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Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and 3D Printing: Home

Savitt Medical Library Lab

What is Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) enables deep, interactive engagement with digital environments. Leveraging game development tools such as real-time rendering, creators can build responsive, immersive experiences that enhance education, training, entertainment, and more.

Immersive and spatial technologies encompass a range of devices and systems, including:

  • Head-mounted displays (HMDs)
  • Body-tracking cameras
  • Holographic projectors
  • Motion controllers and other input devices

These technologies support a variety of VR applications, such as:

  • Interactive virtual worlds and games
    Fully digital environments designed for exploration, learning, or play.

  • Augmented overlays in physical spaces
    Digital elements layered onto real-world settings to provide additional context, instructions, or visual enhancements.

  • 360-degree video with interactive features
    Pre-recorded panoramic footage enriched with clickable content, annotations, or branching narratives.

  • 3D modeling and visualization
    Creation and manipulation of digital representations of objects, environments, or artworks.

  • Body-tracking and adaptive interfaces
    Software that responds to user movement or gestures, offering more intuitive control and personalized comfort.

Augmented Reality

What is Augmented Reality?
Augmented Reality (AR) enhances the real world by overlaying digital content—such as images, animations, or data—onto a live view of the physical environment. This is typically achieved through a device like a smartphone or tablet equipped with a rear-facing camera, which acts as a lens into an AR-infused space.

AR applications are diverse and increasingly practical. Users can visualize furniture in their homes before purchasing, animate static images like posters or book covers, interact with virtual characters in gaming environments, or even measure objects by simply pointing their device at them. Whether for entertainment, education, retail, or healthcare, AR bridges the gap between digital and physical worlds in intuitive and engaging ways.

MetaQuest 2Headsets

Meta Quest 2: A Gateway to Immersive Virtual Reality

The Meta Quest 2 is a powerful, all-in-one virtual reality (VR) headset designed to deliver immersive experiences without the need for a PC or external sensors. Lightweight and wireless, it allows users to explore virtual worlds, play games, attend events, collaborate with others, and even exercise—all within a fully interactive 3D environment.

Equipped with high-resolution displays, spatial audio, and intuitive hand tracking, the Quest 2 offers smooth performance and a wide field of view. Its extensive content library includes everything from blockbuster games and educational tools to fitness apps and social platforms. Whether you're diving into a fantasy realm, learning in a virtual classroom, or connecting with friends across the globe, the Meta Quest 2 makes VR accessible and engaging for users of all levels.

Meta Quest 2 Headset

Recent Publications Virtual Reality

Bruno RR, Wolff G, Wernly B, Masyuk M, Piayda K, Leaver S, Erkens R, Oehler D, Afzal S, Heidari H, Kelm M, Jung C. Virtual and augmented reality in critical care medicine: the patient's, clinician's, and researcher's perspective. Crit Care. 2022 Oct 25;26(1):326. doi: 10.1186/s13054-022-04202-x. PMID: 36284350; PMCID: PMC9593998.

Uruthiralingam U, Rea PM. Augmented and Virtual Reality in Anatomical Education - A Systematic Review. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1235:89-101. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-37639-0_5. PMID: 32488637.

Ayoub A, Pulijala Y. The application of virtual reality and augmented reality in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. BMC Oral Health. 2019 Nov 8;19(1):238. doi: 10.1186/s12903-019-0937-8. PMID: 31703708; PMCID: PMC6839223.

Library Director

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Janet Hobbs
Contact:
Pennington Medical Education Building
Savitt Medical Library
Room 104B
(775) 682 7313