visit virtual 3d

360° Panoramic Creations:

We create high-quality stabilized video having 8k and 4k resolution, 48 or 24 frames per second together with high-quality post-processing. Videos are supported by the most advanced technologies, such as virtual reality headsets (including Samsung Gear VR), different electronic devices and YouTube channels.

We use different types of moving and fixed objects (tripods, monopods, cars, helicopters, building cranes, etc.) to record videos. For aerial shooting we usually use drones with fully gyro-stabilized unique suspension. Panoramic video covers up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

360° videos are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the videos are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate with the resolution up to 8k.

360° PHOTOGRAPHY

Our team creates high-quality 360° photo-panoramas with 35000x17500 pixels resolution (in the equidistant projection) and carries out professional post-processing and corrections of any complexity. We develop virtual tours which are suitable for all browsers, support both Flash and HTML5 technologies and are compatible with different mobile devices and virtual reality headsets (including Samsung Gear VR).

We use different types of moving and fixed objects (tripods, monopods, cars, helicopters, building cranes, etc.) to record videos. For aerial shooting we usually use drones with the fully gyro-stabilized unique suspension. Panoramic video covers up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

Ready 360° photo-panoramas cover up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

Info-points (description buttons that can be placed in the panorama), embedded pictures, video and audio can be added to the virtual tour.

360° GIGAPANORAMA

Our team creates high-quality 360° photo-panoramas with resolution from 1 to 3 gigapixel and carries out professional post-processing and corrections of any complexity. We develop virtual tours which are suitable for all browsers, support both Flash and HTML5 technologies and are compatible with different mobile devices and virtual reality glasses (including Samsung Gear VR).

Info-points (description buttons that can be placed in the panorama), embedded pictures, video and audio can be added to the ready virtual tour.

360° TIMELAPSE

We can make panoramic timelapses with the given viewing angle and resolution up to 12k with professional post-processing and without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle. 360° timelapses are supported by the most advanced technologies, such as virtual reality glasses (including Samsung Gear VR), different electronic devices and YouTube channels.

360° timelapses are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the timelapses are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate with the resolution up to 12K.

Content sales:

VIRTUAL TOURS

On the basis of 360° panoramas we create virtual tours of any complexity, branded with logos and design elements of the company’s website together with embedding interactive elements, such as photos, slideshows, videos, descriptions, switch-points to other panoramas, audio descriptions, 3D sounds.

Our clients receive a fully functional virtual tour developed in HTML5 and supported by any computer or mobile device (iOS, Android, Windows Phone).

360° Photo    Price List

STOCK PHOTOS

For almost 10 years of travelling around the world our team has gathered an extensive stock of pictures, taken from both flying devices and the ground.

Any picture presented at our stock can be licensed for any kind of possible use. We can also offer the photos of ultra-high quality (the longer side up to 103,000 pixels).

You can also take a look at the spherical panoramas published on the website www.airpano.ru . Any of the 360° panoramas represented on the website can be converted into a printed image of very high quality.

Photogallery    Price List

STOCK 360° VIDEOS

By filming 360° video since 2011, our team has gathered an extensive stock of clips, taken from both flying devices and the ground.

Any video presented on our website can be licensed for any kind of possible use.

360° videos are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the videos are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate.

360° Video    Price List

APPLICATIONS

We are one of the software developers of applications based on 360° photos and videos. Currently, there are 7 applications in our portfolio. One of them was top-rated in 84 countries and listed among the best applications of the year 2014 according to App Store.

These applications can also be used for demonstration of panoramic content with the help of virtual reality devices, such as Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard and analogues.

Exhibition installations:

EXHIBITION INSTALLATIONS

AirPano team has the experience of creating panoramic cinemas and video-walls, making it possible to demonstrate our panoramic content at different kinds of events, exhibitions and in museums. The size is only defined by the premises, the quality of projector and the dimensions of plasma screens. Such solutions usually make a deep impression on visitors.

The control is carried out by a tablet or Kinect devices.

