Virtual and Augmented Reality: Four Case Studies

The following four case studies are fictional thought experiments designed for college students at Virginia Tech. They are mainly intended for use in undergraduates the novel “Tech for Humanity Minor” focused on the intersection of technology and cultural processes, group diversity, ethics, knowledge systems, democracy and social justice.” The minor is an interdepartmental effort spearheaded by The Center for Humanities and supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

These four cases center on the related technologies of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) and their role in new forms of policing, marriage, incarceration, and interpersonal violence. They are set sometime in the near future and are premised on recent or imminent technological achievements.