OVERVIEW

NIAR's Virtual Reality Center (VRC) was established in 2002 to aid Kansas’s aviation industry as well as to further the Federal Aviation Administration's mission in research, development and training. It is one of the few virtual reality centers in the United States and the only one of its kind in Kansas.

By developing different virtual systems, an eclectic variety of research can be made in real time. This ability allows researchers to have a better understanding of a project without conducting extensive “real-life” testing.

The VRC also acts as a visualization and simulation tool for areas related to aircraft engineering and manufacturing processes. For example, the VRC is capable of visualizing how you will behave in a plane, such as putting your luggage away or pulling down the food tray. It is also possible to visualize several thousand components of a large plane in real-scale. You can be the pilot, the passenger or the assembler. Engineering data can be transferred from other computers, making the VRC into a wind tunnel or a crash lab.

This availability of this technology is not limited to aviation, however. Any industry or institution that needs real-time design decision or massive database analyses can use the VRC. In addition to its wide range of capabilties, the VRC is one of NIAR’s most inviting, interactive places. With seating for 25 and high-tech 3D glasses to wear during the show, visitors are sure to enjoy a hands-on virtual reality experience.