Welcome to the Immersive Tech community at the VU (XR@VU) – a community built for scientists at our university and beyond, who are interested in using virtual reality, augmented reality, and related technologies in their research and teaching. Our community is focused on high-tech immersive or extended reality (XR) technology, such as VR headsets, holograms, and bodysuits, to name a few examples. This technology is of growing importance in different domains, such as health, training and education, engineering, entertainment, social activities, and work-related interactions. Some even imagine an XR-powered virtual metaverse as a successor of the Internet. Immersive technologies have also grown in importance as novel research methods to study real-world human behavior.

The VU’s Connected World program and the Network Institute’s interdisciplinary focus on studying the digital society, provide a strong environment for researching and applying cutting-edge XR technology. To increase the visibility of these efforts at the VU, Marco Otte, Chief technology officer at the Network Institute, and Tilo Hartmann, Prof. in Communication Science, decided to set up this Immersive Tech Group (XR@VU). The group is dedicated to enhancing the breadth and quality of XR research and education at the VU.

What are we offering? Our community is set up to provide support for each other’s research and teaching activities in this field. Whether you’re just getting started or are a seasoned academic, we have resources to help you every step of the way. You can ask questions and get answers from experienced scholars, use our Tech Labs, meet other scientists who share your interests, get custom solutions developed for your research or teaching, and stay up to date on the latest developments in immersive high-tech from your colleagues.

For those who are new to this field, we understand that it can be overwhelming to navigate the various technologies and research methods. That’s why we’ve created this community to provide a supportive environment for scholars to learn, grow and collaborate. We believe that by working together, we can make significant advancements in this field, and contribute to the further understanding and utilization of immersive technology at the VU and beyond

You are welcome to join! We invite you to join our community, Immersive Tech at the VU and discover the many possibilities of virtual and augmented reality research and education. Subscribe to the XR Newsletter to stay up to date on recent developments at the VU. Join us today (by emailing Tilo) and start sharing the excitement for Immersive High Tech.
You are very welcome to join the XR@VU group and help advance XR research at the VU!

Want to know more about the user’s experience in VR, or how users experience immersive XR technologies or the metaverse in general? Or are you interested in how these immersive technologies affect people and society? Tilo Hartmann (Professor of VR and Communication) adopts media psychology to understand why users choose, how they experience, and how they are affected by immersive technologies. Tilo has examined users’ subjective experience, their sense of reality and feelings of presence, and their adoption of and persuasive effects of VR, to name a few. He’s also really interested in all social aspects of the metaverse. He’s here in case you have any questions or concerns about the effects of immersive technology like VR on users or more general questions about researching these technologies.

Are you interested in using VR for research, but unsure how to integrate your ideas into VR? Marco Otte (Manager of Tech Labs) can help convert your ideas into a practical application that can then be used for your data collection in one of our labs. Marco has over a decade of experience in developing custom applications and solutions for academic research in VR, among other things (like the integration of biometrics). Anything goes; from just quick advice to the full development of your desired application. It’s all part of the toolbox at Network Institute’s Tech Labs. He’s here in case you have any questions about integrating your research into VR.

Have you conducted an experiment with VR and do you want to show your students? Linde Voorend (Educational Support, University Library) manages VR glasses in the Tech Lab (NU 1A-25). In this space, lecturers and students can use the glasses (and 3D printers) in an educational context. Together with the VU, let’s make students enthusiastic about immersive technology by showing your research application. Linde will help with the logistical and technical aspects. You can contact her if you want to know more about the possibilities.