Underwater Ocean VR
Many if not all of us love the ocean and wish we could spend more time looking at it or even looking IN it. We need to build more awareness of the ocean on the level of ecosystems, climate, resources, the relationship of the ocean to everything really. A problem is that human awareness is mostly shaped by direct experience, and so unless you are a certified scuba diver, you have not been underwater long enough to marvel at a healthy coral reef or be horrified by coral bleaching.
When we watch nature shows we see the spectacular without the challenges the technical diver filmmakers endure. Likewise in VR one can have a breathtaking simulated experience of being in the ocean, certainly the most immersive technology developed in our human history, but far removed from the real thing.
That doesn’t mean that Ocean-based VR can’t be more realistic, from scuba training to fish sampling to performing experiments related to salinity, light, sound, whatever content we want to teach. It’s important and fun to enter into the VR ocean as it is a universal human dream and aspiration. The science educators’ challenge is now to shape VR experience past entertainment and romantic beauty and into advocacy and stewardship. Before a person can creatively solve a problem, it’s reasonable to provide a reason to care, and these VR experiences have the potential to instill that.
Here are video captures of few different ocean VR experiences, the first called “Blu” allows for limited hand controls (like touching anemones) and moving around in the environment. You’ll notice the role that sounds play in the immersion, like a movie the score works on the mind from the background. Unlike a movie, you can look wherever you want and move around in the scene.
The next experience here is called “Ocean Rift” and it allows you to choose between several (somewhat realistic) underwater fantasies. The hand controllers allow you to propel yourself through the water and get closer looks at the wildlife as desired.
Another experimental underwater-style experience simulates scuba diving called “World of Diving”. This is more of a game than an experience, but I think has the potential to teach useful skills if they were embedded into the game challenges. Let’s hope it develops in that direction.
Finally here is a short segment from a game called “Subnautica” wherein you survive a spaceship’s ocean crash by accomplishing vital missions. I have yet to get very far in the game, and the sound of running out of breath is a primal fear I’m not particularly eager to hear. There’s also something called Time Machine, that had a cool trailer but I haven’t tried it yet. Obviously this genre has loads of potential to engage students in doing science in an environment they will find fascinating. It’s up to us science teachers to develop the content that balances the marvelous with the mundane into genuinely active learning experiences. There are VR movies shot underwater that are breathtakingly vivid but they don’t allow for user navigation or manipulation. I’ll share some of those films ina later post.
