Virtual Reality holds enormous promise to teach complicated 3D structures. In our effort to use Oculus Rift and Samsung VR technology to teach neuroanatomy and neurochemistry related to weight management we have uncovered the vast potential of this technology alongside the challenges in implementing it.

1. Bradley Tanner, MD
2017 Serious Play Conference
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Manassas, VA
July 19, 2018
HealthImpact.studio
101 Market Street, Suite A
Chapel Hill, NC
http://healthimpact.studio
3D Virtual Reality Using Oculus To Teach
Complicated 3D Structures

2. Goal and Disclosure
 Goal: Gain an understanding of the strengths and limitations of
VR technology as it applied to the challenge of teaching
students about complicated 3D structures
 Disclosure: President, Clinical Tools Inc. HealthImpact.studio is
the game development division of Clinical Tools.

3. The Question To Ask
 Have used Oculus 3D immersive
headsets or headsets from Vive?
 Ask this question
 Don’t accept vague answers.
 Watching is not doing. In this case
“see one” is meaningless.

4. How Different is Immersive VR?

5. The VR Hardware Options - Cardboard

6. The VR Hardware Options - Samsung VR

7. The VR Hardware Options - Google's Pixel
Phone and Daydream

8. The VR Hardware Options - PlayStation VR
 More Cables
 You can’t move
 Limited Hand Controllers

9. The VR Hardware Options – Oculus

10. The VR Hardware Options – Cables!

11. The VR Hardware Options – HTC Vive

12. Future VR Hardware Options – Mixed Reality

13. Building a VR Solution for a Broad Audience
 Lessons from creating a
three-dimensional
experience for the user
for educational purposes
 The challenge of
learning complicated 3D
structures in the brain
 Building an Internal
Memory Map

14. Lesson #1 – Building 3D Structures
 Users without
experience in VR
 Users unfamiliar with
how Oculus works
 Lack of experience
manipulating controllers
– every driving a rental
car where all the
controls were different?

15. Lesson #2 – Building 3D Structures
 User
Expectations
 Need
Sufficient
Complexity

16. Lesson #3 – Building 3D Structures
 Is it fun?
 A VR game is
not a task to
be mastered
 Difficult? Yes
 Dull? No

17. Imaging a 3D World
 Building an internal memory
map of a 3D object or space
 Memories of past houses.
 When you need to build
one
 Buying or renting a new
house

18. Using 2D to Create 3D
 Does 2D
work?
 Real World
Building
 What if you
could view
houses in
VR?

19. The Potential of VR to Learn 3D Structures
 Perhaps the Brain isn’t the place to start.
 Fantastic Voyage?

20. Better than Reality
 Presenting Data
 Hiding and Showing
Structures
 Showing and Hiding Labels
 Coloring
 Showing Motion

21. Building a VR Future
 Learn the New VR
Technology
 Teach the New VR
Technology
 Explain it’s value
 Dream up a solution
 Make it good enough
to show what the
technology is capable of
 Make sure it is fun!