If you were told to envision a fantasy world, how would you describe it? Would you be adventuring through a tropical jungle or relaxing somewhere on a private island? Although, the fantasy world may seem unrealistic and a nice thought for a couple minutes, this dream could instead become reality for several hours.

The Virtual Reality Lab at the IU Media School is allowing students to put their creative minds to the test and engulf themselves a realistic world that comes to life. In room 105 in the basement of Franklin Hall, a small lab with a green screen expands exponentially once you strap on the headset and pick up the wireless hand-tools. The user enters a new world.

IU seniors Griffin Park and Devin Good have been active in the virtual reality field. They recently launched a virtual game in conjunction with their senior design project. They call it, Batteries Included.

“As a team of 8 to 10 people, depending on the day, we have created a puzzle game in VR. Your objective is to escort your toys from their starting location at a cave to our end location in a factory-style environment,” stated Park.

Both Park and Good contribute a substantial amount of time to their game and having others come and play-test it in order for them to evaluate what needs to be fixed. However with all fun and games,  VR can have some unpleasant consequences. When using the software there is a chance players can get motion sickness.

“A lot of people get motion sickness really easy in VR. If my eyes see that I’m moving but I don’t feel my body moving, I’m going to get violently sick,” expressed Good.

The VR lab includes some of the most high tech equipment in the field, including an HTC Vive with headset, two wireless controllers and two base stations that facilitate 360-degree room-scale motion tracking. The equipment is available for students in classes that work with all aspects of game design, including a virtual reality-specific class that started last fall. This equipment is available for checkout when not in use in classes.

Although new to IU, virtual reality has made a major contribution to people in business, teachers, and even in medicine. As far as business, it can be used as a marketing and customer service tool. If customers want to try out an appliance in their house or test drive a new car, virtual reality allows them to achieve that in the comfort of their own home. Even when interacting with customers, VR can be used a training method for associates to have mock interactions as a way to prepare for any type of situation.

Psychologists have found VR to be a key tool for treating post-traumatic stress disorder. In medicine, stroke doctors, pain specialists, surgeons, and other medical practitioners have found their own uses for VR. When it comes to complicated procedures — including the separation of conjoined twins, 3D visualization is a game-changer.

Virtual Reality is quickly evolving in the tech world but experts believe it will still be several more years before virtual reality becomes standard. The use of the tools are very expensive for the general public to purchase. However, the future of VR is bright and you never know, the next time you’re training for a job or working with customers, virtual reality could find it’s way into your profession.

More information on how to get involved with VR at The Media School