Futuristic Interactive Technologies Turku Competence Center Organizing Spinverse Ltd Summer day in Virtual Reality Social Platform
FIT Turku Competence Center, an innovation center operated by Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS), organized in mid June Spinverse Ltd Summer Party in virtual reality. “We decided to create a modular environment, made to be modified easily, that can suit our needs for this and any future event”, explains Project Engineer Panagiotis Markopoulos, the virtual reality social platform specialist.
Panagiotis Markopoulos is the main developer of TUAS in virtual reality social and professional spaces and a PhD researcher in the Mathematics and Computer Science doctorate program of the University of Turku. This first modular environment, developed mainly by Panagiotis Markopoulos, was introduced for the big audience in March 2021 while FIT Turku Competence Center was opened. Those who are interested in watching this ceremony Youtube streaming can still be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt7NZO1kwK0.
Since then this modular environment has been tested in various circumstances and in this article we will illustrate how Spinverse Ltd Summer Day was arranged using this modular environment built on top of Microsoft AltspaceVR technology. “Even that we are using AltspaceVR our environment can be easily transferred between development platforms (e.g. Unity or Unreal) and all of its textures maps use one master-texture which colors and shades everything, which helps us save on file size”, Panagiotis Markopoulos continues explaining this master piece of art.
Virtual reality social platforms have multiple special features such as build-in media player screens, auditorium screens for speakers’ presentations allowing a lot of freedom to share anything special on the screen, roll-ups, posters, miniatures of objects, animations, and useful access control for administrators of the event (allowing mute or enhance the voice of any participant, remove potential troublemakers and keep track of everyone joining any room of the event). “In addition, we are able to create wonderful environment with beautiful, animated trees and grass, natural ambient sounds of birds and wind or even wonders of nature such as northern lights to make a special atmosphere to the event”, illustrates Prof. Dr. Mika Luimula, The Head of FIT Turku Competence Center.
Spinverse Ltd ordered a customized version of the modular environment with a hallway for gathering, cocktails, and open-air amphitheater. The hallway was decorated in Spinverse’s corporation look including beautiful logos with special lighting effects, fancy photographs from their premises etc. Participants were present with their own avatars which were illustrating their inner or external self. Open-air amphitheater had a huge presentation screen and a band was playing there under northern lights – a bit surrealistic atmosphere in the middle of Finnish summer which is full of bright light even in the midnight. As an addition to this a flying camel with aircraft turbines circled in the sky.
This event was an intime showcase for TUAS and it was a nice contrast for the mass events organized earlier such as FIT Turku Opening Ceremony. “Based on these experiences we are sure that after the summer break when we will enter to the post-pandemic era both intime and mass events will be organized here and there from parties to exhibitions, and from development days to congresses”, envisions Dr. Luimula who has already started with his team to develop own technology for future events.
