Launching Your VR Neuroscience Laboratory

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-the-shelf devices to a researcher’s specific 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. The reader should come away with an understanding of fundamental considerations that need to be addressed in order to launch a successful VR neuroscience research program.