7 Seas VR

How do you put Sperry 7 Seas traction to the test and bring Sperry’s partnership with America’s Cup to life without stepping on a boat?

SpecialGuest created a traveling virtual reality installation where we offered participants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the intensity and excitement aboard an America’s Cup boat.

By combining premium VR technology with a full sensorial experience, participants felt transported and immersed. Participants could see, hear, and feel the action.

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We captured 360 video footage of the first freshwater America’s Cup race in Chicago, stitched the footage, and created an Oculus Rift experience that puts viewers on the boat. SpecialGuest built an installation that allows participants to stand on a motorized platform synced to the movement of the boat, and we also developed wind and water spray cues in sync with action of the video.

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We used a GoPro rig to capture the 360 footage. To create the VR experience, we used Unity, an Arduino board, a water pump, water hosing, a mister, a fan, a motorized platform, and a lot of C# programming.