Photon Pathways

Inspiration

We began brainstorming ideas to create a game that explores both the micro and macro worlds, which offer a vast array of possibilities. We wanted to focus on something that connects these two worlds at a fundamental level, and we found it in the form of light! It's a crucial component behind VR, AR, and other visual media that we see in our world today. Without a proper understanding of this phenomenon, we cannot fully comprehend the world around us. So, we took on the challenge of creating an engaging and educational game that teaches players about the science of light in a fun and interactive way.
By designing an interactive platform that includes exciting challenges such as mirror adjustments and target hitting, we hope to make the learning process engaging and enjoyable.

What it does

The game on light transport physics is an educative simulation designed to make learning about the principles of light transport physics fun and interactive. Here are some of the things that the game does:

Adjusting Mirrors: Players can adjust mirrors to reflect light and hit targets, allowing them to learn about the principles of reflection and light transport.
Using Refraction: The game also teaches players about the principle of refraction, which is essential for understanding how lenses and other optical devices work.
Tackling Total Internal Reflection: The game also helps players to understand the concept of total internal reflection, which is a critical component of many optical systems.
Generating Dispersion: The game helps players to understand the concept how wavelengths of light separate as they pass through a medium. Overall, the game provides an engaging and interactive platform for students and science enthusiasts to explore the fascinating world of light transport physics.

How we built it

Fleshing out each level and the concepts involved (reflection, refraction...) on paper
Mathematical backend for each phenomenon
Ray visualization over time
VR controls and UI (interaction, movement, firing)
Hardware setup
Level design with props and prefabs

Challenges we ran into

Meta Quest Setup and Network loss
VR Controls (Firing, Grabbing - Rotation fix, and UI)
Ray visualization (especially dispersion) Simulating the phenomenon with mathematical accuracy
Time constraints (needing to rush the further levels after taking longer than anticipated to do level 1)

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Fixing all sorts of XR Interaction bugs (like rotation fixes for grabbing) despite the lack of reliable documentation / forums
Thinking on our feet to re-prioritize our level plan and use workarounds for many important steps (like info popups, UI screens instead of buttons, etc.)
Last but not least, all the great physical effects (especially the beautiful dispersion!)

What we learned

It takes a boatload of effort to even finish one level well within 36 hours - so, max respect to all game and XR app developers!
Using the XR Interaction Toolkit and building for VR device like the Meta Quest 2.
Prioritization and re-prioritization should happen throughout, to ensure we're always on track despite any unexpected setbacks.

What's next for Photon Pathways

Instead of the info popups, we'd like to use more informative and appealing visuals for educational purposes (we could trace out and mark the angles formed at interfaces, for example). Then, there are several light phenomena that we wish to integrate such as interference, diffraction, scattering, and photoelectric effects. Further down the line, we'd love to try our hand at simulating the bending of light around black holes using relativity!