Can you imagine entering a 3D space to learn languages, history or mathematics? I believe it will be an inevitable tool in our future learning process. This is a growing field, a blue ocean for developers. I am curious how these system will change the field of education.
There are many prototypes and solutions. Here I just list a few of them:
- Engage Virtual Reality Education Platform (nice concept and execution!)
- Real Virtuality – A super immersive multi-user VR platform
- Article collection: Multi-User Virtual Reality
The video is of course from the Engage team. Their software is great, it’s worth trying it. You can use it in non-VR mode too on a PC. It may have a few limitations though: You need a windows system to use it.
So how can we contribute in this field? Maybe by getting rid of some limitations?
It is possile to create a VR space with the following properties:
- VR and non-VR mode: You can enter the same space using VR and using just a normal computer screen
- Platform independence: you can enter using cardboard, Gear VR, Oculus, Vive, PC, Mac or practically any other Unity 3D target device
- Massive multi-user experience: It is possible for a few hundred users to be present in the same space, mixing VR, non-VR and all platforms.
I wonder why this space doesn’t exist already? So we set out to push this concept at least until a well usable prototype stage. What we did:
- server structure to store user locations and directions
- client functionality to read all user locations in every 100 ms
- client funcitonality to post own user location every 100 ms
- Tested on these platforms: WebGL, PC, Android and Unity editor (should work on any platform)
Of course this is just a pretotype – I am really embarassed to show this humble picture – but already users from different platforms are present.
Our next steps:
- Research similar solutions, like Engage (4-8h)
- Clarify necessary functionalities (4-16h)
- Build prototype that we can publish (8-32h)
- Look for possible partners (writing emails basically 1-3h)
Our questions for you:
- What content would you put into this environment?
- What would be your main user device?
- What feature would be the most critical for you?
We are in this together. Let us know how we can help creating our future education platform.