Introduction to XR systems

The course provides you with an overview of XR hardware, XR systems software and a high level overview of human physiology, neuroscience, and human perception in relation to XR hardware and software. The practical part consists of homework assignments where you learn to build an XR experience with Unity.

Course contents

• XR systems overview
• Human perception and XR
• XR development

Learning outcomes

After having passed the course you will be able to

• recall all of the components of modern XR systems
• understand the interaction between the hardware, software, and human senses during and XR experience
• understand how the choices in hardware and software components influence human perception and the quality of XR experiences
• identify challenges facing next generation XR systems
• develop a basic VR experience using Unity

Course material

Course materials can be found in Lovelace open learning environment. Lectures take place January-March and are streamed, however, the lecture materials will be available in Lovelace for later reference.

To earn credits in this course, you’ll need access to a laptop or a computer with a GPU that is powerful enough to support VR and can run Unity. You also need access to a VR headset. Whether you decide to buy one or borrow it doesn’t matter; the key is having access to a VR headset for your assignments. Remember, understanding VR is impossible without firsthand experience. Examples of headsets we use in our on-campus courses include Oculus Quest 2 and Oculus Rift. During this course, students have made it work with other headsets. As long as you can connect Unity with your headset, you’ll be good to go.

Teaching schedule

• Lectures on Tuesdays and Fridays at 14:15-16 in Zoom (previous year´s lectures can be found online).
• 1st exam online 14.3.2025.
• 2nd and 3rd exams are online on a date specified later.

Completion methods

The course consists of live lectures and lab exercises. The practical part of the course can be done (depending on students’ preference) either face-to-face or independently using online materials and instructions.

The course will consist of:

• lectures (28h)
• individual lab exercises (28h)
• solo/team project (28h)
• self-study (42h)
• quizzes (6h)
• final exam (3h)

Students can borrow equipment from the lab to minimise the need for lab attendance. It is also possible, in small groups (<10), to do the exercise in the lab, however we aim to minimise any need for face to face teaching with other arrangements.

More information in the University of Oulu study guide.

You can get a digital badge after completing this course.