As a partner in the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme’s Drifting Apart project, Cabox Aspiring Geopark participated in its GeoVR program aimed at presenting natural and cultural heritage in innovative ways. It was implemented through DoubleVR, a virtual reality (VR) concept that can be used for education, entertainment and tourism promotion.
DoubleVR allows users of all ages to explore Earth history using new cutting-edge 3-D technology. A VR headset is utilized to view photos, maps, illustrations, and videos in a virtual reality. Together they form a layered scene which users view, interact with, and ultimately learn from.
Norwegian company DoubleThink won the contract to develop a content management system (cms) to process video footage into high-quality 360-degree scenes with integrated hotspots linked to various maps, photos, and audio files.
This innovative technology allows people of all ages and abilities to visit our spectacular landscapes, regardless of how distant the visitor or remote the terrain. It can be used to demonstrate geological and ecological processes, document environmental conditions, and promote tourism opportunities.
The immersive exhibit utilizes a personal computer and VR goggles (such as Oculus Rift) and can be either stationed in a single location or tour different venues. In winter 2019, Cabox’s GeoVR visited several schools in the Geopark region (Templeton Academy, St Peter’s Academy, and Jakeman All Grade), while in summer and fall it was on display at the Saltbox Restaurant and Information Center in Benoit’s.
Cabox Geopark Director Arne Helgeland tries out the GeoVR at Saltbox Restaurant
In addition to the development of a virtual reality program, the 360° filming required for the project permits another technological innovation, WebVR, that enables virtual tours whereby visitors to a website or blog are able to enter a scene, scroll in 360 degrees, and use hotspots to link to other scenes and information. View Cabox virtual tours.
For Cabox, GeoVR also provides the experience and inspiration to develop its own VR program to provide an accessible and affordable virtual reality platform for education and tourism projects throughout the Geopark region and province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Stay tuned!