Discover Alien Foxes, Distant Worlds, and Virtual Carl Sagan in Las Vegas

I find myself immersed in a scene that seems ripped from a futuristic film.

Currently, I'm traversing a massive rotating station in outer space, seeing the planet we're circulating just beyond my peripheral vision. The paths I tread stretch on, above and below, inside this exceedingly expansive structure. Occasionally, gigantic holographic figures, about as tall as ten-story buildings, appear to converse with me and other explorers on this voyage.

Interestingly, my travel companions aren’t digital avatars; they're actual people. We're all donning VR headsets, mingling in a shared virtual realm that feels akin to an imaginative fairground for the mind's eye. Each individual witnesses the same scenario, albeit from their own unique viewpoint as we meander freely.

This new venture in Vegas, housed in its bustling entertainment sector, redefines virtual reality's place within extensive physical domains. Thanks to recent technological leaps in VR, this narrative-driven exploration represents a pioneering move forward, previously unimaginable even a short time ago.

As virtual reality evolves, becoming ever swifter and more advanced, experiences such as these might provide the momentum needed for the industry's future growth. I ventured to Las Vegas to dive into the Interstellar Arc and evaluate its potential impact on VR's advancement.

Initiation

This innovation springs from the creative minds of Paul Raphaël, Félix Lajeunesse, and Stéphane Rituit. Raphaël and Lajeunesse, who started as traditional filmmakers, were immediately captivated by the soon-to-launch Oculus Rift in 2013, which set their course towards immersive storytelling.

“We realized VR was our future and committed to narrating tales through this medium,” states Raphaël.

Their venture, F&P, pioneered a VR camera with a 360-degree filming capability, playing a critical role in various early VR experiences. This led to collaborations with Cirque du Soleil, Steven Spielberg, and even the Obama administration, securing several Emmy wins. Yet, it was their extraterrestrial endeavors that garnered attention.

In collaboration with NASA, F&P dispatched three VR cameras to the space station—two onboard and one mounted externally to capture views of outer space. This initiative evolved into “Space Explorers: The Infinite,” an immersive, global pop-up that brought the space journey to the public. Interstellar Arc is the extension of this project.

Your starting point, the "spaceport," transports you to Cosmopolis.

Begin your journey here.

After purchasing tickets ($54 for adults, $39 for children 8-12), the adventure commences. We step into a future-themed lobby resembling a "spaceport." Now in the 25th century, we're preparing for humanity's inaugural mission to the far-off exoplanet Arcadia. Equipped with headsets and noise-cancelling headphones, we settle into our seats for takeoff.

The launch sequence leverages F&P’s footage from the ISS, providing a stunningly authentic depiction of Earth and the galaxy. As we sit, we simulate 262 years of "cryogenic sleep," ultimately reaching an engineered orbital city, Cosmopolis, positioned above Arcadia.

Navigating a Sci-Fi Landscape

This marks the commencing phase of our exploratory walk. Disembarking in Cosmopolis, we encounter a vast, intricately designed cityscape that feels infinite. Amidst the winding pathways surrounded by flora and futuristic edifices, the scene extends both horizontally and vertically. Glimpses of space and Arcadia, a planet part blue akin to Earth, part red like Mars, are apparent through the translucent city framework.

Within the VR setup, we tread carefully along pathways equipped with railings, which correspond to real ones. These railings provide support for those needing balance and guide participants through the experience. In their absence, the visible path edges ward off straying, threatening a descent into an imagined void, creating a thrilling coax to stay on the trail.

An alien silver-coated fox acts as our tour guide, nudging us towards key areas within Cosmopolis. Though unable to interact, its presence enhances our exploration. Floating orbs serve as achievement milestones, tracked by our headsets. Despite gathering 20 of a potential 30, the underwater segment, amplified by immersive audio and ripple visuals, stands out.

Our interactive experience extends to hand movements. By pressing a virtual button on my right wrist, a camera activates. The first press reveals a viewfinder, and the next captures a photo I can later download. Another button on my left wrist enables communication with fellow group members. Even though I incessantly quizzed Raphaël using this feature, he graciously overlooked it.

Immense holographic projections emerge, offering guidance or interesting tidbits about Cosmopolis. Among these digital giants stands an iconic representation of astronomer Carl Sagan, the “Librarian,” preserving Earth’s wisdom. The Sagan hologram nods to the Voyager spacecraft's golden record project from 1977, a cosmic greeting card borne from Sagan's input.

Gaining approval from the Sagan estate, F&P included this renowned figure to embody Cosmic wisdom.

“Carl Sagan’s ideals and philosophy have always guided us,” comments Raphaël. “Having him in this project was a dream.”

Exceeding their expectations, the Sagan estate supported the project.

“Not only were they generous with the rights to Sagan’s likeness, but they aided in selecting his dialogue,” Raphaël adds. “The words spoken are from those nearest to Sagan’s vision, also assisting with the project's creation, deeply imbued with his spirit.”

Casting a look-alike actor for Sagan’s role involved extensive processes that compared the final output with authentic recordings of him to assure precision.

This narrative-driven immersive experience promises to captivate audiences of diverse ages, with entry allowed for those eight years and above. Beyond the enchanting storyline, Interstellar Arc epitomizes VR’s technological frontier.

Visual Wonders

Navigating Cosmopolis stirs the sensation of not just lateral, but sloped and curving paths. Though, in reality, we're rooted within a 20,000-square-foot area. As I move along, the terrain's perceived slope feels natural, requiring me to adjust my gaze to follow others ahead.

Raphaël explains this incredible feat as “redirection,” a subtle adjustment of the headset’s visual field that tricks the senses into perceiving complex terrain shifts without causing disorientation typical to VR experiences.

Long-lasting directional effects initially incurred disorientation, overcome after 18 months of fine-tuning. Short, balanced segments now circumvent confusion, enhancing the seamlessness of sloped path walking.

Consulting Andy Etches from the sports VR field added perspective on this technique, acknowledging its innovation beyond existing treadmills and omnidirectional rigs which fail comparably.

F&P’s adept utilization of space within the venue is crucial, transforming the experience into one that feels unrestricted. Though the massive 20,000-square-foot space seems adequate, admirably orchestrated routes prompt participants to walk perceived longer distances without realizing the setting.

Raphaël emphasizes this leveraging of spatial limitation into enhancing virtual immersion. This ingenuity foresees environments where virtual engagement flourishes in compact facilities, thriving on manipulation of space.

Solving the challenge of accommodating up to 170 participants, Raphaël notes another breakthrough. By integrating a ceiling-based infrared grid, each headset uniquely identifies its space, preventing the sensation of “drifting” commonly seen in crowded VR settings.

Andy Etches acknowledges similar large-scale VR interactions but praises this ceiling grid system for its effective participant coordination.

During my time spent there—even in a less-than-packed room—the mechanics worked flawlessly, avoiding overlapping or misplaced navigation.

The Road Ahead

With VR tech evolving swiftly with each new model, Raphaël acknowledges that adaptability is key for sustained relevance. While Interstellar Arc maximized current tech, future iterations must evolve with the hardware.

Etches sees VR nearing mainstream presence, noting how experiences akin to Interstellar Arc ignite curiosity and push the boundaries for narrative, historical, and futuristic settings.

Though Interstellar Arc’s unique VR experience currently resides only in Vegas, its influence extends. Etches anticipates broader VR acceptance fuelled by attractions that captivate audiences and offer unique journeys.

“Whenever someone experiences true VR, they’re usually fascinated and eager for more,” he explains. “If such places can usher numerous attendees through enthusiast-level experiences daily, that enthusiasm will only expand VR’s horizons.”