什么是虚拟现实?

虚拟现实(VR)允许用户在三个维度上体验计算机生成的模拟或游戏。像Oculus Quest一样,头部安装的显示器可以使用户完全沉浸在体验中,并且手持控制器允许他们与环境进行交互。

Benefits of using virtual reality

In VR, students can see demonstrations across a wide range of physical scales that would not be possible with table top demos. This feature makes VR an ideal platform for teaching students about gravity. Research has shown that students who are taught using VR experience many educational benefits, beyond the fact that it is fun. Below is a partial list of recent studies on the subject.

  • A meta-analysis of 29 studies of immersive VR (using a head mounted display) found that the majority reported VR was more effective than, or at least on par with, traditional pedagogical methods (i.e. slideshows, lectures, 2D videos) [Hamilton et. al 2021]。
  • Students who watched a video in a 3D immersive environment scored much higher in a learning outcome test than those who watched the same video on a 2D screen [Rupp等。AL 2019]。
  • Virtual reality increases feelings of technology related self-efficacy, which can impact student’s confidence when approaching STEM [Ball et。AL 2018]。
  • 虚拟现实增加了对该主题的参与和兴趣,促进了专家与非专家之间的讨论[Kersting et. al 2020]。

This body of research presents a compelling case that even a single classroom visit can have an impact on student engagement.

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VR club member experiencing thesimulation at a POINT VR event. Photo credit: Scott Perkins.

通过虚拟现实将物理学带到当地学校

In phase one of this project, we will take portable Oculus Quest headsets from theUIUCIDEA lab到中学和高中。我们将使用这些耳机向学生展示现有的科学模拟。这种经验将补充有关模拟中涵盖的科学主题的介绍性演讲。

访问通常需要大约一个小时,并且可以根据需要进行调整。学生将分为两组;一半将体验VR演示,而另一半会与物理学家见面,然后他们会切换。每个人都有机会戴上VR耳机。将发出调查前和调查后,以收集有关该计划的反馈并评估有效性。研究生志愿者将可以回答学生在整个经验中可能面临的任何问题。

对于该项目的第一阶段,我们正在使用一个名为“ Novelab开发”的市售程序(由Novelab开发),在电影节上赢得了许多奖项。我们专门关注第2章:“时空之歌”。该模拟通过10分钟的沉浸式体验引入引力波和黑洞。您可以观看拖车的经历here

由伊利诺伊州物理学的研究生开发的补充演讲描述了模拟背后的科学。新利足球18新利在线娱乐官网演讲首先描述了一般相对论是时空结构的曲率,然后解释了什么是黑洞以及它们的运动如何产生引力波。它提供了模拟引入的科学的更详细图片,并向学生展示了物理学家如何处理此类主题。

开发虚拟现实模拟

在该项目的第二阶段,我们将发展自己的互动VR经验,以教学学生有关一般相对论。模拟中包含的概念将是:

  • 时空是一种光滑的织物。

  • The curvature of this spacetime is what we recognize as a gravitational field.

  • 对一般相对论的良好描述是:“Spacetimetells matter how to move; matter tells spacetime how to curve.” -约翰·惠勒
  • We can get ripples in the fabric of spacetime. These ripples are called gravitational waves and they can teach us a lot about the Universe.

  • General relativity is a necessary extension of Newtonian gravity, and yet we believe it is still incomplete.

我们的模拟将在简短的章节中解决所有这些概念,旨在可供中学和高中生访问。UIUC计算机科学和物理部门的志愿者已经在使用Unity在第一章中工作。最终,代码和模拟都将公开为想要使用它们的任何人。

第一章的编码目标:

  • 创建一个弯曲的网格,您可以滚动或扔对象以查看其路径变化。这将说明“时空告诉您如何移动……”
  • Develop a grid that can warp around your hands as you move them. This should demonstrate that “...matter tells spacetime how to curve.”
  • 在网格中探索更大与较少的物体


Students who have experience coding in Unity or would like to learn can click this button to get involved.

