By generating a virtual reality in smooth running 3D, the Facebook-bought Oculus Rift enables experiences that users haven’t seen before. And for some developers, it’s a prime opportunity to create something unique – like something that could easily scare your pants off.
A new project from the University of Art and Design in Lausanne has surfaced, with interactive designer Simon de Diesbach working on something new with the Rift headset. With the new program, titled OccultUs, Diesbach looks to deepen the VR experience as we know it, using virtual reality with real-world sounds provided through a sound effects booth that’s nearby.
What’s the goal of the project? Simple – scare whoever’s using it. “With the OccultUs, I wanted to immerse the user in a sensory experience made up of two distinct realities blended together: the palpable reality of the ‘real’ world, and the simulated reality of VR,” de Diesbach explains.
Normally, Oculus VR-based projects enable the user to see a new world, while they can still hear what’s going on in the real one. With this project, however, sounds are muffled, forcing the user to become more vulnerable than with a usual game.