TOUCH SCREENS

We are ready to create applications with panoramic content working on touch screens of any size. Both AirPano panoramas and the client’s material can be the basis for this kind of software.

We create virtual tours of any complexity, branded with logos and design elements of the company’s website together with embedding interactive elements, such as photos, slideshows, videos, descriptions, switch-points to other panoramas, audio descriptions, 3D sounds.

VR HEADSETS

Our virtual tours and 360° videos are supported by all the types of virtual reality headsets (VR): Google Cardboard, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, Sony Morpheus and others.

We can also develop special software for operating on Samsung Gear VR, if required.

AirPano in cooperation with Polden Studio carries out the installation of the binocular usage of the client’s or our own content. With the help of binoculars, the client can present the panoramic content at different kinds of events, exhibitions and in museums. This kind of devices usually attract a lot of visitors and leave a deep impression on them.

Fullscreen 360 features 360-degree panoramas of iconic destinations around the Universe. A full screen, 360-degree image lets you virtually travel to some of the most beautiful sites in the world, and the ability to look in any direction gives you the feeling of standing at on Mars, in Machu Picchu, on top Mt. St. Helens, or any of the other destinations we feature. The beautifully detailed, full screen panoramic photos give travelers a perspective unlike any other form of photograph. Destination360 and its team is the inspiration behind Fullscreen 360.

Top 10 virtual tours: see museums and the world without leaving home

Stuck at home? You can still enjoy amazing sights and experiences

Many of the world’s most iconic locations now offer virtual tours, meaning you can visit museums, world heritage sites and other attractions from the comfort of your couch. You don’t need a VR headset , either, although some attractions do support virtual reality for a more immersive experience.

So if you’re looking for things to do at home, and in need of a change of scenery, simply grab your laptop, tablet or phone, and join us on a world tour filled with history, nature and – of course – technology.

1. Machu Picchu, Andes Mountains, Peru

A simply stunning UNESCO World Heritage site, Machu Picchu is a visual wonder that just has to be seen. You no longer need to fly all the way to Peru to see it in all its glory, however, as the virtual tour is comprehensive, immersive, and filled with fascinating insights.

With 360-degree views of the ruins of Inca settlements and lush green landscapes, you can visit every popular vantage point and learn more about the history of the famous site thanks to a helpful voice narrator. OK, you can’t feel the warm breeze around you, but if you turn on the heat and have a handy desk fan set to low, it’s almost as good as the real thing. Almost.

Behold the marvel : Machu Picchu

2. The Louvre Museum, Paris

An attraction visited by millions of tourists in person every year, the Louvre Museum has also created a selection of virtual tours based on its permanent collections. Explore Egyptian antiquities, the Remains of the Louvre’s Moat, and the decorative arts of the Galerie d’Apollon. 

The tour is easy to navigate, with an expandable minimap that lets you highlight exhibits to view with just a couple of clicks. You can also find out more about each room in The Louvre, with detailed descriptions that will probably make the room you’re actually sitting in feel frightfully dull in comparison. 

Take a trip: Louvre Museum

3. The National Museum of Computing, Milton Keynes, UK

The National Museum of Computing contains the world’s largest collection of working historic computers. That means one of them probably runs Microsoft Vista and is still working...

The museum features a fantastic, intuitive, virtual 3D tour. You can zoom in on each exhibit’s details, and find out more about every aspect of computing history, such as the world’s oldest working digital computer. Impressive stuff.

Discover a digital treasure trove: The National Museum of Computing

4. Georgia Aquarium, Georgia, USA

Nothing beats the beauty of nature, so it’s good to know you can still get your daily dose of “aww” from the safety of your sofa. The Georgia Aquarium has over 50 species ranging from sea lions to underwater puffins, with many available to view via webcam. There’s also a daily and weekly livestream that’s aimed at piquing children’s interest in animals, and a great at-home educational tool if you want to entertain the little ones. 

Ever wondered what a Beluga Whale gets up to in its spare time? Just click on the link below and find out. Water-way to have a good time. 

