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/Roy_Davies%2C_from_the_Virtual_Reality_Lab.) In the Reality Lab, short for the Lund Mixed and Augmented Reality Resource Centre, companies and university departments can meet and share competence, equipment and knowledge about Virtual, Mixed and Augmented Reality technologies, applications and projects.
Roy Davies, the coordinator for the Reality Lab, explains that the centre will provide resources and become the natural place for the development of “Reality”-based projects. “Many people at local universities and companies see VR as an interesting and promising technology, but they had nowhere to turn to test ideas or discuss potential VR solutions”, relates Davies.
Making the Lab focal point of VR projects in the Øresund Region should not require the use of massive resources. “We are not to build a large equipment as a political statement, but we shall work with interesting projects, and from that get the tools we need”, says Davies.
Handheld 3D
The area of Virtual Reality is moving into a new stage that is characterized by lower costs and broader access to computerised reality and the Reality Lab is taking part in this development. “It will soon be possible to run 3D graphics on computerised devices, such as even small handheld computers. This will mean that VR will no longer be an issue, and the high-cost VR companies will have to restructure to survive”, foresees Davies.
The Reality Lab is expected to become part of network and cooperation programmes in the Øresund Region, for example, by giving support to competence exchange and visits. The Lab belongs to the Department of Design Sciences of the Lund Institute of Technology. The idea is, however, that the Lab become a resource centre for the entire Lund University and also for other universities and for companies located in the Øresund Region.
The Reality Lab is divided in two parts a 200-square-metre large hall and a 150-square-metre development room that will be used for offices and as a meeting place. These are part of a larger complex of labs in the same area, including multimedia lab, usability lab, experiment hall (about 150 square metres) and various other labs. Although the Centre holds advanced equipment, which includes a large-projector active stereo system, Barco Baron and Phantom Haptic devices, the locale and expertise are its strong points.
There are already over half dozen projects being carried out under the Lab, but many others located in other departments of the University of Lund are expected to join the centre soon. The Lab is located in a new modern building – the Ingvar Kamprad Design Centre - whose construction was partially financed by IKEA Foundation. The operation of the Lab will be financed by different sources, including sponsorships, lecture series and projects.
September 2002
More information: Reality Lab
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