This is a 3 part series about building VR environments for an entry level user. 

This is a demo and discussion series for concepts and skills that a potential VR developer will need to consider in order to stage success.

The series will define three “tiers” of VR use.

Demonstrations will be done using Unity to prep an HMD environment using Oculus hardware.

Note:If 3:30-5:00 proves to be an inconvenient time, please email aheet@nd.edu to suggest an alternative.

Tier 3: Reaction/Manipulation (Boxer)

Used when the need is for the viewer/player to manipulate objects and assets within the environment they are navigating. The user becomes an active participant in the VR environment. Additional variations could include animated additional assets/avatars or visceral changes in environmental scenarios; falling rocks, shakey bridge, attacking robot hordes, etc. 

Safety becomes of even more concern as the increase in VR sensory stimuli will result in a decrease in the user/player’s spatial awareness within the “real world”. Obstacles, walls, cables, etc need to be managed outside of simulation. Stable assets should be placed within the VR environment to help protect player and equipment. Key constraints of this tier would be a higher dependence on scripting/programming needs as well as a scenario’s goal or objective.