Gundam VR is a virtual reality adaptation of the Japanese animated television show Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. In this virtual reality experience, you will take the role of protagonist Mikazuki Augus, a young soldier that pilots a giant robot, known as a Gundam, in battle as a mercenary. Left paralyzed on his right side due to the physical strain from piloting his Gundam, Mikazuki is only able to control his entire body when plugged into his robot, the Barbatos. The scenario has Mikazuki transport himself to his Gundam through a hangar while still paralyzed on his left side only to regain his bodily autonomy once he is plugged into the Barbatos and ready for combat. This virtual reality experience asks the question of how the giving and taking away of agency in VR can be used to simulate physical impairment.
The Prototyping eNarrative Lab (PeN Lab) at Georgia Tech applies digital information design and interaction design principles to digital storytelling to create more complex and expressive narratives, focusing on emerging platforms like experimental television, virtual reality, and augmented reality, and on the intersection of storytelling with game design and simulation design.