Sea more: Georgia Aquarium

5. A 3-Minute Tour, Tokyo

What if we told you that you could ride in a Tuk Tuk, walk across the famous Shibuya crossing, win a Pikachu from a claw machine, and make friends with a robot… all in under three minutes. That might be physically impossible, but with VR it’s a breeze.

If you’ve ever wanted to take a whistle-stop tour of Japan, the Japan National Tourism Organization has created a 360-degree virtual reality video that lets you do all of the above, and lots more. 

Simply put on a VR headset to experience a surreal thrill ride, where you’ll go from feeding a deer to facing off against a sumo wrestler in a matter of seconds. The video is also viewable in 2D, and well worth a look. 

Check it out below.

6. The British Museum, London

Home to a remarkable collection that spans over two million years of human history and culture, The British Museum has nearly 50 online exhibits to view. From Bonaparte and the Battle of Waterloo to exploring the history of LGBTQ, there’s plenty of informative content to delve into.

For a more interactive experience, check out the Museum of the World tour . You can browse through a large selection of exhibits that are dated by century, continent and category – such as trade and conflict or art and design. Each exhibit offers a detailed description as well as accompanying audio, which helps provide a fascinating backstory to each piece. 

Browse the exhibits: The British Museum

7. The Vatican, Rome

Filled with spectacular architecture and historic monuments, The Vatican is within your virtual reach, with a host of museums providing online tours. Step into the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s Rooms, which are adorned with simply sensational artwork. 

The tour is compatible with WebVR, so you can pop on a VR headset to get an even closer look at some of mankind’s most memorable creations. It’s truly breathtaking, even when viewed through a screen.  

When in Rome, visit: The Vatican

 8. Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Located in the center of Paris, this historic museum was installed in the former Orsay railway station. It was originally built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, and displays collections of art from the period 1848 to 1914.

Take a leisurely virtual stroll through the opulent hallways and witness works from dozens of famous French artists, including Monet, Gauguin and Van Gogh. With no other visitors to contend with, you can soak up all the culture on display to your heart’s content – and there’s a lot to soak up. 

Take the tour: Musée d’Orsay

9. Athens Acropolis, Athens

A must-visit destination for history buffs, the Athens Acropolis includes the world-famous Parthenon, and is a cultural hotspot for tourists. Choose between popular sites such as the Theatre of Dionysus and enjoy in-depth videos that provide a fascinating and educational insight into ancient Greece. 

There are plenty of photographs to view and engrossing facts to learn, so don’t be surprised if you become an armchair expert in no time. Now, where’d you put that amphora of wine? 

Get to the Greek: Athens Acropolis

10. The Royal Academy of Arts, London

If you’re amazed by architecture, the Royal Academy of Arts has a virtual tour that will make you go “ooo” and “ahh” for hours. The Sensing Spaces exhibition uses high-quality 360-degree photography to give visitors a taste of its structures and remarkable exhibitions – it really does feel as if you’re actually there. 

Each exhibition is complemented by further information for users to read through, but you’re encouraged to come to your own conclusions, and think about what each space means to you.

Visit the exhibition: Sensing Spaces

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Adam was formerly TRG's Hardware Editor. A law graduate with an exceptional track record in content creation and online engagement, Adam has penned scintillating copy for various technology sites and also established his very own award-nominated video games website. He’s previously worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor and once played Halo 5: Guardians for over 51 hours for charity. He is now an editor at The Shortcut.

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The best virtual tours to explore the world from home

Oct 8, 2020 • 5 min read

The Sistine Chapel is just one wonder offering a virtual museum tour ©Rajesh Gathwala/500px

We live in an age of unprecedented access to digital technology – and with it, brand new ways of exploring the world around us.

While it's not quite the same as seeing, say, the Mona Lisa or Christ the Redeemer in person, some of the world’s most popular and remote destinations have created libraries of online images and video, as well as 360 degree virtual tours that let you virtually explore museums, galleries, world wonders and even national parks.

