Prof. Lewis Hitchner of Computer Science. Goals of the project Undergraduate Instruction - The lab will be used in courses to teach students design, implementation, application, and system integration of VR technology . The lab will provide tools, techniques, and motivation for student projects. All Cal Poly students must complete a 6 month, practical Senior Project . Fifth year Architecture students must complete a year long design project thesis .
Many academic departments have space and facilities specifically to support such projects.
A VR lab will be a significant, inter-disciplinary addition to the campus laboratories used for these projects. Research - The Architecture Dept. has done much work in furthering the application of collaborative, interactive technology to design methodologies . Several academic centers have investigated use of 3D visualization of design results. The Cal Poly VR lab will be used to investigate immersive VR as a design tool and to study integration of 3D visualization and collaboration among clients, designers, and builders throughout the whole design and construction process . Cal Poly's graduates are highly sought after by California and national employers.