Citytrip (2011)

Put on your Oculus Rift VR-goggles and jump on the bike, it’s time to go on a Citytrip!

With Citytrip you can explore a fantastical, alien city by riding a bike. By pedaling and steering you navigate through the virtual reality as if you are really there. Fly through the air by pedaling like a mad-man and hitting the ramps, or use the bicycle bell to jump from building to building. Explore the city on the ground or navigate the twisting aerial pathways and cycle along the top floors of skyscrapers. Set your own goals, create your own challenges and have fun!

The idea for this project came to us when we were trying the already existing demos and games with the Oculus Rift. While the virtual reality of the Oculus Rift is very immersive, moving around using mouse and keyboard doesn’t feel natural, and breaks that immersion quickly. We wanted to create a project with an interface simulating a more realistic motion control, further reducing the barrier between user and the virtual environment. After brainstorming for a bit we decided on using a bicycle as the way to interact with the world. A bicycle removes most of the disconnect of using a keyboard/mouse because it is a familiar way of moving for most people, resulting in a more intuitive and fun experience.

Citytrip is a collaboration between FRONT404 and Andrius Sta