Oculus Rift Planetarium Project

In this pilot project, our aim is to lay the foundations for a valuable new tool in astronomy public engagement: the combination of planetarium software and virtual reality headset that would give each individual user the freedom to look around under a simulated night sky without the need for a planetarium or clear skies. We will adapt virtual planetarium software, Stellarium, to make use of the new Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. This headset is still in the prototype stage but is widely regarded as the future of home gaming and its potential for science communication is currently untapped.

Facebook recently acquired the company, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was quoted as saying 'Mobile is the platform of today, and now we're also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow. Oculus has the chance to create the most social platform ever, and change the way we work, play and communicate. The incredible thing about the technology is that you feel like you're actually present in another place with other people. People who try it say it's different from anything they've ever experienced in their lives.'

Our aim is to get involved with this fledgling technology as early as possible. Initially we will attempt to get a single planetarium simulation running and then progress to running multiple headsets simultaneously. The next key stage is to network these independent simulations so that a central speaker might interact with them, perhaps by highlighting a particular planet or constellation. At all stages we will monitor, test and refine the software to achieve the maximum impact with the minimum of user input.

If the pilot project is successful then the foundations will have been laid for a powerful new astronomy tool. A key goal for the future could be to allow home users with their own equipment to connect to a live stargazing talk or perhaps taking the hardware to events at remote sites where 20 or more people can take part at any one time. The possibilities are endless and we would of course share our findings with the rest of the astronomical community.

We will communicate our findings from this pilot to a variety of science outreach conferences, such as the BAAS, and also to discuss directly with members of the British Association of Planetaria. However, our follow-on intention is to develop a standardised package including software and shows as well as a recommendation on hardware, with the idea that this would be widely disseminated via an open-source repository.