FB07 VR/AR Lab
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By establishing our own VR/AR lab, we are creating an infrastructure to test and research immersive technologies in a practical setting and integrate them into our teaching. The equipment ranges from fully immersive VR headsets to mixed-reality-capable standalone devices and lightweight smart glasses.
What are VR, AR, and smart glasses?
Virtual Reality (VR) completely replaces the real environment with a computer-generated world. Users wear a headset that displays a separate image for each eye and tracks head movements in real time. This creates the impression of actually being inside the virtual scene and interacting with it. Typical applications include training simulations, virtual tours of spaces that have not yet been built, or experiencing situations that would be too expensive, too rare, or too dangerous in reality.
Augmented Reality (AR) supplements the real-world environment with digital content rather than replacing it. Text, key metrics, 3D models, or work instructions appear in the user’s field of view and can be linked to objects in the room. The user’s view of the surroundings remains intact.
Between these two extremes lies Mixed Reality (MR), in which virtual objects take the real-world geometry into account—for example, by standing on a table or disappearing behind a wall. “Extended Reality” (XR) has become established as an umbrella term for this entire spectrum.
Smart glasses are everyday eyewear that superimposes information directly into the user’s field of view. They are significantly lighter than headsets and are designed for extended wear. The range of options is wide: Some devices primarily project a large virtual screen, while others function as standalone computers with cameras, microphones, and voice assistants, providing context-sensitive information about what the user is currently seeing.
The Lab's Equipment
10 Meta Quest 3 headsets
Standalone VR headsets that run without a connected computer and can also display mixed-reality applications using their color cameras. These ten units form the basis of our work with entire groups.
3 × HTC Vive Focus Vision
High-quality headsets with built-in eye tracking that can be used either standalone or connected to a high-performance PC. They are primarily intended for studies in which we want to track where users are actually looking.
2 × VITURE Luma Ultra XR/AR Glasses
Lightweight glasses that project a large virtual screen into the user’s field of view and connect via USB-C to a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. We use them to test mobile work with large display areas without fixed monitors.
2 × RayNeo X3 Pro AI+AR Smart Glasses
Standalone smart glasses featuring a camera, voice assistant, and an in-field-of-view display that shows translations, navigation instructions, or notes. They are designed for scenarios where users need to keep their hands free and information is displayed contextually.
Use in Teaching
The devices are not intended as demonstration tools, but are meant to become an integral part of our teaching in the future. We plan to use them in seminars and project-based courses, where students will not only try out immersive applications but also design, implement, and evaluate them themselves.
The scope of the curriculum ranges from developing their own VR and AR applications to designing interactions and user guidance, all the way to conducting empirical research on how people interact with these technologies. In addition, the devices offer the opportunity to deliver course content in an immersive way—for example, through spatial visualizations or simulations of situations that would otherwise not be accessible in a lecture hall. Beyond teaching, the lab is open for thesis projects as well as for collaborations in research and practice.
If you’re interested in using the lab or have an idea for a joint project, we’d love to hear from you (mailto:sebastian.lins[at]uni-kassel[dot]de).