XR HUB March 14: spatial design in 3D and the virtual judge

During the XR Hub meeting on Thursday, March 14, two practical examples of the application of XR in education and research will be discussed.

A toolset that integrates Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Virtual Reality helps to see the relationship between objective spatial measurements and subjective perceptions in context.
In the new version of PleitVRij, students can not only practice the role of a pleader, but the perspective of the judge has now also been added.

Location and time

• The XR-HUB will take place at the Smitsborg, Nettelbosje 1, Groningen.
  After the plenary session there will be demos of the projects discussed in the XR lab. The plenary session can also be followed via a stream (link to follow).
• The meeting starts at 10:30 AM and lasts until noon.

Sign up

You can sign up by sending an email to realitycenter rug.nl.

Language: English

Program

• Welcome and introduction

• Measuring and Imagining Spatial Design with VR | Gerd Weitkamp, Associate Professor, Faculty of Spatial Sciences
  In order to address complex urban challenges, it is crucial to integrate diverse types of information within the spatial design process, thereby facilitating informed design decisions.
  A significant challenge lies in understanding the interplay between objective spatial measurements and subjective perceptions. A toolset that integrates Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Virtual Reality (VR) supports this. The toolset uses the same spatial dataset of buildings for both quantitative analysis and immersive virtual experiences. Consequently, users gain insightful feedback on their design choices within this virtual setting, enhancing the decision-making process.

• PleitVRij next level: now also the judge's perspective in a virtual courtroom | Lisa Hoekman and Monique Noordhof, Faculty of Law, Gert-Jan Verheij, Center for Information Technology
  Law students from Utrecht University, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the University of Groningen have used the VR application PleitVRij since 2019. Using virtual reality glasses, students practice pleading in an authentic environment of a 'real' courtroom with an audience present.
  In the new version, it is possible for the judge to also put on the VR glasses to see the pleader (a lawyer or public prosecutor) standing behind the lectern and hear her/his plea and ask questions. Fellow students can watch remotely and use an app to assess pleading skills based on a rubric. Afterwards, the student who played the role of judge can download the feedback and recording. In April and May, all third-year law students in Groningen will use PleitVRij.

XR HUB

The XR Hub organizes bi-monthly meetings for faculty and researchers at the University of Groningen to share knowledge and experiences on the development and use of applications of Extended Reality: augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), virtual reality (VR) and 3D.