Summary
- The virtual reality experience of the Océanopolis center
- Océanopolis offers a unique social VR experience
The Océanopolis park is located in Brest in Brittany. A deliberate choice, the city being effectively at the forefront of oceanic scientific research. Océanopolis is a true scientific cultural center which has allowed the public, for 27 years, to discover all the richness and importance of the oceans. Composed of 3 pavilions, temperate, polar and tropical, the park offers around fifty aquariums of up to 1 million liters. Many activities and information are given to the curious wanting to know our oceans. Océanopolis is now opening up to virtual reality by offering an extraordinary experience.
The virtual reality experience of the Océanopolis center
The Océanopolis science park has been conducting a public test for the past week by offering a virtual reality experience. The project took 9 months of work and the result is striking. The experience, offered to the public is a real immersive dive allowing to understand the evolution of the climate of the Arctic Ocean.. The choice of this ocean is wise because it is here that the effects of climate change are most noticeable and have the most repercussions on our planet.
The experience begins with an immersion in the Greenland Sea in the 50s. The opportunity to discover, like a diver, the unique flora and fauna of these waters populated by whales, narwhals and cod. It is possible to move around but also to use a laser to point at an element and receive information on the subject. The virtual tour then continues with a journey through time, to the year 2100, where the effects of climate change are enormous.. The idea of the experience is not to make people feel guilty but more to teach and raise awareness.
Océanopolis offers a unique social VR experience
The experience offered by the Océanopolis park now seems banal until then, but the scientific center offers a great novelty that sets it apart. The virtual reality experience is not only very well done but is also social and interactive. The exploration of the seabed is done in groups of four adventurers who live the experience simultaneously and can interact with each other.
The test conducted by the park seems very convincing. People who have been able to test the virtual reality experience in a group are delighted. However, for the moment, this is only a test carried out on certain visitors. The wide launch of the experiment is expected within a year and should be further improved.
