Want to get involved?

Join The Lab

Lab Research Aide

If you are a current Stanford student, you may apply to become an aide in the lab for course credit. We take applications for each quarter of the academic year. Aide’s earn 1 unit of course credit for every 3 hours of work in the lab per week (2 or 3 units is usually best for most people). As an aide you would assist in running participants for virtual reality experiments, help in the collection and coding of data for these experiments, and assist the Lab Manager with public tours and general lab tasks.

To apply, please fill out the application form below and send your unofficial transcript to Brian at beams@stanford.edu.

Apply to be an Aide

Virtual Reality Intensive Training Seminar (VRITS)

The virtual worlds used here at VHIL have all been programmed by teams of Stanford undergraduates. As part of the seminar you will learn how to develop VR programs and will work directly with researchers on various projects. The workload is roughly equivalent to a 3-unit course (approximately 10 hours per week); however, students receive quarterly stipends instead of course credit. We ask that students commit for the entirety of the academic year.

This application is only open to Stanford University undergraduate students. If you are a Stanford graduate student who wants to be involved with the lab, please contact lab manager Brian Beams at beams@stanford.edu for more information.

If you are selected for this program, you will be expected to assist in a variety of tasks related to the lab, with an emphasis on programming for VR/AR/XR projects, 3D art and modeling for virtual environments, and assist with data analysis (typically in R, but sometimes Python). We expect the majority of the work for this coming year to be done using Unity to create VR applications for the Meta Quest 2 headset. We will prioritize Unity development experience, but we are open to working with students who are comfortable with other programs and programming languages.

While VRITS is primarily focused on VR programming, we also welcome those with expertise in 3D modeling, digital art, machine learning, or data analysis. If you have significant 3D modeling experience, even if you have limited CS knowledge, we encourage you submit an application. The same applies if you are well versed in data analysis but have little experience creating and programming for VR/AR, although we would like a student who feels comfortable with both. Feel free to make a note in any questions that ask about detailed CS background that you are applying for a 3D art/modeling position or data analysis.

NOTE: Given many uncertainties as a result of COVID-19, we have adapted our program to work well both in-person and remotely when needed. However, this year we will expect a certain number of hours per week to be spent on-site in the lab unless public health expectations change.

Apply to VRITS

Interested in a graduate program?

VHIL is a research lab in the Department of Communication at Stanford. For more information about graduate programs in our department see the Communication website here: https://comm.stanford.edu/

Contact Us

Virtual Human Interaction Lab

McClatchy Hall
450 Jane Stanford Way
Building 120, Room 411
Stanford University
Stanford, CA, 94305-2050

The best way to reach us is via email!

E-mail: vhil@stanfordvr.com
Telephone: 650-736-8848
Twitter: @StanfordVR