Very Big Things

DroneVR

Technical Achievement / People's Voice Winner

Very Big Things

Technical Achievement

People's Voice Winner

DroneVR is the first web-based virtual reality flight simulator, so it’s not something that has been done in the past, which is why this is such a huge technical breakthrough. - Very Big Things Team

Watch

Q: Can you briefly describe your project and the concept behind it? A: Very Big Things client, Certify-ED, wanted to make a successful online drone pilot certification training course that was accessible and advanced enough to prepare students for the aeronautical knowledge test that is a requirement to earn a Remote Pilot Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). DroneVR is the first web-based VR flight simulator with real-world physics that’s fully immersive, yet accessible through the web browser on a desktop and the browser on a VR headset. Immersed in the VR environment, users learn to operate a drone in a variety of conditions and urban areas, completing search and rescue missions, reconnaissance, and inspections of large structures.

Q: Talk about your initial prototypes. How did those ideas change throughout design and execution? A: We set off to create a pleasing experience but were cautious not to distract from the primary goal of the simulation. We started with sketches, which helped simplify objects to their basics. Scalable shapes like the hexagon made an appearance early on, bringing ideas to life. We balanced those core shapes with the mood of the '80s as it reflected a sense of color, energy, and life. Our prototypes consisted of early 3D modeling, paper crafting, photo compositing, and music pairings. Our concepts evolved throughout the project - usually due to tech constraints - as we were in uncharted waters. By keeping our goal clear, we never had to compromise with what we were ultimately building.

Q: What influenced your chosen technical approach, and how did it go beyond past methods? A: Our technical approach was influenced by creating an experience that was fun, educational, technologically advanced, and accessible through a web browser. DroneVR is the first web-based virtual reality flight simulator, so it’s not something that has been done in the past, which is why this is such a huge technical breakthrough. We designed DroneVR to include a point system, levels and milestones. The gamification and entertainment aspects had to appeal to high schools and vocational school students. The simulation needed to take students through multiple degrees of difficulty as the individuals were required to learn the safety requirements for accurately piloting a drone.

Q: What web technologies, tools, or resources did you use to develop this? A: To bring this real-world physics virtual reality experience to a wide array of users, we used WebGL, a JavaScript API that renders 3D graphics within any compatible web browser without using plug-ins. The engine includes the effects of turbulence around objects, wind shear, altitude and temperature. All of this is set within a detailed recreation of the city of San Francisco. For UI/UX we used Sketch and InVision.

What breakthrough or “a-ha” moment did you experience when concepting or executing this project?

Being able to build this experience on the web browser was our key a-ha moment when planning the execution for DroneVR. Our client, Certify-Ed, wanted to make sure that this was built in a VR environment in order to make it as real as possible, and to make the VR experience accessible without having to use the VR headset. That’s when it hit us that we should build it on the browser. Our team was able to re-define what the web browser can do, and we were able to build not only the VR environment, but a physics engine that runs entirely on the browser. DroneVR is definitely a first of it’s kind, we made huge engineering breakthroughs.

Q: How did you balance your creative and technical capabilities with the client’s brand? A: Our clients are known for being a progressive organization willing to push the boundaries to achieve their goal of "education through technology". With that in mind, we were free to explore a fair bit outside of the client's brand to achieve a unique look for the DroneVR simulation's benefit. Doing so helped us focus on our creative ideas and tech capabilities to create a virtual world that felt new and focused on education through perceived experience.

Q: How did the final product defy your expectations? A: The final product was exactly what we hoped it would be: a fantastic user experience backed by ground-breaking technology. We believe in making quality educational experiences accessible to anyone via a web browser and a basic computer. DroneVR aims to pave the way for individuals in schools – particularly non-traditional schools and vocational programs – to access learning opportunities previously restricted to a small section of the population. This was a huge win for us all around.

Q: Why is this an exciting time to create new digital experiences? How does your team fit into this? A: We couldn’t be more excited for what is to come and the opportunities we’ll be presented with to create absurdly great digital products. We’re in a very interesting time right now where we’re seeing digital transformation across a variety of industries. We’re seeing how much our expertise is needed in today’s market, and we look forward to creating digital products that make a strong impact in sectors such as education, healthcare, and anything tele related.

Explore

MediaMonks

Netflix DARK

TBWAChiatDay LA

Behind The Record

Wild Forest

François Audouy

Zuleika Arroyo

Black Women Too

Sid Lee / DIgital Kitchen

The Joker’s Escape

NBC News

Trans, imprisoned — and trapped

The National AIDS Memorial

World AIDS Day 2020 - A National Conversation -

AKARU

Avoriaz

GSD&M

U.S. Air Force ECHO

Animal

Life At Spotify

Center for Architecture

Visualize NYC 2021

HAUS

Tillamook

360 Design

Zoonomia

Wonderland

Gigarama

Sing, My District

Nightjar

Discovered Wildfoods eComm Experience

Dogstudio

ZOOX

MediaMonks

Maserati MC20

Cheil Worldwide, Inc

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G series

NYC & Company

The Black Experience in NYC

ESPN

ESPN College Football Tracker

Paradowski Creative

The Sheldon Website

Active Theory

CHILE20

Active Theory

Secret Sky 2020

Hook

YouTube Culture & Trends Report

Hook

Local Guides

Hello Design

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Studio Airport

Emergence Magazine

Athletics

New York Review of Books

R/GA

ESPN House of 98

ThoughtMatter

CENTER Photography 2020 Compendium

Turbulent

Turbulent.ca

IntraCollaborative

Newest Americans

Rotate°

Big Green Egg

Wide Eye

WhiteHouse.gov

Swell Creative Group

Everyone In LA: 2020 Homeless Count

firstborn

Exo

GIPHY

Content Pilot LLC

Chambliss. Bahner & Stophel

Hello Monday

Bartlett Summer Show

Work & Co

Vistaprint Masks

Hello Monday

Virgin Hyperloop

Forbes

Forbes 30 Under 30 2021

MIT Open Learning/Center for Advanced Virtuality

In Event of Moon Disaster

MediaMonks

Frontier Development Lab: Solving NASA’s Toughest Challenges with Google Cloud × Intel

Jam3

ComplexLand

Spring/Summer

Stykka

firstborn

The Leary Firefighters Foundation

Elephant

Elephant Website