This weekend you will be able to step into the future and walk through the University of Tasmania’s Inveresk campus development using virtual reality technology.
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The mind-blowing experience of walking through the university’s development plans will be available to the public at the Inveresk campus on Saturday and Sunday as part of the weekend’s open day.
The virtual reality mapping was a collaboration between the UTAS’ School of Architecture and School of Engineering, Human Interface Technology Lab – known as the HIT Lab.
The technology uses spherical data to create a 3D model, build the streetscape and allow wearers to view proposed infrastructure.
“It gives you a perspective of where they are,” HIT Lab teacher Winyu Chinthammit said.
“Essentially we tried to create, more or less what it would be like looking at a master plan 2D – and then transporting yourself into that space.”
There are three sites people can visit using virtual reality, including the Inveresk campus’ existing area.
”They can kind of see what it would look like over here,” Dr Chinthammit said.
“When we started this with the students’ project initially in February, that would have been a model – and it would take some imagination to imagine what is there.”
Dr Chinthammit said more locations could be added – but more work would be required.
“Every time you move you need more content,” he said.
Dr Chinthammit said the ability for residents to virtually view this project was “just the beginning”.
“This is more or less, virtual reality where everything is immersive,” he said.
“We also have technology called augmented reality, which you actually see through – like sunglasses
“You can still see the building with your own eyes, but it’s an augmented view.”
He said more work would be undertaken, but acknowledged he was unsure “if there is enough resource” for augmented reality.
The UTAS open day will be held at the Newnham and Inveresk campuses on Saturday from 10am to 3pm.
A showcase event will be held on Sunday at Inveresk between noon and 3pm.