Immersive Career Fair VR Experience
Project Name: “See-it; Be-it VR”
Client: Elevate Aviation Learning Centre
Project Overview:
Elevate Aviation Learning Centre initially sought an immersive 360 video to showcase aviation careers to young women in a fun and interactive way. For the scope of the project, filming these exotic locations and hiring actors was too expensive within the confines of the budget.
KOVR proposed making a fully 3D immersive VR experience with real stories told by real women in aviation and their journey into the industry. Leveraging VR, we could recreate aviation environments authentically, develop realistic avatars closely resembling the featured women, and offer a more engaging and interactive experience. This shift not only addressed budget limitations but also enhanced the storytelling by placing users directly in the aviation world, making the testimonials more impactful.
Devices:
Meta Quest 2
Meta Quest 3
Meta Quest 3s
Challenges and Solutions:
Challenge #1: Optimizing Performance and Animation for Meta Quest 2
Optimizing performance while maintaining realistic avatars and environments on the Meta Quest 2 was challenging due to the device's limited processing power. It was absolutely crucial to have good performance for comfort reasons. We had to balance smooth performance with high visual quality and ensure a steady 72 FPS.
Solution:
We reduced the polygon count of avatars, focusing on key facial and body details. Techniques like texture baking, LOD (Level of Detail), and GPU-optimized shaders maintained visual quality without overloading the device. We also baked all lighting to avoid the cost of real-time lighting and applied LOD optimizations throughout the environment. For lifelike animation, we pre-created character movements using tools like iClone and Character Creator, ensuring smooth, natural animations while keeping performance optimized for the Meta Quest 2.
Results & Impact:
The end result was an 8-minute VR experience shown on a Meta Quest 2. The experience was first presented at the Inspire Gala, an annual fundraising event hosted by Elevate Aviation to celebrate women in the aviation industry. It was well-received by the clients, gala guests, and the women portrayed in the experience, who shared their testimonials.
The experience is now used as a tool in schools, job fairs, and at trade shows, serving as a valuable asset for showcasing the impact of women in aviation. It continues to inspire audiences at various events across Canada and future women who seek to pursue careers in the aviation industry.
