Research Guides: AVA: Audiovisual, Virtual and Augmented Reality Studio: Virtual and Augmented Reality

About Extended Reality (XR)

Extended Reality (XR) is an umbrella term encompassing a range of immersive technologies that merge physical and digital worlds through Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). XR technologies are designed to enhance user experiences by blending or extending the boundaries between real and virtual realms, offering new ways to interact with and perceive the world.

About Virtual Reality (VR)

Virtual Reality (VR) is a digital environment, enabling users to experience and interact with a simulated world. Through specialized headsets, users are fully immersed in a three-dimensional virtual space which replaces their physical surroundings. This immersive experience is especially useful for applications like training, simulations, and research, where real-world scenarios can be replicated safely.

Virtual Reality Tools Available in AVA

Quest 2 Headsets (2)
The Quest 2 is a standalone virtual reality system developed by Meta (formally Facebook). It offers an immersive experience without the need for a PC. The Quest 2 features built-in sensors and controllers for an interactive, user-friendly experience.
Quest 3 Headsets (2)
The Quest 3 is the newest standalone virtual reality system developed by Meta (formally Facebook). It offers an immersive experience without the need for a PC. The Quest 3 features built-in sensors, controllers, and mixed reality capabilities for an interactive, user-friendly experience.
VIVE XR Elite (4)
The VIVE XR Elite is a standalone and PC virtual reality headset developed by HTC. It supports both virtual reality and mixed reality applications, offering a versatile platform for a range of interactive and immersive experiences.
Oculus Rift
Oculus Rift is a discontinued line of virtual reality headsets developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, now owned by Meta.

About Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented Reality (AR) is the integration of digital information with the user's environment in real time. Unlike virtual reality, which creates a totally artificial environment, augmented reality uses the existing environment and overlays new information on top. AR uses headsets, glasses or projection devices to display three-dimensional information as if it appears in space within the real world. This visualization technique has applications in tourism, game play, and route finding.

Augmented Reality Tools Available in AVA

HoloLens 1
Microsoft HoloLens (1st gen) is the world's first fully untethered holographic computer. HoloLens redefines personal computing through holographic experiences to empower you in new ways. HoloLens blends cutting-edge optics and sensors to deliver 3D holograms pinned to the real world around you.
HoloLens 2
Microsoft HoloLens 2 is an untethered holographic computer. It refines the holographic computing journey started by HoloLens (1st gen) to provide a more comfortable and immersive experience paired with more options for collaborating in mixed reality. HoloLens 2 runs on the Windows Holographic OS, which is based on a "flavor" of Windows 10, that provides users, admins, and developers with a robust, performant, and secure platform.

Other Augmented Reality Tools

The AR Sandbox

This helps users understand digital elevation models (DEM) in a tactile way. A large monitor displaying a digital elevation model map in an AR sandbox environment.

To use the AR Sandbox please complete this request form.

The WashU Libraries Data Services Team would like to thank the UC Davis W.M. Keck Center for Active Visualization in the Earth Sciences for development of the software and robust documentation.

The Augmented Reality Sandbox was developed by the UC Davis W.M. Keck Center for Active Visualization in the Earth Sciences (KeckCAVES, http://www.keckcaves.org), supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL 1114663.

For more information, please visit https://web.cs.ucdavis.edu/~okreylos /ResDev/SARndbox/.

