The VR Experience Of Florida’s Artificial Reefs

SCUBA DIVING IS BIG BUSINESS IN FLORIDA GENERATING OVER 1 BILLION DOLLARS IN ANNUAL REVENUE TO ATTRACT MORE VISITORS. FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION HAS PLACED OVER 4500 ARTIFICIAL REEFS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. ONE OF THE MORE WELL-KNOWN ARTIFICIAL REEFS IS THE USS SPIEGEL GROVE SHIPWRECK, LOCATED OFF KEY LARGO. DESPITE BECOMING A POPULAR ATTRACTION FOR DIVERS, MANY PEOPLE WILL NEVER GET TO SEE THIS UNIQUE WRECK FOR THEMSELVES. WGCU’S PAM JAMES INTRODUCES US TO AN FGCU STUDENT WHO HAS DEVELOPED A WAY TO BRING THIS CUBA SENSATION TO LAND LOVERS EVERYWHERE. >> SO THE FULL EXPERIENCE IS ABOUT 90 MINUTES LONG. BUT I'M JUST GONNA SHOW YOU ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF TODAY. AND THE DIVE IS THE USS SPIEGEL GROVE. IT'S A 510 FOOT NAVAL SHIP WRECK ABOUT 6 MILES OFF THE COAST OF KEY LARGO. ABOUT 130 FEET TO THE STAND, THE STRUCTURE THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE VIDEOS ABOUT 80, 90 FEET. THIS IS ACTUALLY SOPHIA OVER THERE. SHE'S FEATURED IN THE PICTURE. >> SENIORS ALWAYS AIBO IS PRESENTING HER LATEST PROJECT AT THE FGCU LIBRARY AS PART OF THEIR WEEKLY SCHOLAR SERIES ON CAMPUS. HAS DEVELOPED A 360 DEGREE VISUALIZATION EXPERIENCE THAT GOES BEYOND VIRTUAL REALITY. >> AND WHEN YOU PUT THE HEADSET ON, YOU'LL SEE THAT YOU'RE REALLY IMMERSED IN THIS EXPERIENCE. AND IT'S REALLY LIKE YOU'RE ON THE DIVE. YOU SEE THE ENTRY, WHAT YOU SAW ME JUMP OFF. THE BOATS CALLED GIANT STRIDE. YOU SEE OUR DESCENT. WE SEE SOME OTHER DIVE MASK TO WORK. THIS IS SOPHIE AGAIN HERE DOING HER DIVE MASTER DUTIES AND WE SEE WE'RE ENTERING A SHIP. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE DENIS WENT AROUND THE WRECK BEFORE? OKAY. A COUPLE A COUPLE. BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T, THIS IS REALLY AMAZING. AND YOU'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. THEY BOTH STUDIES MARINE SCIENCE AT THE WATER SCHOOL. >> USING VIDEO WASN'T ORIGINALLY PART OF HER MAJOR. SO I AM STILL JUST A STUDENT RESEARCH ASSISTANT. I WAS FORTUNATE HAVE TO KIND OF GO TO DR PARSONS AND SAY THIS IS WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN. AND HE ALLOWED ME TO CREATE THIS UNDERWATER MEDIA POSITION. >> FOR MYSELF AND SOME VARIOUS DIFFERENT RESEARCH PROJECTS. >> ONE OF THOSE RESEARCH PROJECTS ENDED UP BECOMING IMMERSIVE MARINE MEDIA FOR EXPLORATION. >> RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND INTERACTIVE ACCESS. BUT WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY MEAN? BASICALLY, I'M TRYING TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN PEOPLE CARING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AND ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDING IT. SO WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT IMMERSION IS THIS SET UP IN PARTICULAR GIVES ME A FIRST PERSON POINT OF VIEW PERSPECTIVE. AND WHEN YOU PUT ON THE HEADSET, YOU BECOME MY EYES AND YOU'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT A SCIENTIFIC DIVER, YOU BECOME THE SCIENTIFIC DIVER AFTER WHAT SHE CALLED THE PRODUCTION PHASE IN THE FALL SEMESTER. THIS SPRING, SHE'S ROLLING OUT THE APPLICATION. I'M MOVING MORE QUANTIFY ABUL ANALYSIS OF THIS PROJECT AND KIND OF UNDERSTANDING THE STATISTICS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS BEHIND IT. AND 2, HOW BENEFICIAL THIS VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGY CAN REALLY BE SPECIFICALLY FOR SCIENTIFIC DIVERS, BUT ALSO EXPLORING OUTSIDE CONNECTIONS WITH THAT AS WELL. >> HER FIRST TESTS ARE FOR THE FGCU SCIENTIFIC DIVERS. >> SO WITH THAT, WE'RE SEEKING TO ASSESS DOES IT MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND THEIR EXPECTATIONS AS DIVERS BETTER OR DO THEY UNDERSTAND THE DIVE SITE? BETTER TODAY MAYBE FEEL LESS ANXIOUS OR LESS STRESSED ABOUT THE UPCOMING DIVE AND FROM A NON VIRUS STANDPOINT, WE'RE ALSO HOPING TO KIND OF, LIKE I SAID, MAKE THAT UNDERWATER WORLD MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY BE USED TO BE DIVERS AND CAN'T EAT ANYMORE OR JUST CARE ABOUT THE UNDERWATER WORLD AND WANT TO EXPERIENCE IT IN ANY WAY. >> I'M TAKING THIS TECHNOLOGY BEYOND SCUBA DIVING IS WHAT INTEREST DR BRENT JACKSON. SO WE REALLY WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF ER CAN HAVE IN TERMS OF BEING A TEACHING TOOL, BUT ALSO. >> AND ITS IMPACT MAY BE FOR PSYCHOLOGY. A LOT OF WORK. IT LOOKS AT THE WELL-BEING BENEFITS ASSOCIATE WITH SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE. AND INCREASINGLY WE RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN YOU SPEND TIME OUTSIDE, YOU'RE EATING A LOT OF BENEFITS. THEY WILL GAIN BENEFITS. THINGS LIKE STRESS REDUCTION. FERRIES ARE GOING OUTSIDE, REDUCES YOUR STRESS, REDUCES YOUR ANXIETY. AND I'M REALLY CURIOUS IF DR A GREEN AND BLUE SPACES CAN PROVIDE THOSE SAME BENEFITS. AND SO USING SURVEY INSTRUMENTS WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER PEOPLE FEEL THE RESTORED OF POTENTIAL OF VR EXPERIENCE IN A PUBLIC SPACE LIKE A DIVE. >> ZABEL ALSO SEES THE BENEFIT OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH FOR THE PROJECT. >> SO I HAVEN'T HAD THE MOST AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE. BUT FROM WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN THIS FIELD IS THAT IT'S DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO CARE ABOUT THINGS. IF THEY CAN'T UNDERSTAND THEM AND IN A MERGER REALLY SEEKS TO BRIDGE THAT GAP AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO FULLY IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND GIVE THEM A TANGIBLE REASON TO CARE >> YOU CAN SEE MORE OF AS