Virtual Arena #17 – Virtual Adventuring

In this latest column, we explore the new frontier for Immersive Edutainment – the mixture of an Immersive Galleries and Museum exhibits into an audience experience – along with the more general Immersive Adventure catering for large simultaneous group activities. The true engagement of high-end VR has been the ability to transport the user into a synthetic environment. Many observers have seen the explosion in edutainment being a kind of “Museum 2.0” – the only way the new generation of audiences can be drawn into experiencing the wonders of the world, classic art, and history, with their different attention spans.

Transportation

We have seen the initial immersive edutainment deployed in the form of “Virtual Field trips” placed into the school syllabus, with the likes of the ‘ClassVR’ platform from developer Avantis Education. A school-based VR platform that offers the ability to transport students via educational VR experiences, comprising a playlist of different countries ranging from Australia to Africa, traversing and learning about their unique environments. Along with offering other content such as captured 360’ theater performances. Employing unique mobile VR headsets for the classroom, controlled by the teacher. The architecture developed for pre-school, middle school, and vocational courses. Offering an inclusive experience for all students.

Other developers have created virtual field trip libraries, such as VictoryXR and their ‘Global Traveler VXR’ experiences. This aspect of commercial deployment of VR into schools and colleges has even seen the previously reticent Meta operation, change their previous position and look to consider fielding a new Quest product that would be optimized for educational application. To be developed in partnership with Lenovo, who have already established their own ‘Lenovo VR Classroom’ learning solution.

Away from the deployment in education, the ability to transport an audience has been utilized in the immersive exhibition scene. We have previously reported in our MIXED column (Virtual Arena: Fun by The Seat of your Pants) on virtual simulation experiences, such as those from Positron VR and their ‘Voyager’ XR cinema motion seat experience – offering museum and gallery content such as ‘Ramses & Nefertari: Journey to Osiris’, alongside their movie promotional projects. The company recently announcing a partnership with Digital Light Sources (DLS) towards installing the VR chair system in US cinema lobbies.

The ability to use motion seat VR experience to transport guests to new worlds and adventures was also a factor in the release from IMMOTION – the developer of zoological and aquarium-based immersive edutainment attraction exhibits. One such being the companies recently installed ‘Gorilla Trek VR’ at Chester Zoo. The marriage of an immersive platform with 5D effects, linked to an educational and informative experience, building on the best that this technology has to offer. A unique educational attraction that can be placed in these kinds of venues.

Some venues have commissioned their own experiences based on VR hardware. One such has been developed for the Ark Encounter – a Christian youth theme park in Kentucky. Opening the ‘Truth Traveler’, a VR experience in a specially built attraction, using ‘MX4D’ motion seating, developed by MediaMation, married to Meta Rift-S headsets, offering a creationist immersive ride film experience in virtual reality. Unlike a more traditional planetarium installation, this approach offers 4D effect seating and immerses the audience within the virtual adventure travelling back some 4,500 years to the building of the ark. A second standalone installation of this biblical immersive attraction, planned for Knoxville.

Exploration

What some in the sector have called VR 2.0., is the driving force in development of a new generation of VR experiences. While the previous generation was dependant on passive mobile VR and motion seats – the new applications include free-roaming and multi-user adventures allowing greater engagement. A requirement for high-end immersion had seen the use of back-pack PC’s – but now with the advancements of Wi-Fi 6e, the latest commercial grade VR headsets can offer a new level of engagement, through streamed VR.

These applications have driven the latest Immersive Performance experiences. One such example is ‘Le Bal de Paris de Blanca Li’ – originally in 2020 a travelling VR theatrical experience for up to ten patrons to be transported into a magical world. Developed by Backlight Studio, working in collaboration with renown choreographer Blanca Li – creating a virtual combination of dance and music. The VR adventure included the use of body tracked actual performers as Vactors (virtual actors) who’s performance enthralled and drew the patrons into the virtual world. The experience even included the selection of virtual clothing from CHANEL – to wear to the ball.

The original version of the experience including 35-minutes in VR on a 64m2 setup, was first launched in 2021, as an hour performance experience. Up to ten guests wearing then the available backpack PC VR platform and HTC headsets. But has been redeveloped to now support the new streamed VR specifications using HTC VIVE FOCUS 3 headsets. The adventure having won the “Lion of the Best VR Experience” from the 78th Venice International Film Festival.

The creation of a new kind of virtual reality experiences, the Immersive Expeditions, is a progression from the initial rudimentary Virtual Fieldtrips and classic use cases of virtual reality. Examples of these compelling experiences have been developed by Excurio, a brand created by the French company Emissive.

They have produced and created Immersive Expeditions such as ‘Horizon of Khufu’ – an award-winning adventure through the wonders of ancient Egypt, and the Khufu valley some 4,500 years ago. ‘Life Chronicles’, a breathtaking journey that lets you experience every major period of evolution, spanning the 3.5-billion-year history of Earth and life itself. And ‘Tonight with the Impressionists, Paris 1874’, an invitation to take part in the opening night of the first Impressionist exhibition, a major event in the history of art recreated thanks to the work of experts in 3D reconstruction and virtual reality, and under the scientific direction of the Musée d’Orsay.

These free-roaming Immersive Expeditions appeal to all ages, allowing groups of friends and families to enjoy immersion with total freedom of movement together, in 500m2 spaces while in Virtual Reality using HTC VIVE FOCUS 3 hardware, (typically handling 80 people per hour). This format is now available all around the world with open venues in cities such as Paris, Shanghai, London, Montreal, Atlanta (as part of a new Illuminarium installation), as well as New York coming soon.

