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Virtual Reality (VR) is no longer science fiction. It’s transforming how we learn, tell stories, train, and create. But as powerful as VR can be, it’s still locked behind barriers—high costs, closed-source hardware, and technical complexity. For many aspiring creators, educators, and students, building immersive VR experiences—especially ones with haptic feedback—remains out of reach. During University of Advancing Technology's (UAT) Spring 2025 Production Studios class, students worked on a project - VR Imaginaruim - and spent the semester working to make VR with haptic feedback more accessible. 

Problem Statement

Virtual reality (VR) holds immense potential to revolutionize education, storytelling, training, and creativity. However, creating immersive VR experiences—especially those that include haptic feedback—remains expensive and technically inaccessible for most independent developers, educators, students, and hobbyists. Proprietary haptic hardware is often costly, closed-source, and difficult to modify or extend, creating a barrier for those who want to innovate or explore the full potential of VR.

This lack of affordable, open-source tools limits creativity and experimentation, especially in underserved or low-resource communities where equitable access to cutting-edge technology is critical.

Solution

VR Imaginarium is an open-source hardware toolkit designed to make affordable and accessible VR development—including haptic interactions—a reality for everyone.

By providing:

• Modular, low-cost hardware components for building custom interfaces
• Open-source firmware and software for easy integration with Unity Game Engine
• Plug-and-play compatibility for education, prototyping, and creative projects

VR Imaginarium empowers creators of all backgrounds to design, build, and share their own immersive experiences. Whether you're an educator designing interactive lessons, a student exploring tactile simulations, or a maker prototyping new VR input devices, VR Imaginarium opens the door to a more inclusive and creative future in virtual reality.

Virtual Experience

The students also built a virtual experience called “Mission Critical: Escape”. In the future we plan to combine the two where you can experience haptic sensations within this virtual experience.

Student Spotlights

  Rachael Alicea-Mjelde – Creative Lead (Virtual Reality Major)

Rachael was drawn to VR Imaginarium because it aligned perfectly with her major and allowed her to dive deeper into Unity. She crafted immersive background scenes for all three acts of “Mission Critical: Escape” and produced the Unity team’s video showcase.

Biggest takeaway?
"I learned so much more about Unity and got out of my comfort zone. Even though I didn’t code as much as I hoped, I picked up tricks for showcasing games visually—and that’s huge for me as a creative."

Challenges faced:
Burnout and technical frustrations—like having to restart her PC every few hours. Through it all, she learned the power of schedules and self-care.

  Sulliven Weiss – Hardware Lead (Network Security Major)

Sulliven engineered the core haptic hardware integration. He designed a system that lets Unity send commands to an ESP32 microcontroller, activating vibrotactile motors and fans for sensory feedback.

Why VR Imaginarium?
"It combined everything I love—immersive tech, hardware control, and cross-platform systems. I wanted to build something that could feel real."

Biggest challenge?
Getting Unity to communicate with hardware over serial ports. He had to troubleshoot .NET compatibility issues and power management bugs.

What’s next?
"This project could evolve into a scalable haptics sandbox for future students. Think accessibility tools, full-body systems, or AI-enhanced feedback. The foundation is here—it’s all about what comes next."

  Zoe McGowan – Creative Lead (Digital Video Major)

Zoe joined the project for a challenge outside her comfort zone—and got exactly that. She helped write the story, created storyboards, and even designed a simple 3D character model.

What she learned:
"This was my first time working in a large, collaborative team. It helped me confront my perfectionism and push through creative blocks. The stress was real—but so was the growth."

Looking ahead:
"I can see VR Imaginarium being polished and finished at UAT. For a proof of concept, it’s already impressive—but there’s so much potential for more."

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