Home

Visitors

Interactive
Virtual Reality

Computer Museum

Intro to VR

Scholastic

Multimedia

Outreach Data

Information for the Media

Contact

Visitors: Attend a Public Demonstration 

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the opening of our new building in Fall 2008, we are unable to host demonstrations until Spring 2009. We apologize and hope you will decide to visit us in the spring. Please contact rsac@cs.unc.edu for more information.

Several days each month the UNC Department of Computer Science offers public demonstrations of our graphics and imaging work in virtual reality (VR) research. These demonstrations give people (from students and educators to business and computer professionals) the opportunity to experience virtual reality first hand. We show how VR is used in scientific settings, in contrast with how mass media has used and portrayed it, and how we at UNC are pushing this technology to new frontiers. 

Descriptions

To accommodate our visitors' different levels of computer familiarity, we offer two demonstrations: 

1) Introduction to Virtual Reality demonstration

The first is an Introduction to Virtual Reality using head-mounted computer display technology in which we demonstrate the concepts of virtual reality, immersive virtual environments, and movement within these virtual environments. Visitors have the opportunity to experience a virtual environment and then tour our Graphics laboratory.  To learn more about virtual reality, go to the Interactive Virtual Reality Page.
 

2) Advanced Research demonstration

For those acquainted with graphics and VR, we offer Advanced Research demonstrations that are more technologically sophisticated. Graduate research assistants introduce and explain several of our cutting-edge projects in the areas of architectural modeling, molecular graphics, medical imaging, and tracker head-mounted displays.  Go to the Research Demo Instruction Manuals page for more information.

Scheduling a Demonstration

We only have space for groups of 20 or fewer. Because spaces are limited and visitor demand is high, our waiting list is long. We try to accommodate visitors on a first-come-first-served basis, so plan your visit well in advance. Teachers wishing to schedule a class or other educational group for a visit should plan six months in advance. Please note: we do not accept elementary school groups for demonstrations. Middle school groups and higher are welcome.

If you'd like to attend one of our demonstrations here at Sitterson Hall on the UNC campus, please contact rsac@cs.unc.edu. To help us plan your visit, please tell us: 

• Your name and affiliation 
• How many people would be participating in the tour 
• Your address, phone number, and email address
• You and/or your group's familiarity with computers, computer graphics, and knowledge of virtual reality 
• Approximately when you would like to come (for example, Summer '09)