Here a just a few of the best digital tours that let you wander the world from wherever you may be social distancing.

See the seven wonders of the world

If there’s anything capable of whetting your appetite for world travel, it is the new seven wonders of the world:  the Great Wall of China , the ancient city of Petra , the Taj Mahal , the Colosseum , Machu Picchu , Christ the Redeemer , and Chichen Itza . Thankfully there are impressive virtual tours of each from The New York Times , AirPano , Google , and Panoramas .

With modern technology, you can even see the last standing wonder of the ancient world— The Pyramids of Giza . There are a few other wonders that might not make it into to the top seven but are still worth a digital peek, like the Alhambra , Seville's La Giralda , and even Easter Island.

Best virtual museum tours

In recent years, Google has partnered with over 2,5000 art museums to upload high-resolution versions of millions of pieces of art. Highlights include New York’s MoMA , DC’s National Gallery of Art , Chicago’s Art Institute , the Casa Battl ó, and Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum to name a few.

In addition, The Louvre offers a virtual tour , as do The Vatican Museums , many of the Smithsonian Museums , the Russian Museum , the top-rated British Museum , the Minneapolis  Museum of Russian Art , and the Palace Museum in Beijing.

You may not be able to kiss the Blarney Stone right now, but you can tour the Blarney Castle from afar. You can also visit the Museum of Flight,  the Museum of Science, the Museum of Natural History,  the National Women's History Museum  and Boston's History of Science Museum .

While museums are often an inherently visual experience, there's a lot to be learned from archives of past lectures and tours like the ones preserved online by Nashville's Frist Museum , the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Smithsonian American Art Museum,  the Frick , and others.

You might also like:  Broadway might be closed, but here’s how to stream the best performances from your home

Explore national parks

While travel to National Parks is best avoided for the time being, you don't need to miss out on the scenery. Virtual Yosemite is absolutely stunning and one of the best, replete with audio. Both Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore offer virtual tours as well. 

Google has similar 360 degree audio-visual tours of five select national parks, including Kenai Fjords, Hawai'i Volcanos , Carlsbad Caverns, Bryce Canyon , and Dry Tortugas, as well as 31 more on Google Earth . You can also get an up-close look at almost 4,000 pieces of artwork, artifacts, and other treasures related to the history and culture of the national parks, and view online exhibits .

Digital safaris

Wildlife is a big draw for travelers, whether it's sighting some of the Big Five in Africa, glimpsing whales in North America, or introducing your children to new animals in person on a family safari . But if you're forays into the bush are grounded for now, many zoos and aquariums have created digital access to their habitats.

You can easily watch several live webcams of some of the nation’s greatest zoos and aquariums, including the  San Diego Zoo , Houston Zoo , Zoo Atlanta , the Tennessee Aquarium , and the Georgia Aquarium . Additionally you can see Canadian farm animals doing their thing , or you could watch Stella the Dog jump endlessly into huge piles of Maine leaves.

You may also like:  These nine wildlife web cams offer access to your favorite animals

Virtual hiking

Thanks to panoramic video, you can get a really good idea of what a hike looks like well before you arrive at the trailhead. For example, you can experience all of the following top-rated hikes right now from your computer or tablet:  Bryce Canyon , Grand Canyon , GR20 , Inca Trail , and the death-defying Angel's Landing . For even more great hikes, simply YouTube one of Lonely Planet’s top 10 treks or any other hike that suits your fancy. Bonus points if you follow along during a workout to enhance the realism.

Famous landmarks

You can visit many wonders of nature, including the Amazon Rainforest , Iguazu Falls , the Komodo Islands , or Table Mountain , using virtual tours. Or you can explore the Statue of Liberty , the Sahara Desert , Niagara Falls , or even a guided tour of the Eiffel Tower . For even more virtual tours, search your bucket list of adventures with  AirPano , Google Earth , or YouTube .

