BinocularsVR – A VR experience for the exhibition “From Lake Constance to Africa, a long distance travel with ICARUS”

Abstract

Outreach and citizen science are important aspects in research and development. For example, the collection of bird-related data is driven forward by non-professional ornithologists as well as by researchers. At the exhibition "From Lake Constance to Africa, a long distance travel with ICARUS" which took place during the summer 2018 at the island Mainau in Germany, a Virtual Reality (VR) installation was shown utilizing movement data of a flock of storks. Two VR binoculars were installed which were used by the visitors to observe storks flying, following their way from Lake Constance towards Africa based on GPS data of real storks. In this way, viewers experienced a 360 • view on top of the stork "Bubbel" as it flies with 26 flock mates. The VR binoculars were created as a 3D print equipped with a smartphone, VR headset and other special features enabling the long-term use. The overall project consists of three components: 1) the production software Bird Watcher, 2) the exhibitioncompatible exploration software Bird 360 • , as well as 3) the hardware setup: the Sword of Stork Bubbel.