NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY OAKLAND
XR Lab
Extend your reality and create new opportunities
On Northeastern’s Oakland campus, our Extended Reality Lab puts state-of-the-art XR technology in the hands of students and faculty of every discipline, illuminating academic lessons, fueling research, and providing entertainment during open gaming hours.
Advanced facilities
Our eight workstations have a range of XR headsets for development, research, and play, including HTC Vive, Vive Focus 3, Meta Quest 3, and Microsoft HoloLens 2.
The XR Lab also houses the Computer and Usability Labs. Our Usability Lab is equipped with a suite of biometric tracking equipment, including tools for electrocardiogram, electromyography, eye tracking, galvanic skin response, and electroencephalography and virtual reality eye tracking—providing the ideal setting for interface development and user testing.
The XR Lab is open to all Northeastern students and faculty. Explore our resources and discover what’s possible when you extend reality.
Plan your visit
Located at the Aron Art Center in Room 115, the XR Lab is open to all Northeastern students and faculty; orientation is required.
Hours: 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Monday through Friday
Note: Open gaming hours vary by semester.
Email the lab at xrlab@northeastern.edu for the current schedule.
What can you do in the XR Lab?
Could VR be a tool for political action?
That’s what Assistant Professor Martha Johnson is investigating. With the help of Oakland students and XR Lab facilities, Johnson is analyzing how three modes—text with images, two-dimensional video, and immersive VR video—impact political attitudes and views on policy.
Her findings will contribute to a growing body of knowledge on the application of technology in political science, and could be applied in educational, therapeutic, or policy-related contexts to promote more empathetic views of marginalized populations.
Testing new VR games with practical applications
Students pursuing a master’s degree in game science and design are creating robust virtual reality games using the state-of-the-art equipment at our XR Lab. Part of the testing process includes assessing user reactions—such as eye movement and other biometrics—in the affiliated Usability Lab.
All of the students’ games transport players to situations that can be challenging to create in the world. Many have an educational focus, such as learning to play drums, sort trash and recyclables properly, and even extinguish fires safely.