Applications Available in AVA

Anne Frank House VR
The award winning Anne Frank House VR offers a unique and emotional insight into these two years. Experience the world-famous Secret Annex in a never before seen way. Travel back to the years of the Second World War and wander through the rooms of the Annex that housed the group of 8 Jewish people as they hid from the Nazis. Immerse yourself in Anne’s thoughts as you traverse each faithfully recreated room, thanks to the power of VR, and find out what happened to the Annex’ brave inhabitants.
Arkio
Design interiors, buildings, virtual spaces and more with Arkio on Meta Quest and Meta Quest Pro. Try new design ideas and collaborate with others using VR, desktop and mobile to make better design decisions faster.
Assassin's Creed Nexus VR
Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR features all of the iconic gameplay from the series, including the dazzling Leap of Faith. You will become the Assassin, choosing how to achieve your missions as you sneak, traverse, and fight your way through open maps in an unforgettable story.
Beat Saber
Beat Saber is a unique VR rhythm game where your goal is to slash the beats (represented by small cubes) as they are coming at you.
The Climb
Feel the exhilaration of extreme free solo climbing. Experience the adrenaline rush as you ascend to epic heights, explore caves, and find shortcuts. Race against your friends’ routes to compete for the fastest times on leaderboards. Navigate and enjoy stunning landscapes from around the world, including the Alps, Southeast Asia, and the American Southwest.
First Encounters (Quest 3 Only)
Discover mixed reality on Meta Quest 3 with First Encounters. You are on a strange new planet and pesky space puffians are about to flood into your room. Catch as many as you can before time runs out – match colors for a high score!
First Hand
First Hand is an official Hand Tracking demo built by Meta. Experience the magic of interacting with the virtual world directly with your hands. Use switches, levers, virtual UIs as you solve puzzles to build robotic gloves, and then experience their superpowers.
First Steps
Take your first steps in VR and get to know your controllers in this short experience that showcases the power of Oculus.
Goliath: Playing with Reality
Through mind-bending animation, GOLIATH: PLAYING WITH REALITY explores the limits of reality and a true story of so-called ‘schizophrenia’ and the power of gaming communities. Echo (Tilda Swinton) guides you through the many realities of Goliath, a man who spent years isolated in psychiatric institutions but finds connection in multiplayer games. Combining heartfelt dialogue, mesmerising visuals and symbolic interactions, weave through multiple worlds to uncover Goliath’s poignant story.
Gorilla Tag
Run, climb, and jump in VR using a unique locomotion method that only needs the movement of your hands and arms. No buttons, no sticks, no teleportation. Push off of surfaces to jump and squeeze them with both hands to climb.
Gravity Sketch
Gravity Sketch is the immersive 3D design tool that empowers you to create, share and collaborate on your best design ideas. Go beyond the bounds of 2D sketching to express yourself in a virtual studio and explore iterations of designs. Communicate design intent with greater clarity, and invite others to help shape your ideas and decision-making.
Half + Half
Half + Half is a multiplayer game about fun & connection. The game includes five unique multiplayer spaces that are designed to help you connect with people you know, and also to connect with people you don’t, even if only for a short while.
HUMANITY
HUMANITY is a third-person puzzle-action game where you become a dog to command massive, marching crowds of people to jump, turn, push, float, shoot, and climb their way to salvation across 90 story-mode stages.
The Key
Meet Anna. Anna doesn’t remember her past, but she has vivid dreams about it. In every one of her dreams, there is a mysterious Key. Will you be able to unlock the mystery behind The Key without sacrificing too much? The Key is a magical realism experience that will take you on a journey through dreams, facing challenges and difficult decisions, leading to a shocking reveal. The Key is NOT a video game. So relax, and let the story guide you.
Kingspray Graffiti
Create amazing street art with VR. Sharpen your skills or learn new styles with thousands of online artists from around the world. Up to 4 simultaneous players collaborating at once. Customize your in game avatar by designing your own hat, mask and spray can. Use True to life Ironlak Aerosol colours to design and develop skills and bring your concepts closer to reality. Feel immersed in 12 realistic environments including a trainyard, Alleyway, dusky city rooftop, and an abandoned subway station! This is just a fraction of the awesomeness you will find in Kingspray.
Layout (Quest 3 Only)
Visualize your home like never before with Layout, powered by mixed reality on Meta Quest 3. Layout features a suite of tools designed to help you spatially measure, align and visualize real world objects directly in your physical space.
Mission: ISS
Take a trip into orbit and experience life on board the International Space Station! In this Emmy-nominated simulation, learn how to move and work in zero-gravity using your controllers. Dock a space capsule, take a spacewalk, and let real NASA astronauts guide you on the ISS through informative videos and images.
MLK: Now is the Time
“MLK: Now is the Time” is an immersive journey that explores key themes of Dr. King's speech and highlights systemic inequities that persist in our society. Through first-person stories and interactions, “MLK: Now is the Time” drops you into a thoroughly modern interpretation of a contemporary March on Washington that will inform and inspire a new generation of activists.
Nanome
Nanome is the ultimate interface for scientific discovery, starting with molecular data. With Nanome, top R&D labs conduct cutting-edge research but, Nanome isn’t just for experts, it’s also used by students and amateur scientists studying chemistry and biology. Anyone can build 3D molecules or simulate an entire protein made of hundreds of atoms, all in one collaborative environment. Transform the way you learn and design molecular structures with Nanome.
NOTES ON BLINDNESS
In 1983, after decades of steady deterioration, John Hull became totally blind. To help him make sense of the upheaval in his life, he began documenting his experiences on audio cassettes. These original diary recordings create the basis of this interactive non-fictional narrative which is a cognitive and emotional experience of blindness. Storytelling, art direction and graphical universe form a unique and singular immersion, completed by movement tracking, spacialized sound and controller interactions.
On The Morning You Wake (To the End of The World)
On January 13th 2018, 1.4m people across Hawai’i received an SMS from the state’s Emergency Management Agency: BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. In the minutes that followed, they were forced to confront existential questions that had been unthinkable just moments before: where could they go for shelter? What would remain of their communities if they survived a nuclear blast? How could they explain to their children why we live in a world where such unimaginable destruction was possible? And how could their own Government continue to pursue nuclear policies that threaten the entire global population every day?
Painting VR
Be amazed by what you can create in this hands-on experience with unlimited supplies of paint, canvases, and all the tools you need. Play around and feel the satisfaction of putting that first paint stroke on a blank canvas. Learn the basics of colors, the painting process, and composition. Sharpen your skills by experimenting with the tools and techniques at hand. Then display your paintings on the walls and invite your friends to enjoy your exhibition.
STYLY
The world of expression will transform from the conventional two-dimensional space to an even richer three-dimensional space which connects us to the real world. STYLY is the VR creative platform for “Ultra Experience” created by artists all over the world.
Titans of Space PLUS
Just how big is big? Discover the answer as you tour through this holographic miniature Solar System, then venture beyond to visit some of the largest known stars.
Vader Immortal: Episode I
Step inside a galaxy far, far away with Vader Immortal: Episode I. You are a smuggler operating near Mustafar, the fiery world Darth Vader calls home. When you are unexpectedly pulled out of hyperspace, you find yourself uncovering an ancient mystery at the behest of the Sith Lord himself.
Wander
From the comfort of your living room you can teleport almost anywhere in the world - whether you wish to walk across the London Bridge, stroll the gardens of the Taj Mahal, or witness the enormity of the Great Pyramids of Egypt - unlimited exploration awaits!
Where Thoughts Go
In this award-winning social experience, human thoughts exist as sleeping creatures that can be awakened to reveal voice-recorded stories of other participants who were here before you. These anonymous stories are revealing and inspiring, encouraging reflection and introspection. To progress, you must leave your own stories behind for others to uncover