Competition

The development of compelling immersive experiences has drawn in creatives towards shaping the medium. Creatives such as Felix & Paul Studios have been working on this new way to enthral audiences, having launched in 2021 ‘Space Explorers: THE INFINITE’ – an immersive experience produced by a joint venture with PHI Studio. The experience is based on the Primetime EMMY-Award winning series ‘Space Explorers: The ISS Experience’, the world’s biggest media project ever filmed in space, created, and produced by Felix & Paul Studios in collaboration with TIME Studios and NASA. The experience allowing up to 150 visitors to simultaneously go into space and visit the International Space Station (ISS). One of the world’s largest immersive experiences about space exploration. First launched in Montreal in Canada, the exhibition has visited Houston, Tacoma, Richmond, Denver, and Vancouver.

The ‘Space Explorers: THE INFINITE’ experience offered one of the largest multi-user Immersive Expeditions seen deployed to date for audiences with a 1,159m2 theater. This clearly separates the level of engagement achievable by Out-of-Home VR in comparison to the consumer VR alternative – since opening having welcomed some 400,000 visitors to date.

The Felix & Paul Studios going on to announce that they have secured new funding for their next location-based VR experience, based on a brand-new IP, set to launch in 2025. The largest production to date for the developer, funding comes from Export Development Canada (EDC), Bank for Canadian Entrepreneurs (BDC), Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC) and the National Bank of Canada’s Creative Industries Group. Building on the experience from the studio’s cinematic VR technology and previous VR projects.

Transformation

The creation of an edutainment experience that informs as well as entertains and enthrals is a new chapter in the commercial application of VR. Facility developer Dreamscape Immersive has been known for their work in crafting VR adventures to populate their chain of LBE VR stores. At Dreamscape Geneva the company ventured into the creation of their own Immersive Expedition called ‘Escalade – the dark night’. A turbulent journey through the Geneva of 1602. As well as launching ‘Geneva 1850’, offering a time travel voyage across the city’s development. All these experiences employing the corporations backpack PC VR multi-user platform and physical effects.

It was revealed that Dreamscape had pivoted from its original plans of opening a global chain of LBE VR venues, towards a greater educational role for their platform. The operation having partnered with the Arizona State University, and created several experiences that build on their free-roaming technology to create an educational syllabus of experiences – all under the new operational name of Dreamscape Learn. A virtual classroom that comprises all the elements to explore a unique new teaching environment.

This mixture of Immersive Expedition with an Immersive Edutainment adventure has been defined by other development studios. DiVR Labs launched their ‘Golem VR’ back in 2019, transporting audiences to the magic of renaissance Prague of 1541. An experience that was used as a tourist attraction offering a glimpse of Prague´s past in 16th century. The company has gone on to create several VR free-roaming adventures for groups of players building off their experience in offering a compelling virtual environment for multiple participants. Having launched their new ‘DIVR Immersive Arena’, recently opening in Yokohama mall in Japan and rolling out across the sector.

The Immersive Adventure is at the heart of Layered Reality’s ‘Gunpowder Plot’. Transporting a group of patrons into London’s historic past of 1605. A mixture of live action performance (immersive theater), physical sets, and VR immersion – created to transport the audience into the political intrigue and adventure of Jacobian London. VR is used in special set pieces, such as crossing the Thames, avoiding capture, and meeting the King on the ramparts of the Tower of London. A level of engagement achieved that builds on the success of the company’s previous ‘War of the Worlds’ experience.

Museums have been quick to embrace immersive exhibitions – traveling exhibits have included a high level of engagement through projection mapped environments and the inclusion of VR set pieces, with seated virtual simulation, and the more sophisticated free-roaming adventures. One such example can be seen currently with the traveling ‘Last Days of Pompeii: The Immersive Exhibition’. Comprising exhibits in a “Exhibition Room”, as well as a projection “Immersive Room”, transporting the audience to the streets of the doomed Roman city, some 1,900 years since the eruption occurred.

A VR element is supplied in the exhibition through a 50-seat “VR Room”, but also with a more advance “Free roam Metaverse Room”, using the latest multi-user VR technology. (supporting 45 simultaneous users within the 250m2 arena), allowing the guests to freely interact with a virtual re-creation of a villa from the site. The immersive exhibition is just one of those developed by Univrse, designers of multi-user VR exhibits, in collaboration with Layers of Reality and AMC Network. Currently installed at the Madrid Artes Digitales (MAD) in the Spanish city, (soon to travel to other international cities).

The developers having also created ‘Pompeii: The Last Gladiator’ a VR exhibition. Described as “Europe’s biggest multi-user VR experience”, accommodating some 60 simultaneous participants within the 400m2 arena. Again, using the latest free-roaming streamed VR technology, based on the Univrse management platform, developed for these kinds of exhibitions, (enabling a level of fidelity unachievable on consumer VR systems). This mixture of immersive exhibit and immersive experience defines the new thinking in museum and exhibition curation, with multiple new multi-user (shared virtual reality) projects in development.

This concludes the snapshot of the “Immersive Expedition” and “Immersive Edutainment” scene. Though this is only scraping the surface of the current mass-audience VR experiences. It still reveals a vibrant and compelling deployment of VR technology. This coverage has focused on the virtual reality approach to edutainment, immersive gallery, and exhibit developments. We will soon be looking at the full XR landscape in this sector, especially the first appearances of AR based audience applications, and the new generation of projection mapped and full dome “Shared Reality” (SR) experiences.