There is little doubt that media technologies like the computer or mobile phones substantially affect our society. But for more than 20 years engineers, computer scientists, and social scientists worked together on a new type of technology – Virtual Reality. Related innovations are now leaving the labs and enter offices and living rooms. Driven by billions of investment from major tech companies, VR and related augmented reality devices become consumer grade technology. And they are here to stay. VR is of growing importance in the health domain, in entertainment, as a social medium, in training and education, engineering, and work-related interactions. VR also enjoys growing importance as a research method to study real-world behaviour.
Studying VR is a truly interdisciplinary endeavour. VU scholars therefore work together to more fully understand how VR “works”, hoe it can be utilized as an effective tool to trigger desirable outcomes, and to examine the impact of VR on our society.
To foster this development, Marco Otte, Chief technology officer at the Network Institute, and Tilo Hartmann, head of the department of Communication Science, decided to set up this Virtual Reality Group (“VR@VU”). The group is dedicated to bring together interested VU scholars that study VR, to increase visibility, to enhance the breadth and quality of VR research at the VU, and to join forces in advancing VR research infrastructure. The VU’s Connected World program, and the Network Institute’s interdisciplinary focus on studying the digital society provide a very good fit for such a group. The NI’s tech labs feature cutting-edge VR technology that is accessible for empirical VR studies. So let’s go virtual! Feel free to contact Marco or Tilo if you like to learn more. You are very welcome to join the VR@VU group and help advancing VR research at the VU.
Feel free to contact Marco or Tilo if you are interested. You are very welcome to join the VR@VU group and help advancing VR research at the VU!
Latest News
European Funding for XR Research - Have you heard about the European Media and Immersion Lab (EMIL)? Their mission is to accelerate the development of virtual,… … Continue reading Training mentalization in Virtual Reality - For our Mentalizing project (see here) we've recently created a nice promotional video to tell people about the application. Enjoy! … Continue reading Facial Motion Capture for realistic humanoid characters in VR - It has becomes even easier to add realistic humanoid characters in your research VR with the latest release of the… … Continue reading
XR ON TOUR! - SURF and the Network Institute will co-host XR ON TOUR event. The Network Institute will have VR-demos ready at the… … Continue reading Launch event of the Use-Me Art and Science projects! - Last week was the launch event of the Use-Me Art and Science project. The project challenges the VU community to… … Continue reading
Click for all VR News on Network Institute website

Current members
Tilo Hartmann | Communication Science [VU] |
Marco Otte | Network Institute [Tech Labs VU] |
Jelte Bos | Human Factors [TNO-VU] |
Arno Lodder | Law [VU] |
Sander Bakkes | [Utrecht University] |
Kasper Welbers | Communication Science [VU] |
Hande Sungur | [University of Amsterdam] |
Andre Krouwel | Kieskompas / Communication Science [VU] |
Jeroen de Man | Agent System Reasoning Group [VU] |
Tibor Bosse | Communication Sciences, [Radboud University] |
Jean-Louis van Gelder | [University of Twente] |
Charlotte Gerritsen | [NSCR] |
Katinka van der Kooij | FALW [VU] |
Jantsje Mol | IVM [VU] |
Faviola Brugger-Dadis | Clinical Neuropsychology [VU] |
Anne de Hingh | Law [VU] |
Marc Schuilenburg | Law [VU] |
Tina van der Linden | Law [VU] |
Tara Donker | Clinical Psychology [VU] |
Zeph van Berlo | Communication Science [UvA] |
Mariken van der Velde | Communication Science [VU] |
Lars Lischke | Business Web and Media [VU] |
Sylvia Moes | UBVU |
Martine van Bennekom | AMC |
Matthias Cabri | AMC |
Melvyn Roerdink | Human Movement Sciences [VU] |
Annet Kleiboer | Clinical Psychology [VU] |
David Mann | Human Movement Sciences [VU] |
Tammie van Biemen | Human Movement Sciences [VU] |
Iris van Sintemaartensdijk | Law [VU] |
Daniel Yu | Computer Science [VU student] |
Menno Vermeulen | Computer Science [VU student] |
Lisanne Kleygrewe | Movement Sciences [VU student] |
Gabriella Gricius | Faculty of Law [VU] |
Suzanne Derks | Movement Sciences [VU] |
Vana Hutter | Movement Sciences [VU] |
Sui Lin | Lerarenacademie [VU] |
Ton Blaazer | iH2LS, Demonstrator Lab [VU] |
Matrin Gevonden | VU-AMS Biological Psychology[VU] |
Isabel Florence Franke | Social Psychology [VU] |