A Reproducible Reality-to-VR Pipeline for Ecologically Valid Aging-in-Place Research

A research team from Georgia Tech has published a groundbreaking paper detailing a fully reproducible pipeline for creating photorealistic virtual reality environments specifically designed for aging-in-place research. The system, which transforms real-world spaces into high-fidelity VR simulations, was developed to address a critical gap in ecological validity for studies on how environmental design affects older adults performing instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).

The team's workflow begins with Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) of actual living spaces—in this case, the kitchen of Georgia Tech's Aware Home—capturing geometry with sub-millimeter accuracy. This point cloud data is processed in Faro SCENE, retopologized in SketchUp, and imported into Unreal Engine 5 via Datasmith. The use of Unreal's Lumen global illumination system enables photorealistic lighting while maintaining a crucial 90 Hz frame rate, a threshold proven to minimize cybersickness in older populations.

What makes this pipeline particularly powerful for research is its experimental flexibility. Researchers can instantly manipulate environmental variables—such as switching between traditional closed cabinetry and open shelving—to study their impact on cognitive load and physical accessibility. This level of controlled manipulation is impossible in physical settings where such changes would require costly renovations. The system was validated with 17 older adult participants who reported minimal cybersickness while remaining sensitive to the environmental manipulations, confirming both safety and research utility.