Virtual Reality Gamification
Virtual Reality Gamification by PD Dr. Rahimi-Iman for Supporting Photonics and AI Education - AG iQNP
Functional Nanomaterials Science, AI and Photonics Education Supported by Virtual Reality Gamification.
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3D interactive elements visualized in computer game engines combined with virtual or mixed reality (VR/XR) offer many possibilities to reach younger people. Moreover, to modernise physics education towards new interactive learning techniques in future virtual classrooms, VR/XR and AI tools can be combined for immersive gamification. 
Excitement in Virtual Game-like Exploration Spaces:
Owing to novel information technologies, many appealing ways for the promotion of scientific topics to a wider audience exist – among them digital games on platforms such as PCs and phones. While modern simulation software and sophisticated 3D visualization tools from all around the world and in different disciplines typically address advanced users with a much more accurate science representation, simplified exploration spaces and toy experiments can create excitement at different age levels and attract potentially new students towards natural science topics based on fun and fascination.
Education Supported by Virtual Reality and Unreal Engine Contents:
Recently, I presented both at conferences and in lectures one example of a virtual reality environment for gamification in the field of photonics, functional nanomaterials science, and artificial-intelligence subtopics education, created in the Unreal Engine UE5 [1] for own teaching and training activities [2, 3, 4]. This VR mini-world likewise allows for incorporating learning materials related to quantum and nano physics, laser optics, and more, e.g. mimicking quantum photonic experiment scenarios, optical communication principles and so forth. Intended among others here for instance as a platform for students to play with digital gamified versions of a laser or quantum optics lab, these VR environments can help circumventing typical limitations of traditional laboratories, such as access restrictions, safety concerns and availability of resources. They offer additional free spaces for research and experiments with an extraordinary variety of designs and implementation.
My "lab-in-a-chip" System To Go:
Like a lab-on-a-chip system combining several laboratory functions on a single integrated circuit, hence on a chip, my VR analog as a, let me call it, “lab-in-a-chip” system (the computed/simulated lab world) [2] could bring different virtual experiments together in a versatile and playful manner – with ‘on-demand’ capabilities, flexible learning scopes, and user-group oriented content design. Moreover, VR gamification can particularly benefit self-paced learning, collaborative training and learning-through-experiencing approaches. But most and for all, it adds loads of fun.
The amazing feedback and response on my VR gamification activities presented at recent events highly encouraging!
Gießen, June 2025, Arash Rahimi-Iman
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Ausgewählte Referenzen:
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[1] Epic Games, Inc., Unreal Engine UE5, initial release of version 5.0 in 2022, current stable release version 5.5.4, https://unrealengine.com/ (March 2025)
[2] Arash Rahimi-Iman, DPG SKM Regensburg, VR-mode Talk AKPIK 3.5 (March 2025)
[3] Arash Rahimi-Iman, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, "Spectroscopy - machine-learning and virtual-reality enhanced", VR-mode lecture contents (April 2025)
[4] Arash Rahimi-Iman, FNMS-2025 Sino-German Symposium Frankfurt, Mainz & Beyond, VR-mode Talk (June 2025)