You can now virtually fly your very own body-controlled jet engine-powered suit and break a world record.
Human propulsion technology company Gravity has released a VR experience after its Co-founder Richard Browning, set the Guinness World Record for the fastest speed in a body-controlled jet engine-powered suit last month.
The record provided the footage for the first-person experience which incorporates 360-degree sound and video Click To Tweet
The record made headlines around the world and provided the footage for the first-person experience which incorporates 360-degree sound as well as video, and allows the user to experience what flying the jet suit feels like, for just under three minutes. Talking to us after the event, Browning said:
“We had a fantastic day with Guinness World Records, establishing the benchmark for flight speed, and took the opportunity to capture some incredible 360 degree footage to give an insight into the sheer adrenaline rush that is a 1,000 horsepower jet suit. The final run also elegantly demonstrates that we’re not afraid of a safe failure in pursuit of pushing the limit!”
The 360-degree audio-visual experience was made in partnership with VR agency Visualise, which fitted a multi-directional camera and microphone to Browning, and filmed as he set the Guinness World Record for the fastest speed in a body-controlled jet engine-powered suit, achieving a top speed of 32.02 miles per hour, over a lake in Reading, United Kingdom.
Browning says they’d had hundreds of request from fans and partners all over the world to capture a flight in 360 video, and they now plan to produce an entire series of VR experiences as part of a retail and brand partnership due to be launched in early 2018.
“We worked with Visualise to authentically capture the 360 audio/visual experience of what it feels like when I fly,” Browning recounts. “The end result when viewed in a headset is an extraordinary experience and the closest thing to actually flying the suit.”
Browning says they’d had hundreds of request from fans and partners all over the world to capture a flight in 360 video, and they now plan to produce an entire series of VR experiences as part of a retail and brand partnership due to be launched in early 2018.
“Richard’s invention is like nothing we’ve ever seen before,” said Visualise Co-founder Henry Stuart. “This is one of the most exciting projects we’ve worked on, and being able to experience flight in this way is mind-blowing, it gives people the chance to experience it in a unique and immersive way.”
“We believe VR is going to form a key part of how people experience what it feels like to fly our jet suit. It is also an incredibly effective training tool we are using to teach people how to fly it. We wanted our first 360 video to be captured during an iconic flight so filming it whilst breaking the Guinness World record was the perfect opportunity,” says Browning.
The British company is setting itself the ambitious mission to “re-imagine the future of manned flight,” and Browning says that their focus is on pushing the boundaries of what technology is capable on a global scale. “Content like this helps us reach out to people of all ages, to show the world what the future looks like, today.”
The British company is setting itself the mission to re-imagine the future of manned flight Click To TweetThis article was originally published on VRScout
Pilot a Gravity Flight Suit in VR With This #360Video via @alicebonasio https://t.co/ovMPjc3uGO pic.twitter.com/3VPAjOyhTB
— VRScout (@VRScout) December 30, 2017
For companies looking to get into VR/AR/MR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance on how these technologies can enhance and support your brand strategy.
Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.
