Grant: 24-032E
Project Title: A Turtle Hatchling's Race for Survival - An Immersive VR Experience
Project Manager: Jill Griffin
Organization: Hobe Sound Nature Center, Inc. (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $7,484.00
Completion Date: 2025-07-15
Summary: This project adds a dedicated VR space to our museum at the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. The project will allow Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge to purchase six MetaQuest3 headsets (and supporting accessories) to offer an immersive VR experience for guests of all ages. The VR station will require dividers and chairs to cordon off and designate the space and ensure guest safety. We will download Project Shell, which is a free VR software program. This 15-minute virtual experience as a loggerhead sea turtle employs a concept called "body transfer", which involves audiovisual and haptic engagement with a virtual sea turtle. Guests will essentially "transform" into a loggerhead sea turtle, complete with flippers instead of hands, and will experience the turtle's plight for survival as if it is their own, beginning with emerging from the egg, racing towards the sea, and eventually growing into an adult, dodging many hazards along the way. Studies have shown that virtual simulations that employ "narrative perspective taking" make the many threats faced by threatened and endangered wildlife feel more personal, thus fostering empathy and scaling up the potential for improved awareness and pro-conservation behaviors.
Results: We purchased six (6) Meta Quest 3 headsets first and quickly realized we needed the Elite Straps to ensure the headsets could be manually adjusted to fit people of all ages. To ensure longevity and care, we also purchased protective cases for each headset and adhesive hooks to maintain them on display at the VR station. We originally purchased the Sound Sponge Quiet Divider and requisite accessories. However, we realized they were too large and bulky for the space we had allocated. The barriers also created too much separation between us and our guests (i.e., for guided instruction/assistance). So, we returned the sound dividers, despite the restocking fee. In its place, we purchased two (2) freestanding, foldable pet gates. We purchased 4, faux leather (for durability and to minimize staining) swivel chairs, which is where guests remain sitting (for safety) during the entire VR experience. However, we have tile flooring, and the chairs rolled too easily. So, we purchased two (2) outdoor sea turtle rugs to minimize the movement of the chairs at each VR station. We learned, through trial and error, that it was very difficult to provide ad hoc guidance to guests who were engaged in the VR experience. So, we purchased 4 Apple iPads (for projection) and 4 iPad wall mounts.