At the moment, humanity is making great strides in (at least) two frontiers of scientific interest: space and interactive video. For example, NASA just discovered a group of planets relatively close to us that could potentially sustain human life. Meanwhile, 360-degree video and virtual reality are finally consumer-level technologies. Now, Japanese research and development firm Wowlab has combined these two interests in one 360-degree video that takes the viewer on a journey through outer space… and also Tokyo (via Sploid).
The clip is like a mix of an iTunes visualizer (remember those?), 2001: A Space Odyssey, and a psychedelic trip. It takes place in some location between Tokyo and the night sky, or perhaps a space that combines the two. We wouldn’t call this scientifically accurate by any means, but that doesn’t mean that this isn’t a visual marvel. The sights are so spectacular that it’s easy to forget at any given moment that it’s a 360-degree video and you can explore the entire space, not just what’s immediately in front of you.
The technology powering this video is Wowlab’s own omnidirectional motion graphics platform, and as far as we can tell, it works just as well as, say, the technology that powers the Rick and Morty virtual reality game. Describing this type of thing doesn’t do it justice as much as experiencing it for yourself does, so check out the video above, and then head down to the comments below to let us know what you think about this wild intergalactic ride.
Featured image: WOW inc/Vimeo
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