Virtual Reality

If you are an MTU undergraduate or graduate student interested in becoming involved with virtual reality research, please consider the suggestions listed below. Depending on your experience and level of involvement and contribution, volunteering could lead to your name being on a conference or journal publication. We regularly have research meetings and everybody who has interest in virtual reality are welcome to attend!

Opportunities related to virtual reality include:

• Subscribe to our virtual reality mailing list by sending a blank email message from your mtu.edu email address to vr-l+subscribe@mtu.edu. The list is low traffic. Sometimes people in our research group send messages to this list when they are looking for help from other people. We also sometimes advertise lab meeting dates/locations on this list.

• Take a graphics course (CS4611): It is difficult to develop virtual reality software without experience creating real-time 3D graphics. You may want to try to arrange your course schedule so that you can take this course sooner rather than later.

• Take a virtual reality course (CS5641): If you are an upperclassman undergraduate or graduate student, you may be able to register for CS5641 in the spring. This course covers virtual reality technology and applications. If you are CS-major, I prefer that you have taken a course on 3D computer graphics. If you are in another department (for example, psychology or applied cognitive science) please talk to me!

• Undergraduates: Get a BS in Computer Science in a "Virtual Reality" application area: If you are interested in this option, visit my page describing how to create your own CS degree focused on a specific topic.

• Undergraduates: Join Husky Game Development Enterprise: Teams in Husky Game Development Enterprise occasionally work on projects that are virtual reality related. Although we cannot make any guarantees about what you will be assigned to work on, you will likely be able to work on a VR related project if you regularly participate in HGD and regularly express interest in VR projects.

• If you haven't taken CS4611 but have some experience with C and OpenGL: Try modifying my OpenGL code, building something (a simple game or maybe something else entirely) and telling me about it. You may find it helpful to work through some OpenGL tutorials and other materials online before trying to work with my code.

• Get course credit working with virtual reality: I am regularly interested in having undergraduate students take a CS4099 directed study with me during the school year or summer (especially those who have already taken a 3D computer graphics course such as CS4611). This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about virtual reality. It can help fill out your schedule if you are in need of more CS credits.