Use Cases & Inspiration
Discover how faculty, students, and researchers at NYU Shanghai are leveraging XR technology to transform education, research, and creative expression.
360° Video
Educational Tour in Tanzania
Professor Yunus captured everyday life and landscapes in Tanzania using a 360-degree camera. This immersive project aims to provide an educational and cultural exploration of Tanzania, offering a unique perspective accessible to everyone.
Cell Culture Procedure in 3D VR 180
Students from Professor Wenshu Li’s Advanced Cell Biology Lab class experienced a different type of learning. They donned Meta Quest 2 and Pico 4 headsets to engage with the cell culture procedure in an immersive environment instead of merely observing from the sidelines.
In this collaborative project, Emerging Technologies Associate Jesse Yu and Senior Lab Specialist Lina Jin, with the help of student Sean Wang, used a 180° 3D camera to create a virtual environment teaching students the rules of entering the cell culture lab, aseptic techniques, and subculturing techniques.
VR/AR Fundamentals (INTM-SHU 280C)
In Professor Yunmi Her’s VR/AR Fundamentals course, students dive into immersive content creation, utilizing Insta360 X4 cameras for creative 360-degree filming. To help students bring their creative visions to life, Jesse Yu from RITS led dedicated workshops covering 360 filming techniques and the professional workflow of transcoding and editing 360 footage using Adobe Premiere Pro.
The resulting projects are experienced using Meta Quest 3S headsets, providing a truly engaging learning environment. Student projects include work by Yunyi Wang and Hanzi Qi, Ella Shen, Zihan Jiang and Ruihan Yang, and Xiaolin Chen and Michelle Hu.
Virtual Environment
Choreography Space
Professor Yuting Zhao introduced students to dance in a new dimension with XR Space, which opened new possibilities for choreographers. She noted how the technology inspired students to explore new ways of movement, blending art with innovation.
TRIPP at the Relaxation Zone
Using TRIPP on Meta Quest to enhance the relaxation zone at the library during finals week offers students a unique and immersive way to de-stress. TRIPP’s guided meditations, calming visuals, and mindfulness exercises help create a peaceful, rejuvenating experience, allowing students to take a mental break from their studies.
History of Chinese Art Class at XR Space
In Professor Yutong Li’s History of Chinese Art (GCHN-SHU 156) this Summer Session II, students become digital curators. Hosted at the XR Space, the class utilized immersive platforms—such as Frame, Spatial, and Artsteps—to design 3D virtual galleries dedicated to traditional Chinese masterpieces.
Students curated spatial narratives, strategically placing artifacts to guide viewers through historical and thematic journeys. The project culminated in live VR guided tours, where students used avatars to lead peers through their digital exhibitions. By blending ancient art with virtual reality, the course prepares students to preserve and present cultural heritage in the digital age.
Immersive Learning with VR Hajj
In Professor Shuang Wen’s Arab-Islamic Influence on the West, students engaged with complex topics of religion and culture by virtually experiencing the Hajj and Umrah. Using Meta Quest virtual reality headsets, students immersed themselves in the Pilgrim VR Hajj and Umrah application.
This immersive experience allowed students to virtually walk through the holy sites of Mecca and simulate the pilgrimage rituals. Utilizing VR provides a powerful, hands-on opportunity for students to experience and analyze a critical global event that is often inaccessible, effectively bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and lived cultural experience.
Productivity
Gravity Sketch and Remote Collaboration
Professor Ian Zhang, an expert in game design, incorporates Gravity Sketch into his curriculum. This 3D design and modeling tool is essential for rapid prototyping, providing an immersive and efficient workflow that enhances the traditional design process.
Tiltbrush and Global Perspectives on Society
Dr. Stanislaus incorporates Tiltbrush in VR as an innovative tool for teaching the “Global Perspectives on Society” course, particularly during the topic of “how we imagine the future.” This immersive platform allows students to quickly and freely sketch out scenes depicting future environments, helping them visually explore and express their ideas of what the future could look like.
EAP Class at XR Space
In Fall 2025, Professor Sarah Warfield and Senior Emerging Technologies Associate Jesse Yu collaborated on an innovative project for the English for Academic Purposes class. Following workshops led by Jesse on SketchUp and other emerging technologies, Professor Warfield’s EAP students designed and modeled their personal Utopia in 3D.
The project culminated in dynamic final presentations where students used Augmented Reality (AR) to showcase their models, effectively blending advanced English communication with immersive technology. Student Worker Melissa Ching also provided support, assisting the students during the final AR presentations.
Digital Health, Digital Intervention Course
In Professor Jin Han’s Digital Health, Digital Intervention course, students didn’t just study digital health; they experienced it. The class explored the intersection of technology and well-being through immersive tools using TRIPP for guided meditation and mindfulness, and viewing Human Anatomy in VR for spatial and interactive experiences far beyond traditional textbooks.
Beyond the internal, the class also focused on capturing and manipulating the external world. Students scanned the iconic tree in the NYU Shanghai courtyard using a LiDAR scanner. The resulting point cloud data was imported into Unreal Engine and blended with models created using photogrammetry methods. This practical experience provides students with a foundational understanding of core technologies—including advanced sensor input, 3D spatial mapping, and digital rendering—that underpin state-of-the-art medical technology, such as the da Vinci surgical robots.
Digital Twin
Photogrammetry with 360 Video
Using the Insta360 camera, Professor Anna Greenspan and student Sylvia Lee captured an immersive 360-degree video of a vibrant garden. By combining the wide-field footage with photogrammetry techniques, they transformed the garden into a detailed, interactive 3D model that allows viewers to explore in rich detail at their own pace.
Space Scan of Magnolia House
Professor Zhang utilized the Magnolia House scan as a stage for his students’ AR design projects. This digital twin offers a real-world application in the Augmented Shanghai class, allowing students to overlay virtual elements onto an accurately captured physical space.
Digital Archive of Disappearing Urban Spaces
Professor Sangeeta Banerji and student Xiaoqing Xu set out with the Insta360 camera to capture the final moments of an old building complex in Shenzhen, a site marked for relocation. This building, once a vibrant part of the community, is on the verge of transformation, with residents and businesses gradually moving out.
Utilizing the Insta360 camera’s immersive capabilities, Professor Banerji and Xiaoqing document the intricate details of the architecture, alleyways, and the unique marks left by decades of habitation. Through this project, they provide a comprehensive virtual archive that captures both the structure and spirit of a vanishing urban space, creating an invaluable resource for students, city planners, and historians alike.
Retail Technology and Channel Management: The Chinese Market
In Professor Rayn Wang’s Retail Technology and Channel Management class, students utilized 360-degree footage of targeted markets and store fronts. This high-fidelity footage, captured from actual locations, provided an immersive, localized view of the retail environment—a critical step for effective channel management and localization strategies.
The project then pivoted to digital content creation. Students experimented with AI tools to develop product promotional videos and create unique avatars. To push the creative envelope further, these avatars were 3D modeled and rigged. The class welcomed Professor Yuting Zhao for a special session where her dance movement was motion captured at the XR Space and then applied directly onto the 3D avatars the students created. This comprehensive hands-on experience, moving from market observation to advanced digital content creation and motion graphics, significantly broadens the tools available for marketing and retail promotion.
Empathy Machine
Aging Simulation
Empathy machines, such as aging simulations, are integral to cultural sensitivity training. They provide immersive experiences that help individuals understand and appreciate diversity from a deeply personal perspective. By simulating the physical limitations and sensory changes associated with aging, participants gain firsthand insight into the daily challenges faced by elderly individuals.
Have an Idea for Your Class or Research?
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