Virtual Reality in the Library

In our last post, we discussed augmented reality and its possible uses in OSU Libraries. We briefly mentioned its distinction from virtual reality, which is now our main focus of discussion.

Virtual reality is, by definition, a realistic and immersive simulation of a three-dimensional environment, created using interactive software and hardware, and experienced or controlled by movement of the body. Essentially, it places you directly in a virtual world; think think Star Trek holodeck but without all the walking. The extent of this experience can be simply watching on a screen or becoming fully immersed in a 360 degree virtual space.

Georgia State University offers art history students the ability to travel to places they could not otherwise visit. It is hopeful that such classes will soon be equipped with enough VR equipment to immerse each student in VR to allow visualization of the architectural styles and historical structures they are learning about. Additionally, a team of researchers at University of Maryland have created a program that could revolutionize the study of medicine by allowing students to view surgeries virtually to learn techniques.

This virtual spin on education could be in the not-so-distant future for Oklahoma State. If you haven’t noticed, the Edmon Low Library has recently added new equipment to the Joe and Jeanne Craig and John C. & Kathryn A. Williams study rooms. They contain monitors and tables for regular study sessions but also have less obvious components in the ceiling corners that act as sensors for VR. When a user is in a virtual environment, the sensors are able to pinpoint where the user is located to allow him or her to move throughout the space without bumping into unseen items.

To take a journey in one of the VR rooms, you will need the proper equipment. The VR goggles are attached to a headset with adjustable straps to fit your noggin nice and snug. This is how you view the environment and its virtual elements. The controllers come in the form of cylindrical joysticks that are held in either hand. These allow the sensors to find you within the room and give you the ability to walk around the VR world.

While price varies on VR equipment, it can be cost-prohibitive for many students, which is why the free access in Edmon Low is such a helpful resource.

The VR rooms can be reserved on the library website, and the necessary VR equipment for the room is available at the Tech to Go desk. If you don’t have time for the full VR experience, you can check out a pair of the VR goggles from Tech To Go. All that’s needed is a free download of the VR app on your cellphone, which is plugged into the goggles as a screen. Once the app is operating, you can put on the goggles and immerse yourself in a variety of locations including a roller coaster and the moon’s surface. Check out the new equipment and experience the fun of virtual reality today!

What environment or place would you like to experience virtually? Share your comments below.

Post by Jennifer Barnett, E-Communications Intern for OSU Library Communications

Augmented Reality in Higher Education

Augmented reality is a view of the physical world where certain elements are enhanced or “augmented.” Virtual reality creates a completely simulated world; whereas, AR only adds distinct virtual elements to the real world. AR is what you see on the Pokemon Go app when virtual images, such as Pokemon, appear in the natural world. A grid in the cellphone camera allows the images to be placed seemingly next to real objects.

Now that the term sounds a little less foreign, let’s talk about augmented reality in higher education. In modern libraries across America, AR is being used for many purposes.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison created an entire documentary of the Dow Day Vietnam War protests that can only be seen using AR. It allowed students to use their mobile devices to find locations of historical protests and see exactly what was happening in that spot on that specific day.

Simpson College in Iowa uses an AR cellphone application to make its promotional banners come to life through visual graphics, giving the impression that the banner is actually communicating to viewers. Additionally, the University of Washington is currently conducting research on a bionic contact lens that would allow users to view entire virtual displays through their own eyes.

A notable pioneer in AR, The University of Canterbury in New Zealand, has recently developed an interactive AR display where virtual planets on playing cards can be moved to create the solar system and further knowledge of astronomy. The university's researchers were also able to develop an AR program that displayed virtual versions of cities. By using a mobile app, users can view the past constructions of buildings and review facts and photos.

Each use of AR has proved useful to the furtherance of education at other universities, so how can this technology be applied to real life situations here at Oklahoma State?

Using AR, OSU Libraries could offer a virtually interactive tour of study spaces. The tour could lead visitors to a selected location, maybe a specific bookshelf, by creating virtual arrows or signs leading to the destination.

Another useful development of AR for mobile devices is spatial immersion and interaction, which allows the digitization of actual humans. Basically, it creates holograms of humans who are able to interact with the viewer and perform certain tasks. By accessing this spatial immersion technology, staff could create holograms of faculty showing visitors how to use the library equipment, such as book check-out and data visualization software. The possibilities are nearly limitless.

Finally, Radio-frequency identification is a separate technology that could be linked to AR. RFID uses electromagnetic fields to track items by reading the tags connected to them. The tags can be attached to a number of things from vehicles to student IDs. RFID can be used for many purposes, notably inventory management and item tracking. Similar to the augmented tour that would assist people in finding a location, RFID could allow this idea to expand to leads users to the exact location of the book they are searching by tracking its RFID tag. It could also be used as a security device for loss prevention.

Currently, the only augmented experience that OSU Library offers is through the Google Glass demos. These devices offer the advantage of operating a computer through the lenses, which could provide the perfect outlet for all the suggested applications of augmented reality. With a few advancements to its current equipment, the OSU Library could give other libraries something to model their programs after in the years to come.

What are your ideas for applying AR and other modern technologies in the OSU Libraries?

Post by Jennifer Barnett, E-Communications Intern for OSU Library Communications