INTRODUCING TEAM SoS

We are Team SoS (a collaboration between Scitech and Curtin University) - our passion is immersive games for good.

The challenge we’ve tackled is ‘1 UP Earth’ – using NASA Earth data to inspire, educate and inform.

Many young people are concerned with the state of the world. The news is overwhelmingly negative. Rising temperatures, loss of biodiversity and an uncertain future for our planet.

How can we provide youth with STEM skills, data and knowledge to solve environmental problems in a way that empowers rather than overwhelms?

THE SOLUTION

We believe games are the answer!

SAVE OUR SPHERE (SoS) - A VR GAME FOR GOOD USING NASA DATA

SoS is an immersive VR game where players rewild endangered ecosystems.

In ‘Earth View’ you select your mission with the help of NASA data and stunning map overlays - choose between 'Mission Mangroves', 'Rainforest Rescue' or 'Coral Crusader'.

All missions are based on actual initiatives which are leveraging new technology. For example, in Coral Crusader your mission is to repopulate a bleached coral reef in Queensland using a LarvalBot which distributes coral larvae.

In Mission Mangrove you fly a drone, and use data on water temperature, salinity and tidal range to select the most ideal location. Meanwhile, you’re battling a depleting power source, weather conditions and the clock is ticking down.

Once you’ve dropped your seeds, your aerial view shifts to ground level where you get to experience the wonder of a forest growing around you.

As the forest grows, look down with your VR headset to see a mud crab scurrying by your feet, look up to see a Collared Kingfisher perched in the branches above.

See your impact in a scorecard. How much carbon does your new forest capture? How much new life does it support? Finally, how resilient is your ecosystem to future changes, such as rising sea levels or temperatures.

WE DELIVERED

- VR game concept.

- Examples of data usage and map overlays. For example, for 'Mission Mangrove', we used NASA data to display a mangrove forest overlay on our game's Earth View.

- a prototype of SOS's 'Earth View' in Unity which we've been testing with a Vive Pro headset.

- 'Look and feel' of game elements.

SAVE OUR SPHERE - OUTREACH AND EDUCATION

Save our Sphere empowers young people to build STEM skills and solve problems using NASA data.

It also encourages students to consider UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 Climate Action - take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

To achieve both reach and impact, our plan is to distribute the game and VR headsets in schools, museums and science centre's across the globe.

For educators, the game offers significant learning opportunities; Johanna Stanley, from Scitech's Learning Futures Team states:

"The Save our Sphere game will inspire students to problem solve and collaborate, drawing meaning from mathematical data and scientific understandings to inspire solutions using technology in new and innovative ways".

DATA SOURCES

1. Global Mangrove Distribution, Aboveground Biomass, and Canopy Height

2. Ocean temperature

Other data sources we're exploring using include:

5. Salinity Data

6. Mangrove data

7. High resolution images from Landsat for when players zoom in to regions, as well as usable information on rainforests, and additional mangrove forest data.

8. Coral reef data

REFERENCES

1. Mangrove-planting drones on a mission to restore Myanmar

2. Reef Rangerbot becomes 'Larvalbot' to spread coral babies

3. Fighting global warming with blue carbon

4. Gaming can make the world a better place