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 in January-March and are streamed. 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. It doesn’t matter whether you decide to buy or borrow a VR headset; the important thing is that you have access to one for your assignments. Please note: 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 well. As long as you can connect Unity with your headset, you’ll be good to go.
Teaching schedule
There are about two lectures a week, streamed via Zoom. Lecture recordings from previous years are available.
Completion methods
The course consists of:
- Live lectures
- Lab exercises
- Two project works
- Open book online exam
The practical part of the course can be done (depending on students’ preference) either face-to-face or independently using online materials and instructions.
Students can borrow equipment from the lab to minimise the need for lab attendance. It is also possible to do the exercise in the lab in small groups (<10). 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.