UNC-CH Computer Science Educational Outreach 

Some uses of virtual reality that you may have heard of are flight simulators to train pilots, treating phobias, and architectural design. Here at UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Computer Science we are pursuing multiple uses of virtual reality. Here is a description of a few of the areas we focus on:

Architecture and Modeling:
Did you know that our building, Sitterson Hall, was first built in a virtual world on the computer before ever a brick was laid?  By using virtual reality in planning the building’s structure, architects noticed a problem: one of the hallways outside the classrooms was too small. When you come to visit us at Sitterson Hall, look for the curved wall in the lower lobby.

Today we create models of structures much larger than our buildings. These large models require stronger and faster computers, better algorithms, and more research. To read more about modeling, see the following projects:

• http://www.cs.unc.edu:80/~walk/

  http://www.cs.unc.edu/~geom/geom.html

  http://www.cs.unc.edu/~luebke/simplify/

Medical:
Another important use of virtual reality is in the medical field. At UNC, we’re trying to develop ways to combine augmented reality and medical imaging to assist doctors in diagnosing patients' problems and to perform surgical procedures.

See the following web sites for more information:

• http://www.cs.unc.edu/~us/

  http://www.cs.unc.edu/~azuma/azuma_AR.html

  http://www.cs.unc.edu/Research/Image/Cores.html

  http://www.cs.unc.edu/~aylward/

Molecular Studies:
Projects in this area create interactive tools that will allow scientist to study molecular structures and their functions. Read more about these projects at:

• http://www.cs.unc.edu/Research/graphics/GRIP/