VERL exhibit gives visitors a taste of virtual reality during Engineering Undergrad Research Resource Fair

Students attending the Engineering at Illinois Undergraduate Research Resource Fair last week got to see how virtual reality technology could fit into their research goals.

Students in Prof. Rizwan Uddin’s Virtual Education and Research Laboratory (VERL) set up one of the booths during the fair Jan. 30 at the Illini Union. Undergraduates who work in VERL in the Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering Department hosted the virtual reality booth.

“Our demo was on the (former) TRIGA (nuclear) reactor, which was on campus but has been decommissioned,” said Stuti Surani, one of the hosts. The exhibit attracted many students who wanted to know about the VERL group and the concepts of virtual reality. “One student wanted to see the psychological effects while other wanted to know if it could help those who are less abled,” Surani said. “It was an educating experience both for the students we presented to and for ourselves.”

Surani noted many of the visitors enjoyed using the Oculus Rift, a headset that simulates visual contexts present in the real world. Several visitors expressed an interest in working in VERL.

VERL uses virtual reality to solve problems that cannot be solved otherwise, and provides a supplement to ongoing educational methods. Students from all engineering disciplines are invited to contact Uddin at rizwan@illinois.edu to determine how they can be involved.