The Next Best Thing to Being There
A Conceptual Application for a VR Experience
Prologue
Experiencing places, peoples and cultures of the world can be life changing. Visiting an unfamiliar place and discovering the endemic folkways often affect our psyche in surprising ways, and make us aware of our connection to the world we live in and share with others. These experiences give us joy, free us from prejudice, and instill empathy in our hearts.
But, how can we encounter such experiences when physical presence may not be an option, or if we want to explore an unknown environment before we actually get there. While it may not be possible to breath the air of our destination, touch and feel the physical surroundings, or directly interact with the people, thankfully, a fascinating branch of modern digital technology can actually provide us with a remarkable, life-like experience of the place we want to visit. Yes, I am talking about VR — Virtual Reality! It is the next best thing to being there.
“…technologies like virtual reality and digital mapping can bring a different immersive experience to someone, and there is much yet to be explored on this front.” — Gabriel Krieshok
A Conceptual Application
VR can be a very powerful tool for experiencing a space in three dimension, and hence can be a very effective medium for education, training, tourism and a myriad other services.
In this case, to fulfill the requirements of an academic project, I chose to develop a concept for a VR experience to inform and engage potential volunteers and other supporters of Peace Corps.
Peace Corps
Launched by President Kennedy in 1961, Peace Corps has demonstrated how the power of an idea can capture the imagination of an entire nation (Peace Corps — The Founding Moment).
Since its inception, over 220,000 Americans have served as volunteers, responding to the enduring challenge — to serve their country and the cause of peace by living and working in the developing world. It is a daunting prospect, not only because of the hardships they have to endure and the soaring commitment they sign up for, but also because most of them have no prior experience or knowledge of the community they will serve. The volunteers go through a pre-service training for 3 months to make them somewhat field-ready. The next two years of service will change their lives.
“The success of Peace Corps depends on the volunteers— in the volunteer’s efforts to immerse themselves in the culture, to integrate with their communities, and to work alongside their host colleagues.” — Gabriel Krieshok
How VR Can Help
If you are a gamer and have used a headset, or experienced a VR video of an environment, you know what an extraordinary illusion it can create. You are virtually transported to another space and time, an experience unmatched by any other medium we are used to. Enhanced by affordances and some unique features, a well designed VR product can provide a truly remarkable experience for potential volunteers, engaging and inspiring them to serve. It can also entice and inform other supporters, donors, students and even researchers. It can — instill empathy in the hearts of the users.
“Empathy was the bridge back then, and it remains a central feature of the Peace Corps mission today.” — Emily Cadei, OZY Author
Peer Organizations
Once considered the leader, Peace Corps now shares the ‘service volunteerism’ platform with several other organizations, such as Voluntary Service Overseas (UK), UNICEF, Children International, Doctors Without Borders and many others. While many of these organizations have begun to see the benefits of newer technologies such as VR to enrich their outreach and educational programs, most are yet to fully utilize these products at the high end. UNICEF seems to be one of the rare organizations to stand out with their 360 degrees website. (Unicef 360°)
Context
In 2017 I visited Rupshi, a remote village in Narayanganj District, Bangladesh, where the Bangladesh Government has started a program to preserve the traditional craft of ‘Jamdani’ saree weavers. The program supports a colony of weavers, who through generations have kept this craft alive. Nevertheless, despite the government supported program, the living conditions of these people are utterly poor; and basic needs like food, clean water, sanitation, etc. are barely met.
Jamdani sarees are typically woven with cotton or silk, and each saree (approx. 16' x 4') takes about 1-1/2 to 2 months to weave, depending on the design/patterns. The weavers receive a fraction of the market price, as the sarees reach the consumers after many layers of intermediary dealings. In the recent times some efforts have been made to minimize the loss by encouraging local cooperatives and other entrepreneurship.
Product Conceptualization
Create a VR experience that will transport the user to a weavers’ village in Bangladesh, where traditional ‘Jamdani’ sarees are woven through generations of craftsmanship. Volunteers will be encouraged to help the community to build their economic development model and offer education programs for the children.
Systems and Features:
- A 360 degree/VR video, to be experienced with a headset, controller and a gaming type computer.
- A sidekick character (the dove from the brand logo) is animated as the tour guide in the VR environment.
- A camera icon prompts the user to take photos, just as a visitor would, and images are sent to the computer and/or mobile app for sharing on social media.
- Information flash cards can be downloaded on demand.
- Jamdani sarees can be purchased through e-commerce app.
Roadmap:
Mood Board:
Storyboard:
VR Prototype: Screenshots
Disclaimer: The background 360 degree images do not represent Rupganj, Bangladesh. They have been used for conceptual purposes only.
Only a concept at this point, hopefully this will inspire a real project in the near future.
Mark Zuckerberg called for a digital Peace Corps earlier this year.
“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
