On October 20, VIVASEDA, a student-led organization, participated in the Tomonsai festival, an annual festival targeted for alumni organized by the Waseda University Tomonsai Committee, with a booth that had a virtual reality (VR) fencing simulation as part of events in advance of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. In addition, the group collaborated with the Waseda University Co-operative to provide a special menu at Okuma Garden House.
The VR experience was designed by the VIVASEDA event team with the aim of raising interest in the fencing competition and boosting momentum for the Olympic Games. By using VR technology to reproduce the line of sight, heart rate, and subjective impressions of actual top athletes, the simulation immersed participants in the world of an Olympian.
In creating the experience, the group asked for help from Kawai Laboratory of the Faculty of Science and Engineering which does research on developing 3D content, building evaluation systems, and the impact of game software on human cognitive functions. With the cooperation of Masato Yasu from the fencing club, who placed third in the individual competition at the All Japan Fencing Championships last December, Kawai Laboratory collected data, such as by shooting video, in order to create the VR fencing system.
The booth had 130 visitors during the festival who donned goggles and enjoyed playing against Mr. Yasu in virtual reality.
At Okuma Garden House, VIVASEDA students served up “Italian taco rice” with the cooperation of the Waseda University Co-op, in advance of Waseda being the training camp for Team Italy next year. The 300 meals they prepared sold out in two hours, which was a good sign ahead of full-scale, week-long sales that will start from November 18.
Photos of the event
