INDG and AltSpace, the computer graphics (CG) specialists, today unveil the most holistic and immersive virtual reality (VR) experience of a Hyperloop journey, from entering the station to travelling in a pod, in a vivid production that gives a glimpse into the future of high-speed transport.
The panoramic VR experience is being unveiled at Elon Musk’s SpaceX headquarters in California, which is this week hosting the 2019 SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition. Mr Musk conceived Hyperloop in 2013 as a revolutionary high-speed ground transport system. His concept is now being worked on around the globe by the world’s top engineers, architects and designers.
The VR experience is a virtual model of the Hyperloop being developed by the award-winning team at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands. The hyper-modern design and streamlined 3-D experience, which echoes AltSpace and INDG’s vision to offer an unparalleled digital experience, has been created for the Dutch team as it competes in the 2019 Hyperloop Pod Competition.
It is the third year that Delft Hyperloop is competing in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition having won first place in 2017. This year, twenty teams from around the globe will compete to achieve the fastest top speed along the fully enclosed 1.25 km test track.
This is the second Hyperloop VR experience INDG has worked on, previously creating an interactive model and exploding view of TU Delft’s entry to the inaugural SpaceX competition. For this year’s launch and as creative lead, INDG, the CG specialists focusing on physical goods, brought AltSpace onboard to help virtually bring the Dutch team’s ‘Atlas 02’ pod to life. The result is an experience that reflects INDG’s strong eye-for-detail in creating photorealistic 3-D content.
Being responsible for the visual and technical aspects of the VR experience, AltSpace was invited to recreate wide-ranging station facilities, the pod’s minimalistic interior and exterior design, as well as panoramic views, infographic screens, and navigational signage. This became possible due to effective 3D-scene optimisation in order to meet the hardware and software requirements of real-time graphics while maintaining the quality and attention to details which are the signature highlights of AltSpace studio.
For INDG, whose mission is to make ‘every product playable’, the Hyperloop experience follows projects completed for long-time partners Adidas, Honda, Philips and Yamaha, which utilise INDG’s own in-house CG technology to bring to life complete product portfolios. AltSpace offers the full spectrum of digital experiences and has worked on a variety of projects including the world’s first fully electric car-racing series Formula E, a first global AI race series Roborace, a leading designer in the superyacht industry Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design, as well as World Touring Car Championships and the G20 international forum.
Most commonly associated with video games, VR technology has a growing number of real-world applications. Among these is VR medical imaging, which allows surgeons to visually experience human anatomy in detail and perfect surgical procedures before performing them on patients. Other industries, such as automotive and luxury have also begun employing VR for workforce training, and skills assessment.
Rieneke van Noort, Team Captain of Delft Hyperloop III, said: “At Delft Hyperloop we do not just focus on setting a new speed-record at the SpaceX Competition, but also on the long-term future of the Hyperloop. A part of this is showing the public what it will be like to travel using this new system. Through VR, we want to enable people to experience the Hyperloop in an interactive and immersive way. It is great to see people’s enthusiasm when they walk through the Hyperloop station and board one of the pods.”
Igor Voloschuk, CEO of AltSpace, said: “Our collaboration with Delft Hyperloop and INDG is grounded on the shared aspiration to work with technologies that advance and expand our lives. We supported their initiative by developing a VR experience that would allow the audience to dive into the world of the future and appreciate forthcoming breakthroughs. We believe the result is a bridge connecting the technologies of an innovative transportation system with the latest developments in real-time graphics.”
Frans Vriesendorp, CEO and Founder of INDG, said: “Our aim was to bring Delft Hyperloop’s Atlas 02 design into virtual existence. This VR experience does just that, bringing the Hyperloop closer to reality and giving everyone an opportunity to share in what the future of transport could look like. We hope the Delft Hyperloop team continues to gain valuable knowledge and experience from its participation in the SpaceX competition. Hyperloop is the future of transport and we believe our virtual product experiences are the future of customer experience.”
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