On the 21st of November, we were thrilled to collaborate with the Media & Learning Association to host a Meetup on the topic of Cave Automatic Virtual Environments, exploring the educational potential of CAVEs (Cave Automatic Virtual Environments).
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Ted Hall: Virtual Reality Visualization Specialist at the University of Michigan (USA)
Mirjam van Leeuwen: lecturer of Nursing at Inholland University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands)
Jeroen Bottema, Information Manager at Inholland University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands)
Wilhelm Hannibal: Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Südwestfalen (Germany)
Gert-Jan Verheij: Project manager XR at the University of Groningen (Netherlands)
Natasha Taylor: Curriculum Lead Simulation at Coventry University (UK)
THE “VR CAVE” AT MICHIGAN: A BRIEF HISTORY – TED HALL
Ted began his presentation on the VR cave at the University of Michigan by granting insight into its history. First installed in 1997, the CAVE started out able to accommodate tethered tracking for one primary viewer, with a resolution of 768×768 (upgraded to 1024×1024 a few years later). In 2023, the then 17-year-old projector gave up for the third and final time, prompting the team to upgrade the entire cave. Named the MIDEN (Michigan Immersive Digital Experience Nexus), the current cave can accommodate two primary viewers through tetherless tracking at a screen resolution of 1080×1080 (or 2160×2160 in single viewer mode).
Ted names a number of advantages of using a cave over using head-mounted displays, including a 270-degree field of view and less change in image projection when turning one’s head, lighter headwear, less disorientation and motion sickness, and a better sense of oneself and others within the virtual world due to the lack of avatars.
Ted also highlights that the cave is open to all staff and students, and showings examples of the various ways teachers and students have used the cave to date, ranging from physiology classes to arts students’ theses.
TEACHING & LEARNING IN THE IMMERSIVE ROOM – MIRJAM VAN LEEUWEN & JEROEN BOTTEMA
Jeroen started by giving an overview of the functionalities of the cave environment at InHolland University of Applied Sciences, titled the Immersive Room. This room combines visuals on three walls, which are also touch-sensitive, with audio and real objects placed in the room. The fourth wall has a window, allowing for observation from the control room.
The room provides students with immersive learning environments where challenging and complex situations can be practiced in safe, but realistic spaces. Like Ted, Jeroen clarifies what he believes to be the benefits CAVEs for this purpose as opposed to VR headsets, focalising collaborative learning between students, physical presence, and interaction when it comes to both virtual and real people/objects.
Jeroen’s colleague Mirjam, an early adopter of the immersive room for learning experiences, takes over to discuss how the immersive room has helped her students. Being a teacher of mental health nursing, Mirjam is in a field where students need to be able to cope with complex mental health situations, having ideally practiced these beforehand. Through the immersive room, students are given a considerably more realistic experience and, as Mirjam has observed, need fewer breaks in-between to ask for advice or discuss the situation. Previously, students would have practiced crisis situations in a classroom, imagining the environment in which the situation was taking place, with their peers in a circle around them taking notes. Now, there is no need for this imagining, peers can stay in the control room, and sessions can be recorded for classes to discuss and reflect upon at a later moment. Overall, the use of the immersive room to provide learning experiences has had a positive impact on both students and teachers.
MULTIFUNCTIONAL CAVE CONCEPT FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN THE XR LAB @ UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES SÜDWESTFALEN – WILHELM HANNIBAL
Unlike the caves in the previous presentations, this CAVE is not situated in a closed off room. As Wilhelm explains, using a 4-sided cave CAVE allows for smaller groups or individuals to step inside the CAVE, but can also accommodate larger groups who can stand just outside. The University of Applied Sciences has a lecture hall with such a cave at the front of it, allowing for the use of 3D-CAVE operation during lectures, up to 3 different parallel projections, and instant switches from 2D to 3D applications. Up to 10 people can use the space simultaneously, with one person controlling the model with a controller. Shutter glasses are used to allow for 3D visualisation.
The main advantages which Wilhelm observes are that students get a better grasp of the technical concepts when they can see them, and even show more interest in technology this way. Moreover, the CAVE can handle groups of students, while reducing the risk of motion sickness in comparison with head-mounted displays). There are, however, also certain disadvantages. For example, using the CAVE requires assistance from a trained staff member. Often it is only a lab technician who would be able to resolve the technical issues which arise. Nevertheless, the university is looking to expand the uses of the CAVE, collaborate with others, and use the space for additional research and business purposes.
3D THEATER – GERT-JAN VERHEIJ
Following Wilhelm, Gert-Jan presented the University of Groningen’s 3D Theater. Housed in a building that was designed with the theater in mind, the curved screen has an opening angle of 135 degrees and a diameter of 7.3 meters and the room itself seats 19 people (with some additional standing space).
Although the University of Groningen used to have a CAVE, with optical tracking and projections on the floor and three walls, it the space was closed in 2020 due to a lack of use requests. This closing, however, allowed, the 3D theater was able to receive an upgrade, rendering it fit for not only research, but education.
To provide one example of how the 3D theater has thus far been used, Gert-Jan describes a new didactical method used in the Archeology department, where students develop a model on a head-mounted display, which they present to their peers using the 3D theater.
COVENTRY UNIVERSITY: OUR CAVE EXPERIENCE – NATASHA TAYLOR
Our last speaker of the day, Natasha, showcased Coventry University’s CAVE Experience, which was opened only last autumn, consisting of a three-sided environment with tracking and stereoscopic viewing, as well as haptics. This CAVE came into existence through a collaboration between the School of Health and Care and the College of Engineering, Environment and Science. The university is planning to keep improving upon the experience, as well as collaborate with others so do feel welcome to reach out to the team and follow their progress!
