in a regular web browser on a PC, or with the assistance of gyroscopes on your phone.ÌýTry it out in one of our demos.
What Can You Do?
Are you a researcher, professor, or student who:
- Wants to visualize data in new and interesting ways?
- A programmer looking to try the newest tech?
- Looking at new opportunities to engage your students?
We are happy to talk to you about VR, show you a demo, or help you start your next big project.
Email: Ìýrcc.support@unh.edu
Support Request Form: Ìý
