What is it like to be a bat?
This is the famous question posed by American philosopher Thomas Nagel regarding the limitations of consciousness and the mind-body problem: the relationship between thought and consciousness in the human mind, and the brain as part of the physical body.
MonarchVR and our other nature simulations explore this issue in an entirely unique way, combining academic research with virtual and augmented reality technologies to help players experience the world as other animals do.
Every animal possesses unique abilities and survival methodologies, such as the monarch butterfly’s ability to see ultraviolet light or a bat’s ability to hunt and navigate a twilight world using echolocation. Every animal also faces unique challenges, from the quotidian—daily searches for food and shelter—to the remarkable—continent-spanning migrations and life-or-death encounters with predators.
Our simulations are designed to explore both, providing players with the highs and the lows of an animal’s experience, and highlighting the ways in which human activities can worsen the challenges they face through habitat destruction and climate change.
We currently have one public prototype, Frogworld, and are in the process of creating our first free public demo, MonarchVR featuring the Monarch butterfly.
We are eager for feedback from the VR gamer community, as well as educators and others who share an interest in our work. You can join our beta program for MonarchVR or contact us below!
Is MonarchVR a game? An app? A nature simulation? Really, all the above. We like to think about it as an experience first and foremost—a chance to gain more understanding of nature and the monarch. To keep moving forward, players will feed on multiple types of flowers to gain sustenance but will also deal with mortal enemies like the web-spinning garden spider. The evolution of MonarchVR and planned follow-up releases will depend on you. Interested in more documentary-style narrative or ready to get straight to the video game action?
Sound interesting? Learn more here or join our closed beta!
Our first animal perspective-based VR prototype, Frogworld, was created through the Oculus LaunchPad program in 2019.
Frogworld, allows players to experience time spent as an American bullfrog jumping, crawling and swimming its’ (your) way through the natural world. Hunt flies for sustenance, survive busy road crossings, and avoid predators with long snouts and sharp beaks.
