SOMNIACS AG, an award-winning immersive experience company and the developer of the Birdly immersive VR experience, has unveiled its latest insect simulator adventure, which was developed in cooperation with BirdLife Switzerland.
Set to launch next month, the Birdly Insects virtual reality experience provides a macro-scale adventure for users, translating a grassy landscape into an adventurous jungle, where with a combination of skill and luck guests will make it out unscathed.
The company digitally modelled and animated about twenty animal and twenty plant species to produce a convincingly realistic landscape. It also included natural behaviour patterns that let them naturally roam the area.
The player can explore a number of interactive microstories throughout the game by using their unique insect powers. The VR experience shows the consequences of human actions on a smaller scale, as well as providing insight into feeding insects and active birds. Players can see every detail of their surroundings by activating a slow-motion mode.
Additionally, the player can view hidden patterns on plants and animals using a special UV-Vision, and pheromones’ effects on the environment can be seen using the Smell-O-Vision.
A detailed realization
Professionals from the attractions sector have had the chance to preview the new experience and provide feedback.
Biotopia – Natural History Museum Munich’s digital communication manager Dr Dominic Anders said: “Birdly Insects is a great, breathtaking adventure! Flying over a flower meadow as a butterfly – that’s exactly the change of perspective I want from such formats. And the ability to also perceive UV light and pheromones makes the experience even more spectacular.”
BirdLife Nature Center director Stefan Heller added: “With Birdly Insects, we as a conservation organization want to show the fantastic microcosm in which insects live – and what their joys and sorrows are. The exciting landscape and the incredibly detailed and refined realization of animals and plants by SOMNIACS immediately draw you into the insect world.
“Even insect specialists were impressed by how realistic the experience is. The visitors loved the fact that you can fly several times and always experience something different.”
Birdly Insects will launch internationally on Birdly from 1 November 2022.
SOMNIACS demonstrated its Birdly VR experience earlier this year at Ecsite 2022, where the firm showcased the product’s properties and how it can be utilised at a wide range of venues, such as museums and natural attractions.
