‘Project Myron’ raises bar for new VR experiences
Among the progressive and technologically intriguing new projects presented at this year’s FMX festival in Stuttgart was a student-led initiative that may have raised the bar for VR experiences, including 360 storytelling. Students at Saxion University of Applied Sciences have been developing the world’s first “full-body” VR experience. Dubbed ‘Project Myron’, the project began in February of this year with the support of mocap/VR tech leaders Xsens, Manus VR, XMG and The Virtual Dutch Men. The primary aim of the endeavour has been to fully create “an immersive team-based eight-player arena shooter experience” over a five-month period.
Players are fully emerged in the experience with total character movement control and live interaction with other players, all taking place in the virtual environment. Using body language to communicate, two teams of four work together to pursue and wipe out the opposing team.
The fully-immersive nature of the project is down to the use of Xsens mocap suits that capture the movements and actions of the game players, as well as the technological hardware of Manus VR mocap gloves and XMG backpack PCs. and the guidance of VR content creators. Project Myron was helped into being under the supervision and guidance of The Virtual Dutch Men (a trade name for the Virtual Reality department of ArchiVision Digital Imaging).
Project Myron is due for completion in July 2017