MRI Research Facility Virtual Tour
Explore our research MRI facility from anywhere.
This project used 360 video to create a virtual replica of the University of Arizona's research MRI scanning facility that anyone can now access—solving real challenges for students, researchers, and anyone curious about neuroimaging technology.
The Challenge
MRI scanners are already booked to capacity, making it difficult to schedule student visits. This is especially challenging for asynchronous courses that may include students who are not on campus. The virtual tour enables anyone to explore the facility and equipment without disrupting the busy physical space. This benefits researchers who need to recall available equipment or its layout, research participants who want to understand the facility before their scan, and anyone curious about MRI research facilities.
The Solution
Through the XR Collaborative, Research Imaging Institute Staff Scientist Dr. Dianne Patterson found collaborators to help create a virtual MRI scanner that neuroimaging students can visit. The tour is now available on a public website, ensuring that students in COGS 505 (part of the Neuroimaging Methods Certificate) can access and explore the MRI scanner as the course transitions to an asynchronous format.
The Experience
Visitors enter through the MRI console room where they can see a workstation and an operator's console. Clicking on spaces brings up lists of equipment with buttons for learning more. Next, visitors use arrows to enter a room with a 3T research scanner, where they can click on blue circles to bring up information about the scanner, scanner table, monitoring cart, eyetracker camera, and other essential components.
Future Goals
Future plans include expanding the tour to include two additional MRI scanners and converting the tour into a comprehensive, immersive educational experience for training researchers using an Artec Leo 3D scanner.
Project Lead: Dr. Dianne K Patterson, Research Imaging Institute
Learn more about the MRI Facility.