EcoQuest: Urban Decay

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  Ecoquest Map

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  Ecoquest Map

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  Things definitely need to be cleaned up...

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Track: City Beautification

Inspiration

Urban pollution often goes unnoticed, yet it significantly impacts our health and environment. We sought to create an engaging platform that not only visualizes the effects of pollution but also empowers individuals to participate in virtual cleanup efforts. By transforming environmental restoration into an interactive VR experience, we aim to foster greater awareness and proactive behavior.​

What it does

EcoQuest is an immersive VR game that simulates the identification and mitigation of urban pollution. Players navigate through virtual cityscapes, pinpointing pollution sources and implementing cleanup strategies. As they progress, the environment transforms into a cleaner, more vibrant space, illustrating the positive outcomes of environmental stewardship.

How we built it

We developed EcoQuest using Unity, leveraging the XR Interaction Toolkit for VR functionalities. The game features intuitive controls and interactive elements that allow players to engage with the environment effectively. We incorporated realistic pollution scenarios to enhance the educational aspect of the experience.

Challenges we ran into

One of the main challenges was optimizing performance to ensure a smooth VR experience across different hardware. Balancing visual fidelity with performance required careful asset management and scene optimization. Additionally, designing intuitive interactions in a 3D space posed usability challenges that we addressed through iterative testing.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're proud to have created a VR experience that combines education and engagement, allowing users to visualize the impact of pollution and the benefits of cleanup efforts. The successful integration of interactive elements and the positive feedback from initial testers validate our approach.

What we learned

This project taught us the importance of user-centric design in VR environments. We learned how to translate complex environmental environments into interactive and understandable experiences. Additionally, we gained valuable insights into optimizing VR applications for performance and user engagement.

What's next for EcoQuest

Looking ahead, we plan to expand EcoQuest by incorporating more diverse urban environments and pollution scenarios. We're exploring partnerships with environmental organizations to integrate real-world data and broaden the game's educational scope. Additionally, we aim to develop community features that allow users to collaborate on virtual cleanup efforts, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and collective action.

This is a VR Game

In order to experience this application in it's fullest, it requires a meta quest headset (2 or 3) with the apk loaded onto it.

Credit to Kyle Nguyen, Hemang Mehra, and Siddhartha Shibi

Built With

• unity