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Southern University’s labs · 03

XR Development Studio

The XR Development Studio builds, tests and runs virtual reality lessons and research tools, with its own fleet of VR headsets.

Discover Scroll

At a glance

Build it in VR. Test it. Take it to the classroom.

Behind this page: the studio’s Meta Quest headsets.

More information

What it has

A workshop for virtual reality.

01

A fleet of VR headsets

Meta Quest and ClassVR headsets for lessons, research and events.

02

Build workstations

Computers for building and testing VR apps.

03

Staff who set it up

Staff install and test the VR apps on the headsets.

04

Ready to deploy

Apps go out to lectures, research, classrooms and community events.

05

Visits by appointment

Outside groups can ask for a demo.

A ClassVR headset cart with a tablet on top
A ClassVR cart: it charges and carries a full class set of headsets.

The team

The people and the headsets.

Six XR JAGS team members standing in front of the CAVE research posters
The XR JAGS team beside the CAVE research posters.
Two team members wearing Meta Quest headsets in front of the Mobile CAVE banner
Team members test Meta Quest headsets at the Mobile CAVE banner.
Two team members in ClassVR headsets beside CAVE research posters and an open headset cart
ClassVR headsets in use beside the CAVE research posters.
AI-generated animation of a VR lesson in a hospital training room. Scroll to play it.

Lab 03 · XR studio

Inside a VR lesson.

AI-generated animation of a VR lesson in a hospital training room. Scroll to play it.

The tools

What VR lessons are built with.

PartTool
Build engineUnity
Headset standardOpenXR
Hand and controller interactionUnity XR Interaction Toolkit
GraphicsUnity Universal Render Pipeline
Version controlUnity Version Control
Headset for one research appMeta Quest 3

The AM Lab printer modules were also built with Unity and OpenXR, so the two use the same kind of tools.

A 3D scanner on a tripod next to a studio workstation
A 3D scanner on a tripod and a build workstation in the studio, used for reality capture.
A VR training app built for manufacturing (AI-generated animation).

Five uses

  1. Custom VR apps

    Faculty and researchers can ask for VR apps made for their own teaching or research.

  2. Learn by seeing

    Students step into virtual spaces to understand technical and academic ideas.

  3. Study behavior

    VR supports studies of decisions, learning and how people respond in a scenario.

  4. Community events

    The studio brings headsets and demos to schools and outreach events.

  5. Job skills

    Simulations introduce job steps, work settings and technical skills. The center also lists XR app development, 3D printing, reality capture and workforce training.

What the studio is for.

Programs

Programs the center lists.

01

SURADD

Southern University Reaching Across the Digital Divide. K–12 outreach. See the classroom VR page.

02

ICLERT

Immersive Crisis Leadership and Emergency Response Training.

03

OPH VR Project

Louisiana Office of Public Health VR Project.

04

Additive manufacturing + VR

Enhancing Additive Manufacturing Education with Cybersecurity and VR.

Several of these programs are also Mobile CAVE sub-projects.

Two team members opening a rugged travel case with studio gear
Studio gear packs into a rugged travel case for events and visits.
See the Mobile CAVE sub-projectsAsk about a visit

Deep dive

Go deeper.

The full story of this lab: what it is, why it matters, why Southern University is pursuing it and why it deserves funding.

Read the deep diveDownload the PDF

More labs

See the other labs.

Back to all labsThe Mobile CAVE

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Request this service.

Ask the XR studio about a lesson, a scene or a training build.

  • XR studio
  • VR lesson builds
  • Training
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