Do you like watching new and old worlds collide? The immersive VR experience at Westfield - Stratford is exactly that – one second you are in a modern shopping mall filled with half term shoppers buying donuts and trainers and then, you put on a VR headset and literally walk into Ancient Egypt staring up at the Great Pyramid of Giza as it looked 4500 years ago.
The Horizons of Khufu experience is mind-blowing. You follow a virtual tour guide inside the Great Pyramid, which has been hollowed out by computer generated technology so that you can see every intricate detail before floating up the outside of the pyramid to take in the view from the top.
There is also a trip down the Nile on a felucca and, back on ‘dry’ land, a traditional embalming ceremony where Ancient Egyptians prepare the great Pharaoh Khufu for his afterlife.
Dylan, an employee at Horizons of Khufu, describes it as an ‘otherworldly experience’, and having experienced it myself, I can agree.
VR (virtual reality) is a simulated experience that uses 3D worlds in a headset. You can walk around ‘inside this world’ to explore the computer-made environment. However,in reality, you are just walking around a big empty room. It is quite amusing to take off your headset for a second and watch people crawl through non-existent tunnels.
It is very easy to understand once you arrive, so there is no need for agitation! Being a wheelchair friendly experience, also makes it accessible for all.
I loved my time-travelling VR experience and can’t wait to go back for Life Chronicles – a VR trip through the evolutionary stages of the planet – the next time I’m in Stratford.
