XR Lab
Located on the first floor of the Education and Human Services Building, the XR Lab has opportunities for current CMU students, faculty and staff. Our staff are eager to partner with you. Visit this state-of-the-art center to experience a new reality and explore what possibilities await.
About the Lab
What is XR?
VR (Virtual Reality) is technology that simulates a virtual environment while giving the user control over movement and aspects of the world.
AR (augmented reality) and XR (extended reality) refer to technology that overlays artificial images, data, or video on top of the real-world experience the user can see.
The Lab
CMU's XR Lab features 6 bays and 8 top-tier systems for an unmatched experience. Each bay is equipped with Varjo XR-4 headset.
A flexible floor plan allows for easy viewing and collaboration. The systems are setup for independent and group design within a platform. The lab has a growing library of purchased and open-sourced software.
XR lab details
Current Software
STEAM (package, more options can be added, and students often have their own accounts)
Current VR Software: December 2025
- Steam VR
- Unity
- Unreal
- Autodesk
- Autodesk VRED
- Maya 2026
- Mudbox 2026
- Revit 2026
- 3DS Max 2026
- Vectorworks 2026
- Sketchup 2026
- Epic Game Launcher
- Blender 4.5
- Cosmos (cbservice)
- Chaos Envision
- V-Ray
- Enscape for
- Archaid
- Revit
- Rhino
- Sketchup
- Veras-
- Rhino 7/8
- Motion Builder
XR Lab Hardware Details
- Varjo Mixed Reality Headsets with:
- 360 degrees of immersion. Pilot-grade 4K per-eye mini-LED displays with local dimming for clarity, contrast, and depth-perception.
- Pass-through for human level realism - Varjo’s dual 20-megapixel passthrough cameras recreate the real world with ultra-low latency and industry-leading clarity
- Deployment ready performance - Break free from the constraints of standalone headsets. The XR-4 Series works in tandem with workstations that tap into the power of NVIDIA GPUs to support completely unrestricted and upgradable performance in professional 3D platforms and software
- A complete package for training and simulation - Engineered for long-duration use, each headset offers automatic IPD adjustment, glasses compatibility, and integrated DTS 3D spatial audio with noise-cancelling microphones for seamless communication
- NVIDIA RTX™ GeForce 5090 or PRO 6000 Blackwell GPU
- Intel or AMD processor
- Liquid-cooled, compact form factor
- 2TB storage and up to 96GB DDR5
- Ideal for XR, immersive programs, engineers, designers
How can I get involved?
Current CMU students
Stop by during College Make every Wednesday from 6pm - 9pm for a $5 fee. This fee is covered for Education and InSciTE students. Visit the link below for specific dates and to register. Students are also welcome to access their own VR accounts while using our equipment.
Faculty and staff
Find out how you can partner with our staff to create an experience for your program or class. Get the conversation started by connecting with us through the form below. For specific questions, please email us at cese@cmich.edu.
A thanks for our donors:
The XR Lab would not be possible without the generous support of the Thomas R. and Iris B. Harrison Foundation, Inc.