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A visualization of gravity as a curvature of spacetime. Image credit: T. Pyle, Caltech, MIT, LIGO Lab.
A visualization of gravity as a curvature of spacetime. Image credit: T. Pyle, Caltech, MIT, LIGO Lab.
不同质量的物体弯曲时空的弯曲方式不同。图片来源:James Provost。

团队

克里斯汀·舒马赫(Kristen Schumacher)
克里斯汀·舒马赫(Kristen Schumacher)
外展团队新利国际

该项目分为两个主要小组:外展团队和VR生产团队。新利国际

  1. 外联团队新利国际将使用现有的VR演示,例如,中学和高中生。到目前为止,外展团队一新利国际直在显示向UIUC的本科生寻求反馈和完善该计划。
  2. The VR production team is developing our own VR experience, using Unity. Work on chapter one, which describes gravity as the curvature of the fabric of spacetime, is already underway.
典型的工程师状态
Sonali Joshi
VR生产团队负责人

Members at our last general meeting of the semester Fall 2021. Pictured (left to right):  Amanda, Chloe, Chris, Kristen, Nijaid, Henry, Sonali, ?, Roger?, ? , Alex.
Team members at our last general meeting of the semester Fall 2021. Pictured (left to right): Amanda, Chloe, Chris, Kristen, Nijaid, Mike, Sonali, Henry, Roger, Atharv, Alex.
<strong><span class="fs125x">Jessica L Raley</span></strong><br /><span class="fs125x">Outreach Director for ICASU</span>
Jessica L Raley
Outreach Director for ICASU

如果您有兴趣通过虚拟现实使学生对物理感到兴奋,那么这是一个大型项目,有很多机会获得经验。
Volunteers can:

  • code (Unity/C#)
  • work directly with students
  • assess effectiveness of technology in teaching
  • test newly-developed VR simulations

与该项目相关的许多机会不需要经验或先验知识,只是好奇心!要加入我们的团队,请在下面与我们联系,以便我们可以将您添加到我们的Discord服务器中。

Future Goals - Outreach

我们希望将该计划扩展到附近地区的学校之外。这可能包括向伊利诺伊州农村地区或邻国农村地区的学校驾驶耳机,以及帮助已经有头戴式耳机实施此计划的学校。我们的目标是将新技术和积极的研究科学家带给尽可能多的学生。

未来目标-VR开发

我们计划通过Github公开获得开发的仿真和UNITY项目。我们的希望是为我们无法直接到达的人提供材料,以便他们可以设计自己的教育示范。此外,此内容可以作为其他人使用Unity在VR中自由使用的模拟的基础。

Photo Gallery

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VR点主持了有关该干预措施的演示UIUC VR俱乐部。在这里,有几个学生经历in the VR headsets simultaneously. Photo credit: Scott Perkins.

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Nijaid Arredondo, a graduate student volunteer on the outreach team answers a VR club member's physics questions at the demonstration for the VR club. Photo credit: Scott Perkins.

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克里斯汀·舒马赫(Kristen Schumacher), a graduate student volunteer on the outreach team, discussing the science behindwith several of the VR club members after they experienced the simulation. Photo credit: Scott Perkins.

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点VRhosted a table at the 2021 Midwest Relativity Meeting to show thesimulation and explain the project to conference attendees. Pictured here, graduate student volunteers Kristen Schumacher and Nijaid Arredondo manage the table while Surabhi Sachdev and Nancy Aggarwal experience the simulation. Photo credit: Jessica L Raley.

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Surabhi Sachdev experiencingat the 2021 Midwest Relativity Meeting. Photo credit: Jessica L Raley.

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Graduate student volunteer Kristen Schumacher looks on as Thiago Assumpcao experiences the simulation at the 2021 Midwest Relativity Meeting. Photo credit: Jessica L Raley.

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肖恩·罗索夫斯基(Shawn Rosofsky)经历at the 2021 Midwest Relativity Meeting. Photo credit: Jessica L Raley.

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Headsets on the table at the 2021 Midwest Relativity Meeting. Photo credit: Jessica L Raley.

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2021年中西部相对性会议的会议海报。

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