Using VR technology to reduce carbon emissions: VR as an entertainment tool to alleviate long travel times for airships

Abstract

Commercial airship travel today is not a widely available or mainstream mode of transportation, and some of the reasons for this is due to its slow travel time, expensive maintenance cost and social stigma from previous disasters. But compared to other airborne travel options, such as airplanes, airships barely produce any carbon dioxide when moving. So if more people could use airships instead of airplanes for traveling, air travel would reduce its carbon footprint.

The goal of this thesis is to figure out if VR technology can be used to help alleviate the longer travel times on an airship by providing it with this entertainment option, and therefore make this traveling option more attractive. This was done by building both a virtual and physical room, and then running a study using these two. The virtual room is a virtual reality space in which users can interact and do activities either alone or together. The physical room is to immerse the user in what a potential cabin that supports VR technology could look like on an airship. The study is done by having each participant start by learning the basics of how VR works. Then they enter the virtual room to explore and interact with the environment around them. Finally they answers question about their experience and their thoughts about airships travel in the form of an interview.

The results of the experiment and interviews show VR’s potential to enhance travel experiences, especially for long journeys on airships. Most participants enjoyed the VR medium, suggesting its appeal as entertainment, with personalization and social interaction highly valued. However, technical issues and the learning curve, particularly for those with physical limitations, present challenges. The high cost of VR hardware is also a barrier. Despite these issues, VR’s transformative potential is evident, offering unique experiences for eco-conscious travelers.