Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and New York Times Cover ICT Mixed Reality Lab’s Work Making Virtual Reality More Accessible

Several articles about the development of the Oculus Rift virtual reality head mounted display noted the role of Mark Bolas, head of the Mixed Reality Lab at ICT and a professor in the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
The Wall Street Journal wrote that Bolas was a critical influence in the development of Oculus Rift’s virtual reality goggles. Since 2010, Bolas has led a lab dedicated to making VR technology more affordable, the story said. He published a paper describing how headsets could be created using two iPhones.

The Los Angeles Times noted the role that USC, ICT and the MxR Lab are playing in developing virtual reality technology. Much of the activity is taking place at USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, where Oculus founder Palmer Luckey, 21, once worked as a lab assistant, the story said. The Playa Vista institute has attracted several top VR researchers including Mark Bolas.
“We really do have an emerging hotbed here. I think this is the heart and soul of where virtual reality is going to be,” said Bolas, who is director of the Mixed Reality Lab, a joint effort between the institute and USC’s School of Cinematic Arts that trains art and engineering students in virtual reality design. “We’ve got a nexus of people here that have been working in the field for over 20 years.”
The story also noted that the Mixed Reality Lab is leading the virtual reality entrepreunurial effort by providing hardware and software plans free to help foster start-ups.
The New York Times referred to Luckey’s time at MxR as an important break for him. The story also referenced a previous article that quoted Bolas about the cost of virtual reality systems, noted Bolas is an adviser to Oculus VR, and that elements of the company’s headset are based on USC research.