Thanks to a team at the University of Nevada Reno and some cutting edge Virtual Reality gear, Evan W. Gadda got to experience the freedom of skiing for the first time in 32 years.
“It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve experienced in my life,” Gadda said. “I’ve always want to ski again. So the VR helped me experience it.”
Gadda, who suffers from cerebral palsy, has not gone skiing when he was 15 years-old. Now 47, he was able to take to the slopes again in a virtual environment .
The experience was afforded to Gadda thanks to the hard work of a handful of people at UNR’s new @Reality studio.
“University of Reno will soon open @Reality, a 640 square-foot virtual reality + augmented reality studio. This new, innovative studio space will yield innovative exploration, study, and new applications for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) at Nevada. Equipped with four dedicated virtual reality stations – two Oculus Rift virtual reality systems and two HTC VIVE headsets, a first-of-its-kind virtual reality system, @Reality will also have a Meta2 augmented reality headset which is designed to bridge the gap between the virtual and real world with the most immersive augmented reality experience available on the market today. @Reality will also provide users with access to four VR computers, two Leap Motion finger and hand trackers, and more. ” – unr.edu