10 years from now, the earth orbit is filled with space trash produced from previous space excursions. There is a growing necessity to collect the space trash and create room for the launch of new satellites. Many freelancing space trash collectors are making contracts with big satellite corporations to take this dangerous and high rewarded job. Now, there is a competition between collectors to gather as much trash in a limited flight time in order to make more money.

The “space trash game” is an interactive stereoscopic installation that presents this scenario and combines aspects from game, interface and visual design as well as VR software engineering.

One of the main goals behind Space Trash game was to create awareness for the issue of pollution through orbital debris, by offering the audience a playful approach. The application deals with the problem of particles floating in the earth’s orbit, which cause damage to satellites. The players have to collect these particles by maneuvering a spaceship and controlling a collector arm in a coordinated manner.

Novel concepts of the game do not only allow networked users to interact with each other, but also provide the possibility to interact with networked teams. Thus, three physical devices were designed to control the interaction at each site of the installation encouraging communication between the players.

More information: www.spacetrash.org

The application is displayed using stereoscopic images in two different locations. Each location is controlled by a team of 3 people responsible for different jobs inside the space ship. They play against each other via network communication. The team that collects more space trash and doing so gains more points is the winner.

2009

22 to 26 April at "11e Rencontres Internacionales de la Réalité Virtuelle" in Laval (France).
http://www.laval-virtual.org/

2008

26 September at "Lange Nacht der Forschung Oberösterreich" in Linz (Austria).
http://www.ooe-forschungsnacht.at/