We collaborated with BBC Studios Digital, BBC Studios Science and BBC Learning to create an epic 15-minute immersive virtual reality experience. Home’s ambition as a piece of VR is to combine a strong narrative and sense of drama with the incredible impact possible in an immersive experience to encourage and enhance the public’s interest in space. The interactive experience sees you traversing the space station, journeying on the Canadarm and jet-packing back to safety. It puts you at the centre of the story, taking you on an emotional and personal journey whilst delivering beautiful, heart-stopping and memorable moments.

Brand Relevance

Home maintains the BBC’s long history of innovation in how it informs, educates and entertains. VR at the BBC is about exploration & understanding the new medium and it’s audience. Home has led the way inside and out of the BBC in not just exploring the technology but the emerging language of storytelling in the medium.

Methods & Process

The experience is developed in Unreal Engine 4 to push for the highest possible visual fidelity and is accompanied with treated, spatial audio. The team worked with script writer Marco Crivellari to develop the narrative and consulted with ESA experts and astronauts.

Materials, style, design choices

The experience encompasses randomised views of the earth and atmospheric phenomenon. The ISS was constructed using a Haynes Manual - the most detailed and accurate plan you can find - and built to real-world scale.

Implementation

Bluetooth heart rate monitors feedback into the experience, recreating the sound of your own heartbeat. This is combined with an integrated live mic for the user that is acoustically treated and delivered back into the experience. The ambient sound is spatial and creates the claustrophobia of the astronaut’s helmet and the unnerving sounds of your own body and your space suit's life support system. A gaming chair is also used to provide haptic feedback. Finally for selected live viewings we incorporate a live voice actor who is able to ad-lib on the script, conversing with the player and observing and responding to their predicament.

Timeline

It took us six months to create Home: two months researching and planning and another four months of development.

Touch points & placement

Home will be available to download from Steam for HTC Vive and Oculus Stores for Oculus Rift. 360° videos will be available for mobile/social media viewing and Gear VR.