Virtual Reality Exploration Game

STATION – An ISS Exploration

STATION is a virtual reality experience for the HTC Vive. Players find themselves in the space station ISS, able to explore the station modules from the inside and outside and experience the feeling of weightlessness in space. Thanks to the innovative control with the motion controllers of the Vive, the players move weightlessly and in authentic movements through the station. What is special is that players experience the movements by moving the controllers themselves. This motion was modelled on the movements of real astronauts hovering weightlessly in space. Thanks to this realistic and intuitive control, a frequently occurring negative factor of movements in virtual reality is minimised, the so-called “motion sickness”. In addition, the dimensions of the ISS space station have been recreated realistically, allowing gamers to not only experience the station like an astronaut living on the real ISS does, but also to enjoy the privilege of flying weightless through space and even spacewalking outside the station.

Statement by the Jury

The enormous design quality of STATION is that it simulates the astronauts’ experience on the space station in a highly realistic and authentic manner. Gamers get a vivid sense of how weightlessness feels and how to move around in such a confined space as a space station. The realisation of this complex work gives proof of high design competency and, as a student work, its excellence.

Red Dot: Best of the Best

Credits

Design:

Maximilian Furrer, Philipp Beisel, Trier University of Applied Sciences
Supervising Professor:

Prof. Linda Breitlauch
University:

Trier University of Applied Sciences, Trier, Germany