Virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence are prominent growth areas that are quickly becoming a part of numerous economic sectors, University of New Orleans chemistry professor Matt Tarr said. On Tuesday, UNO held a grand opening for BeyondReality, a virtual reality maker space in the Earl K. Long Library that allows students and the community to use virtual reality tools for business development, education and other applications.

“The idea is to be an open access facility for schools, community groups and start-up businesses,” said Tarr. “BeyondReality is an excellent resource for the development of mixed reality media that can be applied across multiple sectors.”

Those tools include a lab equipped with a bank of computers that have pre-installed software, virtual reality hardware and VR compatible headsets. The lab is located in Room 320C of the library.

“In a physical maker’s space, if you need a drill press or sanding, you can go there and you can pay an hourly rate and use the tools,” said Tarr. “This is the same thing, except instead of woodshop machines, we have virtual reality tools.”

The virtual reality tools lab is funded in part by a grant from The National Center for Advanced Manufacturing (NCAM) partnership among NASA, the State of Louisiana, LSU and UNO.

The NCAM research and production center, located at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, focuses on applying advanced manufacturing technologies for use in aerospace and related industries.

“These resources are currently supporting wind training development at UNO and The Beach,” Tarr said. “Additional applications in training secondary school and college students in STEM disciplines is also underway using the facility.”

With a growing number of wind energy developments proposed for Louisiana, and with companies in the state helping to create the first commercial offshore wind farm in the United States, Tarr is creating mixed reality training tools for wind turbine inspection and repair.

“The tools we are creating will be used for training offshore wind turbine technicians,” Tarr said. “The project will aid in workforce development and improved training programs to support the developing offshore wind industry in Louisiana.”

In collaboration with the immersive content studio, Top Right Corner, BeyondReality at UNO features software that allows for training, gaming and scientific exploring, Tarr said.
During Tuesday’s ceremony, attendees were able to virtually sail into the Gulf of Mexico and explore wind turbines while “standing” on an offshore platform.

“This is about taking you to a wind turbine so you’re actually able to go out into the Gulf and see what those will look like at a different period and time,” said Dan Clifton, founder of Top Right Corner. “It really helps you to visualize it and understand how big it is and understand how all those things work.”

Meanwhile, back on land, students in chemistry are offered a new perspective on learning about density. Traditionally, it is the “most boring” lab, Tarr said with a laugh. However, the immersive version makes for a more engaging experience, he said.

“We created a virtual reality laboratory. We call it ‘Dense Makes Sense,’” Tarr said. “Students, from middle school to college, who use it come out and say, ‘Wow, that was so cool!’ So, we’re really excited about the ability to engage students and hold their interest.”

Through the BeyondReality program, Tarr said UNO will offer on-campus and off-site classes and programs for local public and private schools. For a second year, UNO will offer a free virtual reality and 3-D design summer camp for students in 8th-11th grades, he said.

This summer, a virtual reality labs workshop will be offered for middle and high school teachers, which includes a $200 stipend.

For additional information on BeyondReality@UNO contact Matt Tarr at mtarr@uno.edu.