XR Experiences
EXPLORATION THROUGH EXTENDED REALITY
Extended Reality (XR) technology allows us to access places and experiences that would otherwise be impossible or very difficult to reach in reality.
We have developed two unique XR experiences that show the natural beauty, complexity and importance of these marine environments. The Virtual Reality experience allows you to explore the marine environment far beneath the waves of Apollo Bay, enabling interaction with marine species that co-exist within a complex and vital marine environment and the role that humans have in protecting and managing these delicate environments. The Augmented Reality experience allows a more data-focused perspective on the entire marine park, encouraging you to explore the breadth of these marine environments and learn a little about the key species, major events and history that has shaped the Apollo Marine Park we see today.
Why Extended Reality?
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XR allows access to environments you could not otherwise reach without considerable time and money spent on getting there
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XR allows us to tell stories about these environments as you experience them first hand
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XR allows immersion and agency; you choose where to go and what to see and how your choices impact the marine environment
Virtual Apollo | VR
Features
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A complete immersive experience containing representations of the same marine life you would find in the real Apollo Marine Park
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Exploration of the environment in a unique submersible, and interaction with the environment through your personal drone, the Autonomous Deep Aquatic Module.
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Narratives that explore the Beauty, Human Impact and Discovery Science aspects of these important marine envrionments
The Apollo Marine Park environment itself is not inaccessible, but it's a place that the average person cannot access easily. By developing an immersive virtual rrality experience that captures some of the marine life and environment, we can allow you to experience something close to the real environment.
Each of the species you'll encounter are accurate recreations of the real marine animals and flora you would encounter in the marine park itself. In addition, some of the important aspects of the environment such as natural beauty, the impact that human presence has on the environment, and the critical value of discovery research so that we can learn more about these environments - and how to best ensure they are protected - are all themes you can explore in this immersive experience.
Try the Virtual Apollo VR experience
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To try the Virtual Apollo VR experience you will need a Meta Quest 2 or Quest Pro VR headset which has developer mode enabled.
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Download the Virtual Apollo VR .apk file using the download button on the right.
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Install Virtual Apollo VR to your Quest 2 or Quest Pro headset using Sidequest.
Participate in our research!
Virtual reality represents an exciting tool for environmental communication and education, but there is still a lot to learn about how it affects attitudes and behaviours.
Our research team is exploring how VR can influence how people understand, connect to, and value marine environments and their management. We are interested in how people interact with and think about their personal Virtual Apollo VR experience with the simulated Apollo Marine Park to explore how these experiences may influence individual understandings, connections, and values toward marine environments.
Do you have a VR headset at home? Download the Virtual Apollo VR Experience and help us learn more about the potential of VR in connecting people with marine environments by participating in our research:
Virtual Apollo | AR
Features
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A single-user augmented reality experience, allowing you to explore the Apollo Marine Park from a high level vantage point.
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A map showing the key sites and features of the Apollo Marine Park can be explored and activated using game controller-based interaction.
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Explore the different depths of the marine park, navigating to locations that show wildlife, recent and ancient history of the Apollo Marine Park.
Immersive reality experiences allow novel means of interacting with data, taking what might be an otherwise straightforward presentation of information and making it interactive and fun to explore.
This augmented reality experience uses a combination of projection, controller-based interaction and interface design to create a unique experience to complement the more narrative-driven virtual reality experience.