University of Georgia students can now develop—and play—virtual reality from the comfort of their dorm rooms. Two Oculus Rift VR headsets and accompanying Alienware 15 R3 gaming laptops are now available for checkout from the Science Library Makerspace. Any UGA student may borrow the equipment for a 72-hour loan period. The gaming laptops are enabled for VR prototyping and exploration and loaded with Oculus Rift, Steam and Unity Game Engine software.
This equipment is on loan from Kyle Johnsen, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering.
“The systems will help students work on virtual reality projects anywhere, without requiring access to a specialized laboratory,” Johnsen said. “[They] are specifically designed to be self-contained, with all required software and hardware to get started.”
The new VR checkout service is part of an ongoing partnership between Johnsen and the University Libraries’ Andrew Johnson, who serves as emerging technologies librarian and coordinates the Science Library Makerspace, a fabrication lab where students, faculty and staff from all disciplines can explore and learn to create with technology such as 3D printers, a laser cutter, soldering equipment and virtual reality.
To check out the VR equipment, visit the Makerspace on the third floor of the Science Library during its regular hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, visit www.libs.uga.edu/science/makerspace.
