Virtual reality brought to education
A virtual reality tool for teaching and researching theatre studies developed by the THEATRON consortium and partly funded by the European Commission has been unveiled. This marks the first serious attempt to bring the study of virtual reality computer models to a humanities subject. The THEATRON computer software uses a unique web browser that enables the user to navigate specially reconstructed virtual reality models of theatre and performance sites. Using the software, the user can not only see what an ancient theatre looked like when new, but can also walk and fly around it, and try the view from different seats. Some of the theatre sites features also have audio reconstructions, enabling the user to hear what the audience would have heard from different parts of the theatre. 'What is so different from other available resources is that our tool is research-oriented', explained Professor Richard Beacham of the University of Warwick, England, who is coordinating the project. 'Other resources are led by text, and allow the user to be the passive recipient of information. The THEATRON software module enables the student to work in the physical context of a three dimensional theatre site, actively exploring and discovering relevant information. It provides an excellent introduction to research skills.' The programme will initially be available on CD-ROM, and the application will have a subscription option that enables users to connect online. The content of the module can therefore be kept up to date. This technology has many other potential applications in fields such as chemistry, engineering and medicine. For example, it could be used to train surgeons, thus enabling them to navigate a three dimensional realistic model of the human body. The contextual information that appears automatically would provide updates with the latest surgical techniques and knowledge.' 'I don't think we've even begun to understand the full range of uses of this technology', said Rikki Holland, managing director of Theatron Limited, the company that will market this software. 'The combination of an integrated 3D viewers with fully automatic contextual information is novel in itself, but when you add the ability to provide updates in real time and a full backend content management system, we are talking about a very powerful and practical system with applications right across the board.'