Travel to outer space

The moon hasn't made it to Lonely Planet's Best In Travel list (yet!), and even without self-isolation and shelter-in-place measures for COVID-19, many of us may never travel to space. But thanks to technology, now is as good of a time as any to do so virtually. Before blasting off, considering touring some of NASA’s offices first. Then relive the last lunar missions and moon walks in stunning HD. Or take a virtual tour of Mars with the help of Google. 

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This article was first published Mar 18, 2020 and updated Oct 8, 2020.

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Why make virtual tours with Metareal Stage?

Although they look as good as expensive tours made with 3D scanners costing thousands of dollars, Metareal's 3D virtual tours are invariably simpler to make, and the whole process is fast and dependable. Here are the top benefits of using Metareal Stage.

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Virtual reality tours

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Best virtual tours that you can take without leaving home

Need to get out of the house and go on vacation, but finances, health, or other circumstances have you staying at home? Virtual tours are the next best thing. They allow you to travel to exotic locations, including space, without ever leaving home. Here are some of the best ways to take a staycation getaway using virtual tours.

Best virtual tour app for Android

Best virtual tour app for iphone, best virtual tours online, best virtual space tours, best virtual tours of us national parks, best way to take a random tour, best global virtual tour, best zoo virtual tours, best aquarium virtual tours, best fine art virtual tours, best history museum virtual tours, best virtual nature walks.

The Seven Wonders app allows you to travel to the seven wonders of the world from your phone. The app supports the use of Google Cardboard but you don’t have to use it. You can just hold your phone up to your face — as you move the phone, you’ll see a 360-degree view of whatever location you’re visiting.

With the Sites in VR app, you can take tours around the world using a virtual reality headset or just your phone or iPad. You can choose from cities or countries to visit, or you can go inside famous landmarks, like the pyramids. There are even space panoramas for a little out-of-this-world entertainment.

AirPano is a free site that allows you to wander beautiful locations all over the world. The best features of these virtual tours are choosing to take a helicopter view over the landscape or a walking trail through the area. The site also has articles about the location you are visiting and allows visitors to leave comments. If you really like a tour, you can choose to buy it as a download.

Sometimes you just want to leave this planet behind. That’s where virtual space tours come in handy. The Exoplanet Travel Bureau , powered by NASA, is here for you. You can choose an exoplanet and travel around its alien surface. Of course, the planets are artist renderings, since we haven’t actually traveled there yet, but they’re fascinating just the same. NASA at Home has many more space-themed virtual and augmented reality tours, too.

The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks is a Google project that lets you explore five different U.S. parks, including Florida’s Dry Tortugas, Hawaiian volcanoes, the Kenai Fjords in Alaska, New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns, and Utah’s Bryce Canyon. Each tour starts with a little history lesson about the area, and then you can dive into the 360-degree landscape. There are also audio tour guides that help you along your journey, explaining what you’re looking at and a little of its history.

Sometimes you don’t know where you want to go, and that’s OK. The Random Street View generator (powered by Google Maps ) is the answer. It will take you on a virtual stroll down a random street somewhere in the world. Be careful, though. Exploring random locations is a bit addicting. One minute you may be virtually walking down a highway in Michigan, and then with a click, you could be in an alleyway in Romania. The best part is that you get to see places that other virtual tour sites and apps don’t offer.

With Google Earth , you can go anywhere on our planet, from your hometown to the other side of the earth. You can use the website to take your journey, or use the app together with VR equipment to enhance your experience. Other than the awesome street views and ability to travel just about anywhere, you can also enhance Google Earth with your own videos and photos of places you have been in person.

If you’re an animal lover, there are many great virtual zoo exhibits that you can visit from your home. The San Diego Live Cams , for example, let you watch live footage of a wide range of animals, from baboons to penguins. Some other great animal cams can be found at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute , The Houston Zoo , and EarthCam .

There are plenty of ways to visit our fishy friends, too. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Georgia Aquarium, and The National Aquarium all have fantastic live webcams that allow you to watch sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, and much more.

