Using VR to Promote Healing and Recovery
Can virtual reality help you heal faster? David Beach and his architecture students are finding out.
Virtual reality (VR) is still a relatively new technology. Applications are still being pioneered. One thing we do know, though: as an immersive experience, VR provides the perception of true scale and creates intuitive responses in users. In this Theater presentation from AU 2018, David Beach, professor of architecture at Drury University in Missouri, shares how he and his students are working to create VR experiences aimed at helping sick children feel better and heal faster. From VR explorations of fine art to immersive experiences of the architectural design process, learn how this team is working to make kids feel like they’re out in the world—whether real or imaginary—even if they’re stuck in the hospital.
About the speaker
David R. Beach is an architect and associate professor of Architecture at the Hammons School of Architecture at Drury University. Specializing in digital design technology, David has given 4 presentations at AU and has completed over 22 major conference presentations in the last 9 years.
Related learning
Interested in discovering other uses for VR? Check out these related AU sessions:
Visualizing Design Analytics in VR with FormIt
Capitalizing on VR to visualize energy use, daylighting, solar radiation, wind, and relevant design options provides context and an understanding of cause and effect to the decision-making process. In this instructional demo, David Beach shares a strategic workflow to create building simulations, and how to visualize that data in a VR space.
How Does VR Improve Health Care Design?
To create functional clinical spaces, medical professionals need to understand the layout and size of the rooms being designed. But staring at a 2D drawing often results in confusion and misunderstanding. Putting the medical professionals in a virtual world ensures the spaces are tailored to the needs of the users. Aysu Unal breaks down VR and health care design in this industry talk.
Integrating Mixed Reality with Construction
The founders of HoloBuilder started as VR/AR researchers. But they knew that, for their breakthroughs to have real-world value, they had to solve real-world problems. After talking to companies in a range of industries, they decided that construction was where their technologies were needed most. They also realized that civil engineers and software engineers had a lot in common—they’re both solution-oriented, collaborative, iterative, and they both love data. Christian Claus of HoloBuilder steps into the AU Theater and demonstrates the capabilities of their tool for capturing 3D images of construction projects in process—now in use in 12,000 projects around the world—and shares his thoughts on how professionals in industry can best work with professionals in tech to get their problems solved.