VR Experience
This project includes three immersive virtual reality modules developed as part of doctoral research investigating how immersive environments can support historical inquiry and understanding. Each module explores a different dimension of historical experience: location, narrative, and perspective, within the context of Australia’s involvement in Allied Bomber Command during the Second World War.
These modules are designed using historical archival sources to explore how immersive virtual environments can support historical understanding and education.
Modules
Terror in the Tail (available soon)
Focus: Location
The user is positioned within the confined rear gunner space, looking out into the black night sky while searching for enemy fighters. The module recreates cramped conditions, limited peripheral vision, vulnerability, and isolation.
Odds of Survival
Focus: Narrative
The user is positioned within the space of the wireless operator in a cramped, windowless section of the aircraft, dimly lit by red light to preserve night vision. With no view of the outside, the mission unfolds through radio chatter, fragments of communication, with only sound to make sense of the unfolding events.
Firestorm (available soon)
Focus: Perspective
The user is positioned in the pilot seat, looking down at the aftermath of the bombing od Dresden, revealing the destructive capacity of the bomber. The module explores how immersive VR can shape perspective on historical events.