Launching Your VR Neuroscience Laboratory

TL;DR

This paper provides an overview of how affordable virtual reality technologies and sensors can be utilized to advance research in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, including practical implementation advice.

Contribution

It offers a comprehensive guide on developing VR-based neuroscience labs, covering device adaptation, data recording, synchronization, and event labeling techniques.

Findings

VR enables immersive sensory stimulation for neuroscience research

Practical methods for integrating VR with neurodata collection

Guidelines for customizing VR tools for specific experiments

Abstract

The proliferation and refinement of affordable virtual reality (VR) technologies and wearable sensors have opened new frontiers in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. This chapter offers a broad overview of VR for anyone interested in leveraging it as a research tool. In the first section, it examines the fundamental functionalities of VR and outlines important considerations that inform the development of immersive content that stimulates the senses. In the second section, the focus of the discussion shifts to the implementation of VR in the context of the neuroscience lab. Practical advice is offered on adapting commercial, off-theshelf devices to specific research purposes. Further, methods are explored for recording, synchronizing, and fusing heterogeneous forms of data obtained through the VR system or add-on sensors, as well as for labeling events and capturing game play.