News Releases

ANN ARBOR — A newly established virtual reality (VR) lab at the Institute for Social Research (ISR) is giving researchers new opportunities to explore their fields while collaborating across disciplines.

The ISR VR Lab, a new service lab opening as a part of the Zajonic Laboratories Core Facilities within the Research Center for Group Dynamics (RCGD) at ISR. Intended to draw investigators from across the University of Michigan, the lab will give researchers a dedicated space to interact with VR technology, an opportunity that might otherwise be missed in a rapidly changing technological field.

“Virtual reality technology is changing quickly, and you have to be able to adapt,” said Alicia Carmichael, [Research Process Director for the ISR VR Lab]. “Part of the point of this lab is that it gives individual investigators support to adapt quickly.”

The ISR VR Lab also has the distinction of being registered as a core facility with U-M’s Research Cores Office, identifying the Lab as a resource that will serve the Michigan community as a whole. At this point it is believed that there is no other core facility on campus dedicated specifically to VR research purposes, positioning the ISR VR Lab to save funding by pooling shared resources.

The lab launched with a demonstration at ISR’s 75th anniversary symposium, when a digital twin of ISR’s Home Lab was set up in a virtual environment, allowing people to interact with the Home Lab space without touring it physically. And that’s just one of the many applications, according to Jess Francis-Levin, research investigator.

“I received a grant to explore the impact of social VR, which is using VR for the purpose of connecting or communicating with others in a virtual space,” she said. “I’m looking at how that can affect the wellbeing and cognitive indicators of older adults who live alone with the goal of seeing whether or not VR experiences can impact social isolation.”

Francis-Levin’s research will monitor people engaging in social activities while they wear their VR headsets, collecting data that will give her a nearly comprehensive overview of their experience.

The VR Lab will integrate seamlessly with other research labs at ISR, creating new ways for researchers to interact across disciplines. The VR Lab is currently set up to work with ISR’s Home Lab and vice versa.

“We’re trying to make this a place where it’s very easy to do research, and we’re trying to lower those barriers so that folks like Jess don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” said Carmichael. “Every time she wants to do another VR study, she’s actually got a foundation built, and other investigators can take advantage of that foundation.”

The lab is in its early stages, but both Francis-Levin and Carmichael are optimistic for its future. 

“We’re all learning together for sure. I’m excited to work with the VR Lab more as we continue to get rolling,” Francis-Levin said. “This is really just the start. We’ve laid such a foundation, and I think others are going to benefit from this groundwork.”

For more information about the ISR VR Lab, visit the Lab’s new website. Researchers interested in using the VR Lab can contact the lab directly via email.