There’s no denying that virtual reality (VR) has changed the way we see the world around us. A new documentary, Exodus: The Great Migration, is but another way to push the boundaries of the tech though.
The Serengeti trek sees hundreds upon thousands of wildebeest, gazelle, zebras and more travel a vast distance in search of fresh grazing and water. Along their route they cross dangerous predators that are constantly on the prowl for fresh food. So what does the Great Migration and VR have in common? Well, the VR tech will place you in the thick of the migration.
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South African born entrepreneurs Ulrico Grech-Cumbo and Telmo Dos Reis have set out on a mission, to put the viewer in the heart of the great trek. “There is something indescribably magical about witnessing a natural world undisturbed by human beings. It is a world beyond our own existence, and that’s why we love it,” said Grech-Cumbo.
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“The wildlife documentaries we all love and have grown up with have always been filmed from the relative safety of a vehicle and as such, kept viewers separated too. With the advent of VR, the frame of your TV falls away and you’re teleported to the thick of the action,” he continued.
With millions of wildebeest, gazelle and zebras bucking and fighting their way to the top, the safety of the crew and their equipment is Grech-Cumbo and Reis’s main concern. However, the duo have found a way around this issue though.
“We have developed a payload drone designed to pick our cameras up and drop them into the stampede,” explains Reis. Deep VR’s project is currently 7% of the way towards its goal with only 16 days left on Indiegogo to get the project fully functional.
If done correctly, could it be the new way we experience wildlife documentaries in the future?
Featured Image: James H via Flickr
