Global Initiative to Open 50 Virtual and Augmented Reality Labs

Image Credit: VR First.

VR First, a global initiative to democratize virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) hardware and software for academic institutions, is planning to open 50 VR/AR labs at colleges and universities by the end of this year, in an effort to meet future workforce demands.

VR First believes these immersive technologies will drive the future job market and therefore students should be trained using such technologies and tools. To date, there are 26 “VR First Labs” operating around the United States, Europe, Asia and Oceania, and 14 more will “open soon,” according to a news release. VR First has worked with universities and science parks worldwide, from Purdue University to Aalborg University Copenhagen in Denmark, helping institutions to set up or renovate current PC labs into VR/AR-reading facilities.

Applications for content created in the labs range from “gaming, education and architecture to cinematics, psychology and other sectors,” the news release said. Of the 50-plus projects currently in development at VR First Labs, games account for the majority of projects under way (35 percent), followed by psychology and neuroscience (12 percent); education (7 percent); tourism (7 percent); and architecture and real estate (6 percent). For example, Oklahoma State University’s Mixed Reality Lab, a VR First partner, is creating an AR-based mobile app that functions as a mapping device for individuals with physical disabilities or mild memory loss. (Watch the video footage of a few projects below.)

In addition to providing workforce training, the initiative will establish new standards for creation and consumption environments in VR, AR and mixed reality. For instance, VR First is working with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and industry stakeholders to develop IEEE P2058.5, which is one of eight standards being developed for the Digital Senses Initiative.

Video game and software developer Crytek initially backed the initiative, but the project is now fully independent. VR First has 581 academic networks and more than 3,700 developers worldwide, according to its site.

Further information is available on the VR First site.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • two large brackets facing each other with various arrows, circles, and rectangles flowing between them

    1EdTech Partners with DXtera to Support Ed Tech Interoperability

    1EdTech Consortium and DXtera Institute have announced a partnership aimed at improving access to learning data in postsecondary and higher education.

  • Abstract geometric shapes including hexagons, circles, and triangles in blue, silver, and white

    Google Launches Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet

    Google has introduced Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental, a new artificial intelligence model designed to reason through problems before delivering answers, a shift that marks a major leap in AI capability, according to the company.

  • laptop on a clean desk with digital padlock icon on the screen

    Study: Data Privacy a Top Concern as Orgs Scale Up AI Agents

    As organizations race to integrate AI agents into their cloud operations and business workflows, they face a crucial reality: while enthusiasm is high, major adoption barriers remain, according to a new Cloudera report. Chief among them is the challenge of safeguarding sensitive data.

  • stylized AI code and a neural network symbol, paired with glitching code and a red warning triangle

    New Anthropic AI Models Demonstrate Coding Prowess, Behavior Risks

    Anthropic has released Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, its most advanced artificial intelligence models to date, boasting a significant leap in autonomous coding capabilities while simultaneously revealing troubling tendencies toward self-preservation that include attempted blackmail.