BAFTA, Oscar and Cannes Lions-winning VFX house Framestore recently took a group of school children on a “Field Trip to Mars,” courtesy of a one-of-a-kind US school bus, Unreal Engine and a brilliantly conceived shared VR experience.
From the outside, it looked like any other old bus. Inside, it became a vehicle that transported students across the surface of the red planet. Interesting campaign that let Lockheed Martin highlight its space-exploration efforts while also inspiring a future class of astronauts.
To accurately drive on the surface of Mars, Framestore, among other instruments, used Polytec’s LSV (Laser Surface Velocimeter). While driving, the LSV’s laser was pointed down on the ground to accurately measure how far the vehicle has traveled forward and backward.
Polytec’s LSV Laser Velocimeter is the leading technology for non-contact length & speed measurements. This is the first time a LSV was used for such an interesting virtual reality application. More common application for this instrument is within process optimization and control requiring precise measurements. LSV’s can be found installed in various industries including Steel, Aluminum, Tube/Pipe, Converting, Building Materials and more for applications such as cut-to-length, part length verification, footage counting and stretch/elongation calculations.
See developer’s video (LSV mentioned at 2:18): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0XNlsXnKp0&feature=youtu.be