Virtual Reality in Space - at the Kindermuseum Baden

The Solar Explorer experience takes visitors on a vivid journey through the cosmos, immersing them in the wonders of our solar system. With a seamless blend of VR technology, interactive storytelling, and detailed celestial visuals, it offers an educational and engaging exploration of space’s most fascinating features.

Initial situation

The Schweizer Kindermuseum in Baden, Switzerland, annually attracts over 30,000 visitors, including school groups and families. Since introducing its first virtual reality (VR) project in 2017, the museum’s most popular exhibit has been a solar system experience. However, technical limitations with the outdated VR headset and external tracking sensors have caused long wait times and visitor dissatisfaction. As a result, the museum has decided to replace the old setup with a new, more efficient plug-and-play VR solution.

Project Vision / Project goal

The project involves creating a new VR experience at the Schweizer Kindermuseum, allowing children and visitors to explore the solar system in an interactive and immersive environment. Modern VR technology will deliver a short but captivating journey through space, with durations tailored to school groups and private visitors. The experience will be enhanced by staff-guided interactions via an Android tablet, providing educational context and controlling the VR environment. The user’s VR perspective will also be projected onto a large screen, making the exhibit more inclusive for waiting visitors. Designed for durability and simplicity, the new VR setup will require minimal training for staff, ensuring a seamless and low-maintenance solution to handle the museum’s high visitor numbers.

Key terms

• UnityA cross-platform game engine used for developing the virtual reality application, enabling the creation of immersive 3D environments.
• Meta Quest 3A standalone VR headset utilized for rendering and interacting with the virtual representation of the Unity project.
• Android Studio and KotlinAn integrated development environment (IDE) used for developing the Android application, which serves as a control interface for interacting with the virtual environment. Kotlin is used as the primary programming language.
• Google FirebaseA cloud-based backend service used for storing planetary information and ensuring seamless synchronization of updates across all Android application devices.
• BlenderA 3D modelling software utilized to create custom assets and objects displayed within the virtual environment.
• RiderAn IDE specifically optimized for C# development, used to implement scripts, controlling the functionality and behaviour of elements within the Unity scene.
• GitHub / Unity Version ControlVersion control systems used for tracking and managing project development, ensuring collaborative and structured code management.
• TrelloA project management tool used for organizing work packages, iterative planning, and backlog grooming within the development process.

Team