As the pandemic spread across the world, all of our travel plans came to a sudden halt. Vacations seemed like distant memories, as we started to look for ways to satisfy our wanderlust craving. But owing to Peterborough Virtual Reality Company, you can now visit the destinations of your dreams, that too without going out.
Hello AVROD
Peterborough Virtual Reality Company made this unimaginable feat possible with their new VR technology called AVROD. Jeremy Brooks, the founder of the company told the media that the VR tech contains 40 sites from across the world, including some of the famous travel spots from Canada, the country where it originated. With this technology, users can visit exotic sites from more than 20 countries.
Brooks reported that AVROD stands for Archaeological Virtual Reality Online Database. He began to create the VR platform while he was studying Archeology at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. His primary intention was to build a platform that helps in digging archaeological sites from afar. Developing the tech further, the research team now hopes of connecting people to historical interests, thus preserving the past and bridging the gap in tourism created by the pandemic restrictions.
Virtual sites
The virtual sites, as contained in the VR platform, are created by using multiple images taken from real locations. The series of images are then turned into a high-end 3D replica. Brooks remarked that their intention for developing the platform was to show people that enjoying the marvels of archaeology and history was possible even during the COVID-19 restrictions. They wanted to bring people into spaces where they would feel like standing in front of the historical and natural wonders out there in the world, while in reality, they sit in their homes.
You need these three things:
To visit the virtual sites, users will require a VR headset, an internet connection, and a streaming app. Brooks reported that the AVROD platform would soon launch in the Oculus Stores as well as for Oculus Quest VR headsets. Such stand-alone VR headsets will cost you about $400 these days.
Brooks described that the users can feel the environment as if they are present at those sites in real life. And this is likely to foster the connection between people from today and the past. He also stated that they were trying to build the connection in other ways. The research team is developing a platform where people can directly interact, look at the objects, comment, and share ideas with each other in a virtual 3D space. This has not been done ever before.
Worldwide
Although AVROD takes you all over the world, it is primarily based in Peterborough. Michael Skinner, the CEO of Innovation Cluster, said that he believes the pandemic will result in significant growth in online platforms. Subsequently, virtual reality will also increase in its popularity. He said that entrepreneurs looking for breaking into the VR market can benefit a lot from the resources available at Innovation Cluster.
Brooks further said that they are also applying the technology to develop nursing simulations to be used by Trent University. He reported that currently they have plenty of other ideas at work but he cannot reveal the particulars just yet. All he can disclose is that they are continuously expanding their technology to reach new goals. Their primary job is to provide Canadians opportunities to explore the globe from home.
