Design for a joined-up VR/AR capability at Warwick University

Supporting this proposal:

Dr Robert O'Toole, National Teaching Fellow, Senior Academic Technologist, VR/AR community lead at Warwick, member of the WMG/Monash project.
Dr Irwyn Shepherd, Monash University (Melbourne), leading the development of VR/AR capabilities, courses and projects at Monash.

The proposal:

This proposal describes the elements of a successful institutional capability for virtual reality and augmented reality technologies and practices. It describes well known, currently do-able, aspects of this capability for which we know there is demand, and demonstrable impact. It would provide the foundation for a broad range of innovations in education and research, across and between the disciplines. It would allow us to further explore significant ideas relating to well-being, social inclusion, and the environment. It would be at the centre of a regional and international community, bringing together education, research, business and social innovation.

This capability would mirror a similar initiative at Monash University, being developed by our project partners there. Using a virtual reality meeting platform, we would be able to bring the two universities closer together.

The 10 key dimensions are:

1. VR theatre, following the Limina Immersive approach (successfully developed by Warwick alumnus Catherine Allen) but within easy reach of teaching spaces. This could host VR-enhanced seminars, well-being events and cultural events, and VR activities linked to lectures. The theatre would seat up to 18 people at a time, in 3 circles of 6. It would use mid-range standalone headsets with 6 degrees of freedom and binaural sound (such as the Oculus Quest, at £420 per unit including headphones). It would include a charging station and a headset management console.
2. Hi-end VR spaces, allowing for detailed, hi-fidelity, highly-interactive simulations of activities such as heart surgery. Each unit is significantly higher in cost (perhaps £3000 each).
3. Large open space for movement-rich and social AR and VR experiences (such as large scale multi-person simulations).
4. Outreach kits, which can be taken away for events - this might include research on VR/AR with different communities (there's a lot of that in relation to wellbeing, ageing, social inclusion).
5. AR mobile demonstration facility, allowing us to demonstrate the potential of augmented reality in education. This uses lower cost equipment, such as phones and iPads.
6. VR/AR development studio (maker space) with equipment, supporting the range of skills and techniques required to create new activities, and hosting a wider community of people across the university, the region and in our international partnerships (especially Monash).
7. Education development (including developing for-credit courses), research and impact evaluation network, with facilitator.
8. Advanced research base, for enabling funded research activities across the faculties and in collaboration with Monash.
9. Local and international business interface, with facilitator.
10. Local and international culture and arts interface, with facilitator.