The Active Video Game and Virtual Reality (AVG/VR) Lab was designed to advance scientific knowledge related to achieving accessible exergaming programs to improve health and increase physical activity and exercise in people with disabilities. It houses a state-of-the-art adapted gaming space with the latest innovations in virtual reality and provides single- and multi-player adaptive active video gaming opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities. Additionally, the AVG/VR Lab aims to facilitate the implementation and evaluation of in-person and remote gaming interventions.
The director, Dr. Byron Lai, has an extensive background in providing adapted therapeutic exercise services for people with disabilities, as well as experience with amateur and professional level gaming and e-sports tournaments. Dr. Lai and his team offer consultations for designing and implementing in-person, online, and remote adaptive gaming interventions for research protocols, health, fitness, and exercise programs, and related grant proposals with the goals of improving the lives and increasing the physical activity of people with disabilities.
Services
Expert training and consultations for navigating, designing, and implementing adaptive gaming interventions that are tailored to the preferences and functional abilities of people with disabilities are available. Rental of the lab and its state-of-the-art gaming gear, which is described below, is also available. We are open to all UAB investigators as well as other investigators in the research community. Please contact us for more information and pricing.
Equipment
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Virtual Reality Headset
- The Varjo Aero is one of the best VR headsets on the market, designed for professional VR. The Varjo Aero has dual mini-LED displays with an ultra-sharp peak resolution of 35 PPD, 150 nits of brightness, and a 115° field of view to deliver the highest level of visual fidelity to users. The ergonomic optical design and reduced weight, the device is designed for comfort and to feel weightless, allowing the user to be completely immersed in their VR experience.
- The Meta Quest 2 is a low cost, commercially available, immersive all-in-one VR headset. The Quest 2 has LCD panels with 1832x1920 resolution, per-eye, and a refresh rate of 120Hz for stunning in-game visuals. The Quest 2 has several exercise games downloaded and ready for play, which can connect to an adaptive in-game software.
- The Meta Quest 3 is the newest commercially available headset that reaches beyond the world of VR to the full color experience of Mixed Reality (MR) gaming. The Quest 3 has upgraded LCD displays with 2065x2208 resolution on the new pancake lenses. The Quest 3 has a library of exercise games ready for play, which can connect to an in-game adaptive software.
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High-End Gaming Computer
This high-performance gaming PC desktop computer is equipped with a 12th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor and Nvidia 4090 Graphics Card to provide an epic gaming experience. This computer allows the user to experience incredibly detailed virtual worlds with ultra-responsive, super-smooth, high-quality streaming.
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Adaptive VR Software
WalkinVR opens a new website is a computer program that adapts well-known VR games to individuals with disabilities in order to allow everybody to play a favorite VR game. This software is designed to accommodate various types of mobility impairments, physical disabilities, and neurological conditions through four modes of adapted play:
- partner-assisted gameplay
- using the controller for virtual movements/rotations,
- adjust range of motion/position, and
- tracking spastic/limited function hands.
WalkinVR has been used to experience VR worlds and play for a variety of disabilities and conditions, such as spinal cord injury, stroke recovery, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spasticity, muscular atrophy, and general wheelchair use.