6 days ago
Tech Talk: Maryland Zoo takes visitors to the Great Migration in Africa through VR
MARYLAND () — The Maryland Zoo is taking visitors to Africa — virtually, that is, allowing them to come face to face with migrating animals in the wild.
And it's all through an immersive simulation of the Great Migration
'We are first and foremost a conservation organization. For all our signature animal species, we have programs in countries on the ground working with partners in the natural habitat for some of our key animals,' said Mike Evitts, Spokesperson for the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
Rather than sitting on a plane for hours, the Maryland Zoo transports visitors instantly to an African safari with headsets and 3D chairs.
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'To give people a 360-degree firsthand look at what it means to be, for example, in the middle of massive animal migration in the middle of Africa,' said Evitts. 'We can't take them all over to Botswana or down to South Africa or Namibia. Virtual reality, however, can do that.'
The zoo isn't new to VR, but noted this is its first safari film title in the immersive experience with 360 panoramic views.
'You're sitting in a chair that's basically like a big egg. So, you're surrounded by the audio and the chair moves. So as the camera soars about the plains of Africa, you feel the motion,' said Evitts.
The zoo partnered with the company Immotion to bring this virtual reality experience.
'It just takes you into the middle of what their work looks like, and it gives you a real sense of why zoos are important and why saving habitats in the wild are equally important,' said Evitts. 'It takes months if not years to get this footage done in the wild. There are thousands of 360-degree cameras placed.'
Evitts said the crew with Immotion had to stake out where the animals would be on their annual migration and try to get the timing down to be able to film the migration that visitors at the zoo see in virtual reality.
'You'll see in the film at the end it looks like a big cat actually found the camera takes it down. You'll see wildebeest running and knocking over cameras. And it puts you in the middle of it. And as they're running, you feel the earth move because the chair is shaking you,' said Evitts.
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