Darick Cochrane

Darick Cochrane is the Lead Developer of Forensics V.I.U. (Virtual Investigation Unit), an immersive virtual reality training simulation developed for the Forensics Department at his university. Working alongside Environment Lead Kael Harrison, he leads a two-person development team focused on creating an interactive training tool for forensic science education. The project is designed for the Meta Quest 3 platform and employs full hand-tracking technology, eliminating the need for physical controllers. This design decision not only improves accessibility and realism but also enhances students’ procedural accuracy and muscle memory in simulated evidence collection tasks.

Darick and Kael's academic and professional interests center on the intersection of extended reality (XR), human-computer interaction, and simulation-based learning. Their work explores how immersive technologies can support experiential education, improve skill acquisition, and extend traditional teaching methods into virtual environments. In leading Forensics V.I.U., Darick has overseen all aspects of system architecture, user experience design, and core functionality, while Kael has been in charge of environments, lighting and VR optimization, integrating both technical innovation and educational theory.

Through this project, they aim to contribute to the growing body of research demonstrating how XR technologies can serve as scalable, cost-effective tools for applied science instruction and professional training. Their ongoing work reflects a commitment to using emerging technologies to bridge the gap between theoretical learning and real-world application in higher education.