The Use of VR and AR Applications for Meteorological Education

Virtual reality (VR) immerses users in a simulated environment created by computers and has a long history. Recently, augmented reality (AR) has gained in popularity through its merging of simulated objects with the real word. Both technologies can be useful to students learning meteorological concepts if they are applied in the right way. AR devices, such as the new Merge Cube, are ideal for allowing students to easily alter their view angle. Relevant applications previously created for VR include thermal wind balance, barotropic pressure systems, and trowals. The Merge Cube is also most convenient for interacting with a single object, such as a supercell thunderstorm or mountainous island. To link different concepts together and see how they appear to the people impacted by them, a more immersive VR environment is preferable. Virtual worlds can be created from standalone displays with a similar theme. Examples include basics of mountain meteorology and actual observations from large field campaigns. This presentation highlights the current progress in creating all of these VR and AR applications.