Work

Soil:Micro – A free data-based virtual reality experience of soil at a microbial scale

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Soil ecologists face a particular challenge in visualizing the environment that soil organisms inhabit, as it is both opaque and microscopic. We have developed a virtual reality (VR) experience of a soil at a microbial scale, based on a micro-computed tomography scan of a real soil. The VR app Soil:Micro is designed for a head-mounted display and could be used in educational and public outreach settings. Users travel through a series of stations where they can explore the soil environment as they learn about soil as a habitat for soil microbes. We hope that this tool inspires interest in and knowledge about soils, helping both to combat “soil blindness” in the general public and also to inspire soil ecologists to see these complex ecosystems in new ways. • We present Soil:Micro, a virtual reality experience of soil at a microbial scale. • The VR soil environment is derived from micro-computed tomography data of a real soil. • We include suggestions for use of the tool in educational and outreach settings.

Source: Pedobiologia

DOI: 10.1016/j.pedobi.2025.151039

Authors: Thea Whitman, Ross Tredinnick

Institutions: University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery

Language: English

Topic: Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts

Subfield: Human-Computer Interaction

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,260