HSLS is pleased to announce that three new Oculus Quest virtual reality (VR) systems are available to borrow at Falk Library! In 2018, HSLS introduced its VR space, which features study aids for health sciences students and medical training simulations. Since then, VR technology has advanced in leaps and bounds, and the new Oculus systems deliver a much-needed update to the library’s VR services.
If you are new to VR, the Oculus Quest is a streamlined system with a low learning curve that provides a great introduction to virtual reality. If you have used VR in the past, the Oculus Quest’s advanced graphics and responsive touch controllers offer a unique, lag-free playing experience that is still worth checking out.
Most exciting is the wide range of apps that users can explore on the updated headsets. Various medical education apps are available, including virtual anatomy atlases and programs that visualize 3D images from medical scans. Interactive clinical simulations like Total Knee Replacement Surgery Simulation and PST VR: Primary Surgical Treatment are also available. If you are looking for a less-studious introduction to VR, you can try out narrative-based immersions like Traveling While Black or eXPerience: Colorblindness and beginner-friendly games such as PentaPuzzle. For a complete, up-to-date list of available software, keep tabs on the Virtual Reality at HSLS guide—a virtual human cadaver lab, fetal heart model, and other additional health sciences titles will be added soon.
Visit the Technology Help Desk on the library’s upper floor with your valid Pitt ID to try out the Oculus Quest. No reservation is necessary, but the equipment must be used within the library’s designated VR space. Each headset comes with a detailed user guide and the desk attendant is available to answer questions while you play. You can also contact the Technology Help Desk with questions about VR, requests for personalized demonstrations, and inquiries about incorporating VR into a course curriculum.
~Julia Reese