The Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environments (VGE Lab) is a new and developing workplace engaged in research and innovation in the field of immersive virtual reality (iVR) with an emphasis on geography, cartography, and geoinformatics.
Virtual Geographic Environment (VGE) is a term denoting a virtual representation of a real "geographic" environment combining visualization, simulation, and analytical tools with the aim of deepening knowledge in the fields of geography and cartography (geographic visualization, spatial analysis, problem-solving, collaboration in collaborative virtual environments, education, or training of cognitive processes); the issues of geography and cartography are presented in them in a dynamic and interactive form.
Laboratory Equipment:
The laboratory is equipped with modern headsets for immersive virtual reality (IVR), eye-tracking devices, and powerful processing equipment, which are also available to the Department of Geography students as part of solving their final theses or research projects.
VGE Lab Staff:
Participation in projects:
In recent years, the main research projects have mainly included studies of evacuation, navigation, and spatial behaviour in the environments of virtual buildings, cartographic visualization in IVR, or teaching geography in collaborative immersive virtual environments.
01/2025 - 12/2028: AMOS (CZ.02.01.01/00/23_025/0008717) – A Mobile Society: Opportunities and Risks of New Forms of Mobility for Czech Society and Economy (MSMT project); lead applicant – Department of Social Geography and Regional Development, Faculty of Science, Charles University; project website
09/2023 - 11/2026: VRcom (TQ01000181) – Social and motivation effects of virtual reality in distance education (TACR project); lead applicant – Department of Information and Library Studies, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University
09/2023 - 09/2026: WayDesign (TQ01000352) – Design Solution and Optimalization of the Navigation Systems for Health Care Facilities and Orientation in Them (TACR project); lead applicant – CZECHDESIGN CENTER s.r.o.
01/2023 - 12/2025: BARIÉRY (23-06187S) – Identification of barriers in the process of communication of socio-demographic information (GACR project); lead applicant – Department of Geoinformatics, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc; project website
06/2020 - 12/2023: EduInCIVE (TL03000346) – Education in Collaborative Immersive Virtual Reality (TACR project); lead applicant – Department of Information and Library Studies, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University; project website
01/2019 - 12/2022: CANAVERAL (TL02000103) – Cognitive psychology and spatial syntax in virtual environments for agent models (TACR project); lead applicant – Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University; project website
Theses:
AUERMÜLLEROVÁ, Anna. Alternative methods of teaching geography. Diploma thesis, GeogÚ PřF MU, 2024. Available at: https://theses.cz/id/inhx6p/
UGWITZ, Pavel. Facilitating and Evaluating User Behavior In Virtual 3D Environments. Dissertation thesis, GeogÚ PřF MU, 2022. Available at: https://theses.cz/id/xa2nqo/
BOŘIL, Jan. VGE in spatial tasks learning - the role of interaction. Diploma thesis, GeogÚ PřF MU, 2022. Available at: https://theses.cz/id/hpvuqi/
BOŘIL, Jan. Cartographic support of emergency evacuation. Bachelor thesis, GeogÚ PřF MU, 2020. Available at: https://theses.cz/id/f9hmdv/
MARTINCOVÁ, Jana. The influence of shade on perception of virtual environments. Diploma thesis, GeogÚ PřF MU, 2020. Available at: https://theses.cz/id/crk70k/
