Immerse yourself in a whole new world.
Immersive technologies merge the physical world with a digital, or simulated reality, in order to create distinct experiences for participants. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are two types of immersive technologies that share many of the same qualities that are beginning to influence life as we know it.
The Immersive Lab Experience
The Immersive Lab has two HTC Vive Pro systems and two Meta Quest 2 headsets to provide virtual reality applications and 360-degree video.
Penn State Scranton’s Immersive Lab has the power to take you anywhere in the world, literally! Open Google Earth VR and explore the world from totally new perspectives. Visit countries across the globe using satellite and Street View imagery.
Art students may create and view virtual masterpieces, Engineering students may model their CAD drawings before making a 3D print, and Nursing students can explore human anatomy and physiology from the inside out.
Penn State TLT Experience Catalog.
The Impact of Virtual Reality
Faculty at Penn State are discovering the potential of VR to positively impact and fundamentally change their work in education and research. Immersive experiences can be more engaging for students and help improve attention and information comprehension. Likewise, immersive experiences like 360 degree video can be used as highly engaging storytelling tools.
As the field of immersive technology continues to grow, we encourage faculty and students to explore the technology’s capabilities and how it can be used to enhance the classroom experience.
Majid Chatsaz, Ph.D., P.E. Assistant Professor of Engineering, remains grease-free in our Immersive Lab while he works through assembling an inline four-cylinder engine with Wrench, a virtual reality engine building program.
360 Degree Video
360º video allows the viewer to momentarily enter another space in the real world. At its simplest, it is akin to standing in a spot the creator chose and watching a scene unfold in all directions.
Students can paddle down the Lackawanna River on a faculty guided tour looking for wildlife in a kayak without ever lifting a paddle, walk through the chambers of the human heart, or visit the ruins of Athens without boarding a plane – the possibilities are endless.
This is a 360 video tour of a lake in Promised Land State Park, located in northeast Pennsylvania. In this video, you will learn about the natural history of this region and see some features of this lentic ecosystem with a guided tour by Theresa Black, M.S., lecturer in chemistry and science at Penn State Scranton.
Get help.
Faculty, students, and staff can visit the immersive lab space and access equipment and content by appointment. Located on the first floor of the Dawson Building, the IT staff will be available for VR demonstrations and project collaboration.