When it comes to fine art, it’s hard to do better than a virtual tour of the Louvre . The website has a variety of tours you can take throughout the gallery, including The Galerie d’Apollon, Louvre’s Petite Galerie, and the east side of the Sully wing. When you’re finished at the Louvre, check out the virtual tours of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in South Korea , the Musée d’Orsay in Paris , and the Museu de Arte de São Paulo in Brazil .

There are also virtual tours that can take you back in time, sort of. You can see amazing exhibits of curiosities from the past, like dinosaurs, Egyptian relics, Stone Age tools, and more at The Natural History Museum in London ,  The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History , and The British Museum .

Longing for a walk in the woods or a tour through habitats that rarely see a human? No problem. There are plenty of virtual tours to satisfy you. Conservation International, for example, has a 360-degree tour through the Amazon that is narrated by an indigenous guide. Other virtual hikes you might enjoy include a trip through the redwoods at Muir Woods National Park , a stroll through the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, and a tour of New Zealand’s Great Walks .

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As rival Apple is rumored to be eyeing an entrance into the metaverse, Microsoft, an early proponent of mixed and augmented reality applications, is criticized for its blurry vision behind the company's own HoloLens strategy. While HoloLens notched big early wins, including scoring a U.S. Department of Defense contract, subsequent delays, project cancellations, and high-profile executive departures may have resulted in the death of the HoloLens 3. Still, despite a scathing profile by Business Insider, it appears that Microsoft remains, at least publicly, committed to its HoloLens endeavors for now. The company has gone on record to refute the publication's reporting that HoloLens 3 has been killed.

There are a number of factors that may be causing Microsoft to pivot from its early bet on HoloLens, but the Microsoft profile cited internal divisions and the lack of a unified strategy among the top reasons for concern. As a result of the chaos, it appears that the largest collateral damage to Microsoft's infighting is the cancellation of its next-generation HoloLens 3 hardware.

Actronika, a startup company known for its HD haptics technology has a futuristic new product. Expected to be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2022 is Skinetic, a haptic vest that should make virtual reality experiences feel a lot more realistic.

Skinetic works much as you'd expect. The wearable vest makes VR feel more immersive by bringing life-like sensations and touch-like experiences to areas of the body like the chest when paired with a compatible headset. As reported by Business Wire, the technology "works with 20 patented vibrotactile voice-coil motors, capable of generating a wide range of vibrations that cover 100% of human vibrotactile perception."

It seems that virtual reality may be about to become even more real than ever before -- all thanks to a new VR headset. Pimax, a company that manufactures VR equipment, announced the upcoming release of a new 12K QLED VR headset that will feature technologies such as eye tracking, full-body tracking, and refresh rates of up to 200Hz. The headset, dubbed Pimax Reality 12K QLED, is part of the company's venture into the metaverse and a step toward bringing true realism to using VR.

During today's Pimax Frontier event, the company's representatives talked at length about the goals behind the product -- naturalness, self-awareness, and freedom. Pimax wants to bring these qualities into virtual reality and the metaverse, allowing people from all over the world to interact and explore virtual worlds together. While VR technology already allows for some of that to happen, Pimax wants to take it to the next level with its new invention -- the Reality 12K QLED VR headset.

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360° virtual tours

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Explore the Palace of Versailles and relive its temporary exhibitions remotely, with our collection of 360° virtual tours. 

Horace vernet 

Find all the artworks in this exhibition in a unique setting using 360° photo technology. An immersive experience, to discover the world of Horace Vernet. A key figure at Versailles during the reign of  Louis-Philippe , the artist produced, over period of 13 years, some of the most beautiful paintings in the  Historical Galleries , making Versailles home to the largest collection of his works today.

Curator:  Valérie Bajou, General Curator at the National Museum of the Palaces of Versailles and Trianon.

Discover the exhibition     Discover the tour

louis xv passions of a king exhibition (2023)

Discover all the works of this exhibition in a unique scenography thanks to the 360° photo technology. An immersive experience, to discover the passions of Louis XV.

