Eroglution

Won "Best Illustration of Impact on the Built Environment" at 2019 Yale Climate Change Hackathon

Eroglution is a virtual reality simulation that tackles climate change and CO2. The experience aims to be a fun illustration of reducing urban heat and surface temperatures by planting various trees around the town. Players will find themselves breathing heavily reflecting the high temperatures at the start but as more trees are planted they gradually can breathe more freely. The game is supported by real data analysis and feedback. This project was my first time working with Virtual Reality inside the Unity Game Engine.

*Unfortunately, I currently don't have access to the project as it was developed on Yale University property. So I cannot post visual details on the project besides the video provided.*

Role:

Programmer, Quality Assurance Support

Time of Development:

24 hours

Team Size:

Engine/Tools:

Unity, SteamVR

Language:

Platform:

HTC Vive

Core Ownerships

Integrating Steam VR and HTC Vive Support

Given the short time, I learned how to use an HTC Vive headset and controllers then I learned how to integrate the SteamVR plugin to allow the headset to run in the Unity Game Engine.

I rapid prototyped the movement and button press detections which other programmers ended up using as a main base for interactions in the game.

Quality Assurance

After the SteamVR was integrated, I took on playtesting the experience from beginning to end. This included wearing the HTC Vive headset repeatedly during final six hours of development during the hackathon.

I noted all experience breaking bugs and interaction issues that occurred and communicated any potential design ideas on enhancing the player immersion but ultimately didn't make it due to time constraints. Ideas I brought up involved:
- Haptic Feedback
- Indication and Animations for Growing Trees
- AI Crowd Movement

Post Mortum

After submission and presentation time, our team won "Best Illustration of Impact on the Built Environment", we were very proud of our accomplishment and were featured on the coverage of the Hackathon on the University Website.

This hackathon was the first time I worked with VR, I learned a lot about Virtual Reality and how I can develop more unique experiences with it. I also learned the values of working with a big team and the responsibilities that a specific role can have. During the time of development, an unfortunate incident happened in which I learned that VR game development required a more VR-ready PC or laptop to handle the technical expense so I made sure to acquire one afterward.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW COVERAGE ON THE GAME

Team Picture After Presentation

Kenechukwu Umelo

Technical Gameplay Designer