The University of Hawaii at Manoa has opened a VR lab to improve public speaking skills.

 

The University of Hawaii at Manoa has opened a new virtual reality lab to help students, faculty, and staff improve their speaking skills. The University of Hawaii at Manoa has opened a VR lab to improve public speaking skills.  The VR lab has headsets and software that provide performance feedback and measures eye contact and hand gestures. The VR lab is designed to help overcome the fear of public speaking.  Currently, it is only available to the university community. The system evaluates word choice and frequently used words and provides real-time feedback during the virtual presentation. Participants can load their PowerPoint presentations into the VR environment and use them during the simulation. The Center for Science Communication at the Department of Communication Studies led the project and was funded by the National Science Foundation. A large-scale study is reportedly underway in the U.S. to determine its effective use at universities. Ohio State University's recently launched a VR training program for first responders. Market researchers are predicting VR/AR to become a billion-dollar market in the medical field.