FILA, Milan. Level of detail within the 3D cartographic visualization. Diploma thesis, GeogÚ PřF MU, 2020. Available at: https://theses.cz/id/epjge4/
PAVLAČKOVÁ, Nikola. Virtual reality motion platforms and users behaviour. Bachelor thesis, GeogÚ PřF MU, 2020. Available at: https://theses.cz/id/68nk4x/
KVARDA, Ondřej. Virtual reality as a means of cartographic communication. Diploma thesis, GeogÚ PřF MU, 2020. Available at: https://theses.cz/id/xssg6j/
KVARDA, Ondřej. Possibilities of low-cost devices in virtual reality. Bachelor thesis, GeogÚ PřF MU, 2018. Available at: https://theses.cz/id/loidab/
Publications with the participation of VGE Lab:
STACHOŇ, Zdeněk, Kateřina JOCHECOVÁ, Ondřej KVARDA, Dajana SNOPKOVÁ, Pavel UGWITZ, Alžběta ŠAŠINKOVÁ, Stanislav JEŽEK, Petr KUBÍČEK, Vojtěch JUŘÍK, Hana ŠVEDOVÁ and Čeněk ŠAŠINKA. The possibilities of using immersive virtual environments in research on way finding. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies. Elsevier, 2025, 196, pp. 103442–103461. ISSN 1071-5819. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2024.103442
BRŮŽA, Vojtěch, Alžběta ŠAŠINKOVÁ, Čeněk ŠAŠINKA, Zdeněk STACHOŇ, Barbora KOZLÍKOVÁ and Jiří CHMELÍK. Immersive and Interactive Learning With eDIVE: A Solution for Creating Collaborative VR Education Experiences. COMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM. England: Wiley, 2025, 44(1), pp. 1–15. ISSN 0167-7055. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/cgf.70001
FILA, Milan, Radim ŠTAMPACH and Zdeněk STACHOŇ. The role of level of detail in 3D cartographic visualizations. Geografie. Czech Geographic Society, 2024, 129(2), pp. 159–185. ISSN 1212-0014. Available at: https://doi.org/10.37040/geografie.2024.007
STACHOŇ, Zdeněk, Ítalo SOUSA DE SENA. Designing Learning Activities in Minecraft for Formal Education in Geography. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN LEARNING. GERMANY: KASSEL UNIV PRESS GMBH, 2023, 18(4), pp. 32–49. ISSN 1863-0383. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v18i04.36307
SNOPKOVÁ, Dajana, Laure DE COCK, Vojtěch JUŘÍK, Ondřej KVARDA, Martin TANCOŠ, Lukáš HERMAN and Petr KUBÍČEK. Isovists compactness and stairs as predictors of evacuation route choice. Scientific Reports. Berlin: Nature Portfolio, 2023, 13(1), pp. 1–15. ISSN 2045-2322. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29944-8
UGWITZ, Pavel, Ondřej KVARDA, Zuzana JUŘÍKOVÁ, Čeněk ŠAŠINKA and Tamm SASCHA. Eye-Tracking in Interactive Virtual Environments: Implementation and Evaluation. Applied Sciences. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI, 2022, 12(3), pp. 1–30. ISSN 2076-3417. doi:10.3390/app12031027. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1027
JOCHECOVÁ, Kateřina, Michal ČERNÝ, Zdeněk STACHOŇ, Hana ŠVEDOVÁ, Natálie KÁČOVÁ, Jiří CHMELÍK, Vojtěch BRŮŽA, Ondřej KVARDA, Pavel UGWITZ, Alžběta ŠAŠINKOVÁ, Nicola Catherine FOŘTOVÁ and Čeněk ŠAŠINKA. Geography Education in a Collaborative Virtual Environment: A Qualitative Study on Geography Teachers. International Journal of Geo-Information, 2022, 11(3). ISSN 2220-9964. doi:10.3390/ijgi11030180. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/11/3/180
SNOPKOVÁ, Dajana, Pavel UGWITZ, Zdeněk STACHOŇ, Jiří HLADÍK, Vojtěch JUŘÍK, Ondřej KVARDA and Petr KUBÍČEK. Retracing evacuation strategy: A virtual reality game-based investigation into the influence of building’s spatial configuration in an emergency. Spatial Cognition & Computation. Taylor & Francis, 2021, 22(1–2), pp. 30–50. ISSN 1387-5868. doi:10.1080/13875868.2021.1913497. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13875868.2021.1913497
VGE Lab contact:
| phone: | +420 549 49 4925 |
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| e‑mail: |
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