(Hi)Story Of A Painting: What's The Point! - George Seurat-
(Hi)story of a Painting is an animated VR and 360 series aimed at engaging young audiences with art by creating accessible and relatable experiences focused on the human stories behind some of the world’s most iconic art. The visuals and virtual environment of each episode appear in support of the narration, helping to illustrate and anchor the narrator’s story in the viewer’s mind. We want to inspire young and new audiences through the stories of our featured artists’ struggles and successes.
KINDRED
The remarkable true story of one aspirational parent’s groundbreaking journey through the adoption process. Kindred is an animated VR story, driven by the first person narration of Syd—an aspirational parent who navigates the various stages of adoption, experiencing first-hand the highs and lows of a dream shared by so many.
Maestro: The Masterclass
Step on the podium and become a true orchestra conductor in Maestro: The Masterclass. Play hands free or grab a chopstick and master the real hands motions that command the orchestra through an off the rail conducting masterclass that culminates with an epic symphonic concert in a packed opera house. Good luck, Maestro!
Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass
Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass is the first VR experience presented to the public by the Louvre Museum and is conceived as part of the Museum’s seminal Leonardo da Vinci exhibition which commemorates the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death in France. Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass reveals the latest scientific research on da Vinci’s artistic innovation and his painting techniques and processes through exceptional visualization in virtual reality, bringing them to life.
Sushi Ben
Revamp your vibe in a retro town! Link up with new buddies, go fishing, and chill with a frog in a cozy, anime-inspired universe. Save the sushi bar from greedy land developers in this wild narrative adventure.
Unplugged - Air Guitar
Play air guitar and write rock history in VR! Unplugged lets you rock out to some of the biggest and most insanely cool songs from world-famous rock bands, including The Offspring, Weezer & Ozzy Osbourne. Become a rock legend with Steel Panther’s inimitable frontman Satchel as your mentor.

