eXtended Reality lab ( XR-Lab)

USING EXTENDED REALITY TO SOLVE REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS.

eXtended Reality Lab (XR-Lab) explores how people engage with simulated scenarios through Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality and promotes communication and collaboration through XR for education, health, safety, and professional training in both academic and industry settings.

Extended Reality (XR) is an emerging umbrella term for all the immersive technologies virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR).

Location: Digital Future Building, Cincinnati Innovation District.

Lab Director

Ming Tang, Registered Architect, RA , NCARB, LEED AP (BD+C), Associate Professor at the School of Architecture and Interior Design, University of Cincinnati.

XR-Lab facilities
High-end VR-ready computers. All workstations are equipped with Unity, Unreal Game engines, and various modeling and animation software and connected to various HMDs. VR headsets (Oculus Quest, pro, rift; HTV Vive Pro eye. Eye-tracking devices + analytical software (Tobii Eye Tracking Glasses, Tobii Screen-based eye-tracking), 360 cameras. The XR-Lab also has full access to the following shared facilities at Digital Future and the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning ( DAAP).

The VR/AR Center at Digital Future

The VR/AR center at Digital Future features a 20×30 ft. 14-camera (Arqus 5 Wide) Qualisys motion capture volume for full-body, facial, and hand tracking, a 20×30 ft. multi-user VR volume for up to four simultaneous users, and a variety of AR/VR systems such as the Microsoft Hololens 2, high-end tethered systems (Vive Pro 2, HP G2 Reverb Omnicept, Varjo VR2) with HP VR backpacks, and portable all-in-one systems (Oculus Quest 2, Vive Focus 3).

Additional capabilities also include a whole-body (Teslasuit) and hand (Manus) haptic feedback, Biometric data capture (eye-tracking, heart rate, skin response), Shimmer GSR sensor, 360 video filming services (Insta360), AR/VR and simulation development services, and Environmental scanning and photogrammetry services.

Computer lab at DAAP. The computer graphic center (CGC) at DAAP includes 40 high-end workstations equipped with 3D modeling software such as Maya, 3dsMax, Rhino, and graphic, video, and audio editing programs. The Lab also provides plotters, scanners, and IT tech support.