A visitor to the 7x17m Bachlab in the north of Bonn cannot see a great deal of the research conducted there, and for good reason. “We need space so that our test subjects can move easily,” explains Hertz Professor Dominik Bach. Before each experiment, they are fitted with multiple sensors at different positions on their bodies in order to transfer their movements with millimeter precision to a computer model via motion capture technology. They are then fitted with 3D glasses that allow them to immerse themselves in virtual reality and experience various scenarios—just like a computer game. Their hand movements and actions are transferred to the simulation via controllers—and they experience the artificial reality as their own.
A visitor to the 7x17m Bachlab in the north of Bonn cannot see a great deal of the research conducted there, and for good reason. “We need space so that our test subjects can move easily,” explains Hertz Professor Dominik Bach. Before each experiment, they are fitted with multiple sensors at different positions on their bodies in order to transfer their movements with millimeter precision to a computer model via motion capture technology. They are then fitted with 3D glasses that allow them to immerse themselves in virtual reality and experience various scenarios—just like a computer game. Their hand movements and actions are transferred to the simulation via controllers—and they experience the artificial reality as their own.
TRA “Life and Health”
Dominik Bach’s work in the “Life and Health” Transdisciplinary Research Area focuses on the interface between neuroscience, psychiatry and computer science. The research area deals with life in complex structures, ranging from the interaction of the smallest molecules to the interplay of separate organisms in ecological systems. Developing a better understanding of the complexity of life is one of the most profound areas of research. If researchers succeed in decoding the underlying mechanisms of life, this will pave the way to a better understanding of diseases and the development of new treatments.