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virtual reality (VR)

Academic researchers across disciplines—from archaeology and medicine to data science and the digital humanities—increasingly need to create, manipulate, and display three-dimensional models. Whether reconstructing historical sites, visualizing complex protein structures, or building virtual environments for psychological experiments, the challenge is often the same: how to produce custom, accurate, and performance-optimized 3D assets without access to large budgets or specialized digital arts training. Commercial software can be prohibitively expensive, and outsourcing asset creation can sever the direct link between the research and its visual representation. There is a need for tools that are accessible, powerful, and versatile enough to support the entire 3D production pipeline within a research context. This workshop will introduce options for all-levels, from rapid prototyping to detailed rendering, and will provide examples from a variety of disciplines. Participants will also learn how to use AI to support the pipeline from idea to 3D assets to AR or VR output (using https://www.8thwall.com/) and how agentic AI can be applied to avatars in VR environments (https://www.mud.foundation/mud-verse) . Participants are encouraged to reach out to the workshop organizer in advance with any specific tools of interest.

From Polygons to Presence: Crafting 3D Assets for Immersive Research Experiences