Experimenting With Quest Guardian Floor Area.

Because the Oculus Quest is cable free, there is potential to take advantage of a larger floor area, therefore allowing the viewer to move around a VR gallery freely without having to teleport. In this first experiment I translated the corridor measurements outside my office into a basic VR simulation using UE4 and then set up a guardian floor area in that same location.




Image at end of simulation by Helen Kay

It worked fairly well, except that the guardian floor area did not allow me to map the whole length of the corridor. I seemed to be limited to an area that was about six meters long, so this simulation did not have the intended effect... for me anyway. However, my students loved it because of the precipitous nature of the simulation and it actually turned into a great way of introducing newcomers to the possibilities of VR technologies, e.g. the ability to enter a new type of believable space.


5.5m x 5.5m square gallery.

I used the college gallery to try and work out what the largest guardian area could be defined and it seemed to be about 6m x 6m. I built a basic gallery based on those proportions and while it was nice to walk around teleport free, it felt small and constricted and (of course) did not take advantage of the immense possibility of VR space. However, I do think there is scope for a larger guardian area that allows greater free movement within a simulation to increase the immersiveness of the experience.

If you are reading this blog and feel you can add something to my research then please comment… even if you are correcting me or don’t agree with something that I say.

My Research Has Been Published

My research has been published in Blackpool and The Fylde College's Scholarly Review 2019 and it is great to see it in print. An e-version can be viewed here - https://issuu.com/b_and_fc/docs/b_fc_scholarship_review_2019_for__print
please have a look.

  

If you are reading this blog and feel you can add something to my research then please comment… even if you are correcting me or don’t agree with something that I say.

First 'Finished' VR Gallery for Oculus Quest

I have had a lot of technical issues and hurdles to overcome, but I have finally managed to produce a VR gallery to a passable standard for the Oculus Quest.

The video below has been captured in UE4 but does run very well on the Quest. Of course the main benefit being that this headset is completely standalone and you don't need to lug a laptop and sensors around to use it, like you do on the Rift... brilliant!

Work exhibited in the gallery is by some of our current students and recent graduates - Helen Kay, Carl Jones, Sophie Gorner, Sian Lakin and Sam Wallis.

If you are reading this blog and feel you can add something to my research then please comment… even if you are correcting me or don’t agree with something that I say.