Traversing a Mississippi River Bridge Prior to its Construction is now Possible

It is well-known people can use virtual reality technology to travel to remote locations. In most cases, this only applies to locations which already exist. In the case of the new bridge being built over the Mississippi river, users can check it out in VR three years before it opens to the public. An intriguing development which further demonstrates the power of VR technology.

The new Mississippi Bridge in VR

For a bridge which isn’t even close to being constructed yet, it is somewhat surprising to see how it will look in real life as of right now. More specifically, it is possible to travel between Iowa to Illinois in virtual reality by crossing this bridge which doesn’t exist in real life. Users can enjoy the view as if they were in a car or simply stand atop of the arch of the bridge itself. It is even possible to dive into the river, for those who fancy doing so.

It is evident this I-74 Mississippi River Bridge VR Experience will certainly get a lot of attention moving forward. The project is partially developed by Iowa State University and will help people envisage what the finished bridge will look like in 2021. It also features the old suspension bridge, which allows users to effectively see the differences between the two.

As is usually the case with such construction projects, they take multiple years to come to fruition. Being able to follow that process step by step at an early stage is pretty impressive in its own way. Although it is a VR experience most people will only check out once and possibly never again, it also highlights the potential of VR technology altogether. The creation of this simulation alone took six months, as four designers worked on the interactive model during that time.

The reason why users can also jump into the river is to bring attention to the threatened mussel species which had to be relocated prior to the construction of this new bridge. It is evident virtual reality technology can play a  big role in the educational sector overall, even though it doesn’t just apply to courses during school or university. This new VR experience will be showcased during a grand tour in both Iowa and Illinois moving forward.

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