Atlas
A virtual reality experiment set aboard a spaceship. After a critical systems failure, the player must solve technical problems and restore course to save the crew.
The Challenge
Educational and entertainment VR experiences tend to be passive or rely on simplistic mechanics. There was a gap for experiences that combine immersive storytelling with realistic technical problem-solving.
Results
- Advanced physical interactions with Hurricane VR
- Logic puzzle systems and ship repair mechanics
- Immersive narrative in a 3D space environment
- Functional demo with multiple crisis scenarios
The Solution
I designed and developed a VR space crisis scenario where the player physically interacts with the ship's systems using Hurricane VR. Logic puzzles grounded in real engineering mechanics create an authentic problem-solving experience.
Motivation
Born from a European research project. Thanks to my previous work at UAL, funding was secured for this development.
Challenges
The hardest part was my limited experience in game programming and scoping the project while working solo. I also had to significantly optimize performance due to hardware limitations.
Learnings
I learned a great deal about motion sickness, VR immersion issues, and how users with no gaming experience significantly constrain design decisions. I also discovered the key differences between VR for research vs entertainment: precise time measurement and correct test data capture.
Context
The project is operational at the University of Almeria, where it's still being used. Includes gameplay video on YouTube.