The University of Iowa Center for Computer-Aided Design has introduced the Virtual and Augmented Reality Business Unit--VARBU (http://www.ccad.uiowa.edu/varbu/), providing virtual reality services to the UI community.

VARBU was established to serve the University community, researchers, scientists, and students in exploring Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) applications, development, devices, and systems.  It is designed to assist UI faculty and staff members who have a research project that requires special visualization or whether they need to quickly develop a VR or AR project or try new equipment before they purchase.

VARBU is the latest additional unit in the Center for Computer Aided Design, home of the Virtual Reality Portal, a unique 6-wall CAVE-like system for visualization, and virtual interaction. It also is home of the IDEA lab, a unique 100-SLR camera dome setup for reconstructing human avatars, and the Motion Capture Lab, a facility for tracking and analyzing virtual human motion.

VARBU's services include 3-D modeling, VR software programming, VR project management, VR service consultation, VR system integration, and VR device development.

To learn more about VARBU, go to http://www.ccad.uiowa.edu/varbu/ or contact Jenny Simpson at jenny-simpson@uiowa.edu.

To read the online, interactive brochure on VARBU, go to http://www.pageturnpro.com/University-of-Iowa-College-of-Engineering/79876-Virtual-and-Augmented-Reality-Business-Unit-(VARBU)-Brochure/index.html#1.