By Nomi Hernandez-Leiva and Natalia Quiñones
A couple of weeks have passed since this fall semester began, and the first wave of students have already declared the Mobile Virtual Reality Lab as their own.
This is the first semester that the lab is up and running, and we have already come across some challenges. This, however, has not stopped us. Here is a list of what’s happened so far:
“Wait, what does this do?”
Our first step was to familiarize ourselves with the equipment and software in the lab. Our research included watching several tutorials, reading many blogs and executing tons of trial and errors.
Within the first two weeks, we were able to find the most effective settings when recording, thoroughly understand and execute the stitching process, and successfully export our first few immersive videos.
“VR Experience at FIU’s Mangroves,” our first test video, has already made a great impact at an event earlier in the semester (the opening of FIU’s Sea Level Solutions Center) and it will soon be part of another event this upcoming week, an annual climate summit in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Divide, Conquer and Squeeze!
As we completed our first video, we realized the potential of organizing teams in order to streamline workflows and create different areas of expertise.
This also allowed us to rotate positions thus giving us the opportunity to learn more than just one skill.
Despite our limited space and resources, our team has proven to work effectively and maximize all of the lab’s tools.
Next Step: VR Storytelling
These last couple of days, our teams have taken the lead on developing stories and scripts for our upcoming projects.
We’re currently working on constructing immersive environments while incorporating a journalistic aspect.
In the following weeks, we will complete two VR pieces where interactivity and narrative will dive the user into a much richer experience.
The MVR Lab has become a hub for this developing world of virtual reality. Our first few trials have set standards for our team and lab’s goals. We’re excited for the weeks to come and thrilled to take part of this innovative field.
Keep checking in to see our detailed discussions of what’s working — and what’s not — in telling visual stories about our environments.