Seattle’s Space Needle launches VR app
Fancy to reach the Space Needle and experience Seattle in its bird’s-eye-view glory, but you can’t? Fret no more: there’s a VR app for that. All you need is a compatible VR viewer – you can take the Space Needle experience anywhere. Seattle’s Space Needle has launched Space Needle 360, a free virtual reality mobile app that highlights immersive and interactive 360-degree view of Seattle that puts you 600 feet above the city on a bright, sunny day.
Space Needle 360 gives users the experience of standing on the Space Needle’s spire, walking on the Space Needle’s Halo, and flying around Seattle in a seaplane – all within a 360-degree imagery in virtual reality. The app is among the first of its kind, and one of the first to be put out by a major landmark.
Michael Franz and Gavin Farrell, one of the most renowned photographers, have collaborated with Seattle’s Space Needle for the creation of never-before-seen visuals that showcase the Space Needle. These 360-degree viewing experiences are fully immersive and takes VR tourism to a whole new level.
The experiences filmed for the Space Needle 360 were crafted using an array of robotic camera heads and 360-degree video cameras. The captured content was then stitched carefully into one single spherical image or 360-degree video creating immersive experiences. No matter where guests look within the app and a compatible VR headset, immersion is the primary feeling that guests can get – as if they were there. This VR app is part of the Space Needle’s larger initiative to enhance guests’ experiences using virtual reality technology. This is the second app published by the Space Needle within the past year. The first app, called the Space Needle app, uses Augmented Reality to enhance guests’ experiences by creating photo-sharing moments using hologram-like 3D images triggered by AR targets. In the near future, the Space Needle will launch a new augmented reality-powered tour for the latest version of its Space Needle app. In addition, new digital experiences are being launched on the Space Needle’s Observation Deck to let guests see and interact with the view.
The Space Needle 360 can be downloaded on the Google Play Store as well as the Apple App Store, which makes it compatible with the ever-popular Google Cardboard VR headset. With a supported Android or iOS smartphone, you can get the Space Needle experience anywhere – without actually being there.
For more information on the Space Needle 360, please visit the following websites:
http://www.krem.com/story/travel/2015/07/24/new-app-gives-a-new-perspective-on-the-space-needle/30630899/
http://www.spaceneedle.com/home/
http://www.geekwire.com/2015/new-space-needle-virtual-reality-apps-views-from-600-feet-above-will-give-you-chills/
