Location-based XR (LBX) provides users access to a wide range of immersive experiences, from seated single player to free roaming multiplayer. Virtual and mixed reality devices like head mounted displays (HMDs) can be combined with physical interaction and haptic stimulation. Modern HMDs allow for use without any additional hardware, yet can be combined with backpack PCs or wifi-streaming for the display of audio-visual content with high computing demands.
Within the narrative location-based VR experience FATE OF THE MINOTAUR, the players embody the role of human sacrifices from Athens who are sent into the labyrinth of the Minotaur by Minos, King of Crete. The experience tackles the universal topics of guilt and shame, as the players learn about the tragic family story behind the ancient Greek myth. They meet Pasiphae, the mother of the Minotaur, who tries to protect her son. His half-sister Ariadne wants to convince the players that the Minotaur is a raging monster. Players may choose to become the ‘slaughterer of the Minotaur’, but the heroism of this action is put into question in the context of our narration.
Due to the historical background and the technical limitations for mobile VR-devices, a stylised look was chosen for the experience. This aesthetic, inspired by ancient Greek pottery, aligns well with Minoan illustrations from murals and vases. The character design and clothing, heavily influenced by Aegean Bronze Age illustrations, closely reflect the style of Minoan culture. The surroundings draw from the excavations of the palace of Knossos, with its rich collection of ornaments serving as additional inspiration. To enhance the style, we created a custom lighting setup to produce a more dramatic atmosphere. The use of hard, dark shadows accentuates the sensation of being lost in the labyrith, encouraging players to navigate it with caution. This non-photorealistic visual approach allows us to provide the experience with minimal energy consumption and equipment requirements.
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LBX allows for numerous novel applications and services. However, location-based systems are rare and have high maintenance demands. Furthermore, there are only very few examples with valuable content that make use of the immersive capabilities while at the same time telling a compelling story.
Therefore, FABW will create a scalable narrative LBX with emphasis on dragging the users into a captivating story. Within the EMIL Lighthouse project Filmakademie will develop content, that can be experienced in different scale options depending on the technical and physical limitations of the location; for example:
(1) non-interactive, seated – stereoscopic 180° film.
(2) single-player stationary.
(3) free-roaming multiplayer – 8x8m area, up to 4 players.
This scalable LBX is a special approach for potentially inspiring future narrative XR work. Additional components like haptic devices will be evaluated and tested.
As part of the FATE OF THE MINOTAUR lighthouse project, the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg utilised their TRACER framework. TRACER, the Toolset for Realtime Animation, Collaboration & Extended Reality, is an open-source, software-agnostic communication infrastructure and toolset designed to integrate open-source tools into production pipelines. It establishes interoperability between open-source and proprietary tools, targeting real-time collaboration and XR productions.
FATE OF THE MINOTAUR serves as a sample implementation, demonstrating how the TRACER framework can be applied to create a location-based experience. Based on a Unity implementation and a TRACER snapshot from 14 September 2023, the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg developed a short tutorial, the “Location Based Experience Example”, showcasing how TRACER can be used in location-based experiences. Since TRACER is engine-agnostic, this work can be used as a template for implementation in other engines or digital content creation (DCC) tools.
Andreas Dahn, Leszek Plichta, Simon Spielmann, Eduard Schäfer, Justus Blönnigen. 2024. Fate of the Minotaur: A scalable location based VR experience. In Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques Conference Immersive Pavilion (SIGGRAPH Immersive Pavilion '24). July 27 - August 01, 2024, Denver, CO, USA. ACM, New York, NY, USA 2 Pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3641521.3664406
FMX 2024, Demonstration Lighthouse Project FATE OF THE MINOTAUR, Immersive XR DemosHaus der Wirtschaft, Foyer of Bertha-Benz, Tuesday, April 23, 14:00, Stuttgart, Germany.
3sat Nano: Mit dem Minotaurus in der virtuellen Welt EMIL & Lighthouse Project FATE OF THE MINOTAUR at FMX 2024, April 22, 2024.
SIGGRAPH Asia 2023 Talks: New Dimensions in Extended RealityVolker Helzle: Introduction to the European Media and Immersion Lab (EMIL)Sydney Convention Centre, December 12, 2023, 11:15-12:15.
FABW XR DAY 2023: FABW XR Day | Talks, FABW XR Day | Recap ReelVolker Helzle, Andreas Dahn: Introduction to Horizon Europe project EMIL & FABW's Lighthouse Project 'MinoXR'Public Demonstrator of 'MinoXR'Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, November 29, 2023.
The Lighthouse project, FATE OF THE MINOTAUR, leverages the knowledge, experience, tools and workflows from several XR projects at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. For example LONGING FOR WILDERNESS is a VR experience that takes immersants on a journey from the busy city into the beauty of nature. It was designed as a seated experience and augmented with a haptic backpack and wind machine. An extensive evaluation at several events was conducted and published. STRANDS OF MIND explores a world beyond the bounds of our human perception. BEEING – a nature-inspired immersive VR journey takes its users on a fantastic ride synchronised with a short distance train.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 101070533.