<div dir="ltr">'Travel' to Space for £40 / $70<br><br>Researchers from the Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey have launched a unique campaign that will enable the public to 'travel' to space for the cost of a pair of trainers<br>
<br>Virtual Ride to Space will use cutting-edge virtual technology and a specially designed spacecraft to deliver a three-dimensional, immersive experience, allowing everyone to see what astronauts experience on an ascent to space.<br>
<br>The experience will be created by capturing HD footage of space, via a weather balloon which will carry a cluster of twenty-four HD video cameras to a height of 20km - twice the height of a commercial airplane. During ascent these cameras will capture panoramic footage of the balloon’s journey to space.<br>
<br>VR2Space Payload Module<br><img src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/1524624_712661682090687_1364142083_n.jpg" width="610" height="440"><br><br>Following the flight, specialised software will stitch this footage together to recreate a panoramic view of the space trip. The subsequent space ride will then be viewed using Oculus Rift, a state-of-the-art virtual reality, head-mounted display. The system is designed to deliver high definition 3D virtual environments that can be explored by the wearer, as if they are in space themselves.<br>
<br>The £30,000 project will be funded by public contributions through the crowd-sourcing funding platform, Kickstarter.<br><br>“Only 530 people have ever travelled to space. For most of us it’s a distant and very expensive dream but this project is about enabling the remaining 99.999992% to see the world like never before,” said lead researcher Dr Aaron Knoll from the University of Surrey.<br>
<br>“Ride to Space will give all aspiring astronauts the chance to be a virtual passenger, riding the balloon to space, and unlike other Galactic flights, it won’t cost the earth to be on board!”<br><br>The project team are also developing a smartphone application that will allow users to experience the journey using the phones’ built-in gyroscope and accelerometer data, as well as a computer programme that will allow users to experience space via their PCs.<br>
<br>Investment for Virtual Ride to Space is being sought via Kickstarter. Please visit the Virtual Ride to Space page for more information.<br><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1592839372/">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1592839372/</a><br>
virtual-ride-to-space-using-the-oculus-rift<br><br>Channel 5 Gadget Show<br><a href="http://gadgetshow.channel5.com/gadget-show/gadget-news/">http://gadgetshow.channel5.com/gadget-show/gadget-news/</a><br>travel-to-space-with-the-oculus-rift<br>
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