Extended reality winners announced

The use of virtual reality to create simulations of mental health disorders was the winning submission to the EON-XR New Learning Reality Competition.

Extended reality or XR is a term that encompasses virtual, augmented and mixed reality technology and describes software or applications that mix computer images with real-world scenarios.

The awards were handed out on 27 April at the Docklands Campus by Dr Matthew Williamson, the University’s Head of Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching.

Psychology  student Zoe Silver’s entry was based on using 360-degree photography and virtual reality to create simulations of mental health disorders as a tool for learning and teaching. The experience would include an internal monologue from the perspective of someone suffering from the mental illness.

UEL partnered with the California-based software company EON Reality to host the competition. Company founder Dan Lejerskar attended virtually and announced the winners during the awards ceremony. He told students,

I really hope that this competition has inspired you to keep exploring the possibilities of artificial reality and virtual reality in education. I can’t wait to see what else comes out next from UEL."

To enter, students were asked to come up with a proposal for how an area of their course could be enhanced using the EON-XR platform and 67 made submissions.

Other winners included Architecture, Computing & Engineering student, Danagshanth Thavagnanam (silver), Health, Sport & Bioscience student Jayesh Ramesh Bachhav (bronze) and Royal Docks School of Business & Law  student Oluwakemi Ayodele Olademo (bronze). Their ideas included:

• A virtual interactive network server cabinet
• A virtual reality laboratory for learning about handling hazardous chemicals
• Use of 360 degree photography for marketing and tourism

EON Reality also provided a license for the company’s latest software, AI Assistant, to the competition winner, and trial licenses to all entrants. All entrants also received a pair of Homido virtual reality glasses.