Oculus Rift Planetarium Project

在这个试点项目中，我们的目标是为天文学公众参与的一个有价值的新工具奠定基础：天文馆软件和虚拟现实耳机的结合，使每个用户都可以在模拟的夜空下自由观看，而不需要天文馆或晴朗的天空。我们将改装虚拟天文馆软件Stellarium，以使用新的Oculus Rift虚拟现实耳机。这款耳机仍处于原型阶段，但被广泛认为是家庭游戏的未来，它在科学交流方面的潜力目前还没有开发出来。Facebook最近收购了该公司，首席执行官马克·扎克伯格表示：移动是今天的平台，现在我们也在为明天的平台做准备。Oculus有机会创建有史以来最具社交性的平台，并改变我们的工作、娱乐和交流方式。这项技术令人难以置信的是，你感觉自己实际上是在另一个地方和其他人在一起。尝试它的人说，这与他们一生中经历过的任何事情都不同。我们的目标是尽早接触到这项羽翼未丰的技术。最初，我们将尝试运行单个天文馆模拟，然后再尝试同时运行多个耳机。下一个关键阶段是将这些独立的模拟联网，以便中央演讲者可以与它们互动，也许是通过突出显示特定的行星或星座。在所有阶段，我们将监测、测试和改进软件，以最少的用户输入达到最大的影响。如果试验项目成功，那么将为一个强大的新天文学工具奠定基础。未来的一个关键目标可能是允许拥有自己设备的家庭用户连接到现场观星演讲，或者可能将硬件带到偏远地点的活动中，任何时候都可以有20人或更多人参加。可能性是无穷无尽的，我们当然会与天文学社区的其他人分享我们的发现。

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.