Virtual reality services

Workshops and events

We offer a variety of workshops throughout the year:

• 3D Modeling with Gravity Sketch VR
• VR for Anatomy
• VR for the Health Sciences
• VR for Stress Reduction: Meditation
• Travel the World with Google Earth VR
• Game Night!
• New tech demonstrations

Class activities

We can help faculty and instructors bring immersive experiences into their classrooms! Here are some classes that we have worked with:

• RM 3244: Virtual Reality Retailing
• OT 7541: Assistive Technology and Orthotics in OT
• ARTS 3760: Advanced Experimental Film
• MORT 3012W: Organization and Management of Funeral Business
• JOUR 4303: Advanced Visual Storytelling
• NURS 7504: Assessment and Management of Health for Advanced Practice Nurses, Practicum I
• PT 6286: Neurorehabilitation I

Student groups

Our spaces can help students connect with other students on campus. If you are an officer in a student organization and would like to plan an activity with us, please reach out!

Join the UMN Maker Discord to learn about virtual reality and makerspace activities going on across campus!

Community partners and outreach

We work with K-12 schools, libraries and youth programs to plan engaging learning activities and explore career, college or research pathways. Some programs that we have worked with include:

• Go4Brains
• M-ASCEND High School Program
• Health Profession Pathways
• Teen Tech Squad (Hennepin County Library)

Meta Quest 3

Available for use in the Virtual Reality Studio.

Meta Quest 2

Available to borrow at the Health Sciences Library for one week.

Valve Index

Available to use at the Virtual Reality Studio and the VR & Gaming Corner.

Apple Vision Pro

Available for use by appointment at the Virtual Reality Studio.

360 cameras

Available to borrow at Walter, Magrath and Health Sciences Libraries.

The easiest way to create an immersive virtual reality experience is to use a 360 camera. Point, shoot, process, and upload to YouTube, and people can watch your video in all directions!

Microsoft Hololens 2

Available for use at the Virtual Reality Studio. If you would like to borrow one for a research project, please contact us.

Einscan SP scanner

Available for use at the Virtual Reality Studio.

This will scan an object that is 200 mm x 200 mm x 200 mm or smaller and turn it into a 3D digital object. This can be placed into a virtual reality environment.

Logitech MX Ink

A stylus for drawing with the Meta Quest 3 and apps like Gravity Sketch, when you want a pen instead of a controller.

Other equipment

• HTC Vive XR Elite
• Vive Trackers (quantity: 8)
• Intel RealSense Depth Camera D435i
• Zed 2 depth camera

Health sciences

• Primal VR (anatomy)
• Embodied Labs (building empathy)
• SimX (clinical simulations)
• BodySwaps (interpersonal and communication skills)

Open source and free demos

There are lots of free apps that you should try:

• Gravity Sketch VR (3D modeling)
• Google Earth VR
• YouTube VR (360 videos)
• TRIPP (meditation)
• Hoame (meditation)
• Versailles VR

For more ideas of what you can do in virtual reality, see our guide on Virtual Reality and 3D Spatial Experiences.

Student support

Meet with a virtual reality expert to explore your interest or curiosity with this emerging technology. Students working on capstone projects are encouraged to make use of this service! We can help with Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) projects, Master's Plan B projects, and more.

Instructor support

Our library VR experts can help you explore how virtual reality and immersive technology is used or could be used in teaching in your subject area. We can test new products, request demos, or plan activities for your class.

Research support

Virtual reality and immersive technology is rapidly evolving, and new research is always being published:

• Evidence-based health practice in the use of VR
• Teaching case studies
• Market research
• and more!

Meet with a librarian, academic technologist, or Peer Research Consultant to get help with your VR-related research.

Four VR workstations (900 square feet) and nine gaming computers, supporting apps that run on Windows, Meta, Steam, Windows Mixed Reality and VisionOS. Open hours on most days of the week.

Room 5-132 Health Sciences Education Center

526 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455

What you can do

• Games and study break activities
• App development
• Create 3D scans of objects
• Explore teaching resources
• Reserve time with the Apple Vision Pro
• Reserve a workstation to use Embodied Labs

A 112 square foot reservable space for up to two VR stations with support for apps that run on Windows, Steam and Meta.

Toaster Innovation Hub, Walter Library

117 Pleasant St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455

What can you do

• Games and relaxing activities
• Prototyping and modeling in VR (Meta Quest + free Gravity Sketch or free ShapesXR)