June 16, 2021 – Cyan Planet, an international immersive media studio connecting audiences with marine organizations with an aim of promoting action for marine conservation, has recently announced that it has secured funding to start the creation of a digital twin of the ocean. The company’s flagship project ‘How is the Water’ raised more than USD $60,000 from over 500 backers worldwide and is now in its last days on Kickstarter.
The How is the Water digital twin of the ocean aims to make the underwater world accessible for everybody, while digitally preserving marine life for future generations, according to Cyan Planet. It is a virtual world that offers a unique opportunity to experience the underwater world from the perspective of marine animals, allowing users to explore the ocean using a mobile device, computer, or ideally, a virtual reality (VR) headset.
The project aims to connect people with the ocean, combining entertainment, experiential learning, and real-world marine conservation scenarios thanks to partnerships with many marine organizations like Whale & Dolphin Conservation, Reef Life Foundation, and Ocean Sounds. At the same time, it will provide a high-fidelity environment for professionals to visualize and simulate ocean-related scenarios and to communicate their work. The animals encountered in the world are also digital twins of real marine species, powered by AI to recreate realistic behavior. Furthermore, according to the Kickstarter page, even more animals are lined up to be scanned in order to create more digital twins.
“My mission is to make the ocean accessible for everybody,” said Michal Lovecky, CEO and Creative Director at Cyan Planet. “We can’t protect the ocean, unless we understand it, and allow people to connect with it on a deep emotional level.” Lovecky plans to create a virtual ocean world and connect researchers with people worldwide to drive action in support of marine conservation.
“We connect the actions within How is the Water with real-world impact,” added Ninja Mueller, a marine biologist and Co-Director, at Cyan Planet. “For example, if you grow your coral garden in-game, there will be a real reef structure deployed for coral restoration.”
Cyan Planet is using the power of virtual reality and immersive media to help inspire and educate people about the science of marine ecosystems through its How is the Water project. The company states that it is planning on having the first playable build (alpha prototype) ready by the end of the year. For more information on Cyan Planet and its ocean digital twin project, please visit the company’s website.
Video credit: Cyan Planet / YouTube
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.