Curators : Yves Carlier, Chief Heritage Curator at the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, Hélène Delalex, Heritage Curator at the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon.

the king's animals exhibition (2021-2022)

The Palace of Versailles, located in the heart of a huge forest in Île-de-France, has fostered the development of a new relationship with the animal world. From the object of study and collection to the animal as a political attribute and symbol of power, what relations did the Court have with pets, wild and exotic animals?

Exhibition curators : Alexandre Maral, Curator General, Head of the Sculpture Department of the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon and Nicolas Milovanovic, Head Curator of the Paintings Department of the Louvre Museum.

hyacinthe rigaud or the sun portrait exhibition (2021)

The palace of Versailles presents the first major monographic exhibition dedicated to the work of  Hyacinthe Rigaud . This most famous portraitist of the Sun King dominated portraiture for nearly a century and set new codes in the discipline.

Exhibition curators : Laurent Salomé, Director of the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, Élodie Vaysse, Curator of Heritage and Ariane James-Sarazin, Curator General of Heritage, Deputy Director of the Musée de l'Armée.

Discover the exhibition      Discover the tour

versailles revival exhibition (2020)

The exhibition «Versailles Revival» shows the enthusiasm and passion for the Versailles of the Ancien Régime, which developed a hundred years after the French Revolution through 350 works, documents and photographs. In parallel, the Republic gathers its assemblies and receives foreign sovereigns, gardens attract tourists and large waters become a popular destination. 

Exhibition curator : Laurent Salomé, Director of the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon et Claire Bonnotte, scientific collaborator of the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon.

the king is dead exhibition (2015-2016)

The exhibition explores the role of the king’s death in the monarchical imagination and court society, placing the death of Louis XIV in the context of the funeral rituals of European rulers from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. It presents major works of art and historical documents, some of which have never been exhibited before, relating to the survival of this ritual after the French Revolution .

Exhibition curators : Béatrix Saule, Director and Head Curator of the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, assisted by Hélène Delalex, Conservation Officer at the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon

versailles and the ancient exhibition (2012-2013)

A political and aesthetic ideal, antiquity was glorified in all the courts of Europe since the Renaissance and the Greek and Roman remains were collected with passion by the princes and powerful. But with the reign of Louis XIV, this admiration took on a completely different dimension. To impose in the eyes of all the advent of the absolute monarchy and the power of France, the Sun King conceived his palace as a new Rome dedicated to the cult of Apollo, as well as a sanctuary for his prestigious collection of statues, busts, vases, cameos and medals.

Discover the tour

wardrobe of LOUIS xvi

The wardrobe cabinet , made in 1788, is considered the masterpiece of Versailles royal art. It is a small cabinet of about 13 m2, located in the interior apartment of Louis XVI and accessible through a hidden door. The white and golden woodwork is unique in Europe and represents a peak of French decorative art of the 18th century.  

napoléon rooms

The Napoleonic collections are now presented in several spaces in the palace: in the Coronation Chamber showcasing Napoleon 's rise to become Emperor ; in the rooms known as the « Revolution Room », the « Consulate Room » and the « Empire Room », on the ground floor of the South Wing, presenting the most important moments in Napoleon's rise and his reign in the political, military, diplomatic and dynastic domains ; and in the Gallery of Battles , on the first floor of the same wing. On the second floor, known as the Chimay and South Attics, the story of Napoleon is illustrated by other works, accompanied by many portraits of the Emperor's entourage and the society of his time.

Voyage d’hiver 2017-2018

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Virtual paintball sample, animated panorama - parfum shop, virtual staging - 3d stereo virtual tour, live panorama of ny, real estate virtual tour, 3dvista now supports.

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– equirectangular (For spherical panos) – Cubic, 6 Faces – Rectilinear – Cylindrical (for printing and QTVR) – Fisheye equidistance Full Frame – Fisheye Stereographics Full Frame – Mercator – Transverse Mercator – Sinusoidal – Lambert equal – Lambert Azimuthal – Albers equal Area Conical – Miller Cylindrical – Panini – Architectural – Fisheye Orthographic Fullframe – Fisheye equisolid Fullframe

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Online tours - Enjoy the Louvre at home!