The Brain Holograph (HoloLens 1 Only)
The app lets you explore the layers of the head from skin, muscle and skull down to the inner areas of the brain, providing an interactive hologram which is perfect for educational demonstrations, learning at home or just the enjoyment of finding out more about how our inner-selves work.
Galaxy Explorer
Transform your room into our galaxy and explore new worlds in this free application that is created and maintained by the open source community on GitHub.
Graffiti 3D (HoloLens 2 Only)
Graffiti is a fast and fluid 3D drawing app for HoloLens 2. Use your hands to draw pictures, annotate objects, or build your very own holograms. Simply pinch to draw, and look at your palm for a menu of options to control color, brush size, and more!
HoloAnatomy
This application takes the user through a tour of the Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic HoloAnatomy course used in the teaching of premedical students.
HoloChineseMuseum (HoloLens 1 Only)
This app is about an 11.9 metres (39 ft) long scroll titled A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains. The painting, finished by Wang when he was only 18 in 1113,[4] was one of the largest in Chinese history, and has been described as one of the greatest works of Chinese art. The painting is in the permanent collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing.
Holo Eye Anatomy
Holo Eye Anatomy is a mixed reality application that enables learning of eye anatomy in a new dimension. The perspective of the 3D models and the interaction from the user lends a rich learning experience. Holo Eye Anatomy describes the structures of the eye in great detail.
Holo Guitar (HoloLens 2 Only)
Holographic tools to practice guitar! With this app dedicated to guitar practice, you will find: a guitar tuner, a metronome with multiple sound settings & drum kits, a digital piano, and a list of jam tracks to play along.
HoloHuman (HoloLens 2 Only)
HoloHuman is a complete human anatomy atlas that allows you and your students to explore body systems, functions and regions through the use of full-size, interactive holograms. Powered by market-leading anatomical content, HoloHuman provides the latest in immersive visualization along with the pedagogical flexibility to meet your specific teaching and learning needs.
HoloPipes (HoloLens 2 Only)
Build colorful pipes in immersive, holographic 3D! The intuitive play is simple to learn, but difficult to master. Connect all pipe starts to their ends to finish the level.
HoloScenarios (HoloLens 2 Only)
HoloScenarios is a multi-participant mixed reality simulator. Your holographic patient improves or deteriorates as you make decisions & perform interventions. Participants can join from disparate locations allowing for distributed simulation. Conduct assessments and perform interventions using holographic equipment.
Kippy's Escape (HoloLens 2 Only)
Kippy the robot wakes up to find itself stranded on an island… and it’s up to you to solve a series of puzzles and help it find a path to its rocket ship!
Palmyra - Augmented Archaeology (HoloLens 1 Only)
Immerse in the ancient city of Palmyra, and experience the majestic archaeological monuments through your HoloLens.
RoboRaid
Defend your home from a robot invasion in this mixed reality first-person shooter. A militaristic swarm of interstellar robots sweeps across the galaxy, silencing countless worlds along the way. Now they've come to Earth, and they're hitting us where we feel safest—our homes.