A new virtual reality project entitled “VR Timetravel” has been launched in Luxembourg, taking users on a journey to 19th century Pfaffenthal.
On Tuesday 26 September 2017, the College of Mayors and Aldermen of the Ville de Luxembourg (VdL) presented the pilot project "VR Timetravel" carried out at Pfaffenthal by the company DDG Benelux and the Service of Information and Communication Technologies, in close collaboration with City Museums and the support of the Bus Service.
Thanks to 3D glasses, visitors can go back in time to the Pfaffenthal district of the 19th century for a bus ride through the narrow streets of the suburb. Enriched with photographic documents, animated images, sounds and music, this multi-sensory experience allows users to immerse themselves in the daily life of the neighbourhood: they can see the private houses and functional buildings, such as the Vauban military barracks, while travelling in an animated horse-drawn carriage pulled by virtual horses.
The pilot project will last two months and will not be accessible to the general public during its testing phase. After this evaluation phase, the VdL will decide on the larger scale development of the project and its gradual extension to other districts, enabling both citizens and visitors to enjoy this journey into the past and history of Luxembourg City.
The "VR Timetravel" project is part of the "smart city" concept of the VdL, which aims to simplify the daily life of the public, engage citizens in an interactive way and provide relevant information for users in different areas from extended free wifi and the transparency of public data to online solar cadastre and wifi radiation mapping for environmental purposes and the implementation of iBeacons.
More information on the VR Timetravel project is available online at timetravel.vdl.lu or vr-timetravel.com.