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Virtual tours Enjoy the Louvre at home! Online tours

Virtual tours, louvre at home.

Visit the museum rooms and galeries, admire the palace architecture and enjoy the views!

From afar. Travelling Materials and Objects

Through materials and objects, this exhibition describes exchanges between distant worlds – exchanges often far more ancient than the explorations of the 16th century.   From deepest antiquity, carnelian, lapis lazuli, ebony and ivory circulated along trade routes...

Launch virtual tour  

The Advent of the Artist

For its 5th edition, the Petite Galerie takes a closer look at the transition from the typically anonymous craftsman of the classical period to the artist of the Renaissance, featuring works by Delacroix, Rembrandt, Tintoret and more.

Power plays

This third Petite Galerie exhibition focused on the connection between art and political power, from antiquity to the present day.

The Body in Movement

In its second season, the Petite Galerie explored one of the performing arts: dance. How did artists use different materials and techniques to represent movement?

Founding Myths: From Hercules to Darth Vader

The very first Petite Galerie exhibition looked into how illustrators, sculptors, painters, puppeteers, filmmakers, and musicians around the world have drawn inspiration from myths, given them form, and brought them to life.

What activities does the Louvre offer that can be enjoyed from home?

Events at the auditorium (in French)  

Podcasts (in French)  

Louvre Kids  

“Mona Lisa Beyond the Glass” virtual reality experience  

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12 dreamy castles and palaces you can tour remotely

Brighten up your lockdown view with these castles you can explore from home

Photograph: Ververidis Vasilis/Shutterstock.com

Unless you’re lucky enough to actually own a castle, chances are your lockdown situation is a little cramped. Millions of people around the world, including us, are stuck inside tiny apartments and flats. But that doesn’t mean we can’t daydream about grander abodes – and why not try one of these grand castles around the world on for size? They’re all closed to the public now, but, thanks to the magic of virtual tours, you can explore them from your very own living room/home office/fitness studio. (We shotgun a few of Versailles ’ 2,300 rooms – that’s more than enough to go around.)

RECOMMENDED: The best castles in the UK

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

Virtual tours of castles and palaces

Windsor castle, england.

The oldest occupied castle in the world, Windsor Castle is where Queen Elizabeth II is spending lockdown, and it’s where she recently recorded a message for the UK and the Commonwealth from the White Drawing Room. Have a poke around the place yourself with this virtual tour . 

Buckingham Palace, England

A grand palace in the middle of the British capital’s (usually buzzing) centre, Buckingham Palace is the Queen’s official London residence. It’s usually open for a few weeks each summer when her Maj goes on her summer holidays, but you can also have a sneak peek inside with this virtual tour , which takes you from the grand staircase to the actual throne room. 

Holyroodhouse Palace, Scotland

Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh is in the shadow of the city’s famous peak Arthur’s Seat. Both are closed for the time being, but you can take a look inside the Queen’s official Scottish residence on this online tour  of the sixteenth-century palace. 

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Edinburgh’s ancient castle dominates the skyline in the city centre, looming over Grassmarket and the cobbled streets below. While you can’t visit right now you can take a virtual trip to the grand palace to have a wander around. 

Blarney Castle, Ireland

Okay, so you can’t virtually kiss the Blarney Stone, a legendary stone found at the top of Blarney Castle’s tower which promises to impart life-long eloquence on whoever touches it. But – good news – you can still explore the gardens and ruins on this virtual tour . 

Palace of Versailles, France

One of the world’s most impressive buildings, Versailles is an enormous (2,300 rooms!) former royal palace and World Heritage Site. It’s out of bounds for visits IRL, but thanks to extensive documentation from Google you can still explore its grand interiors . 

Prague Castle, Czech Republic

Built in the ninth century, the grand castle on the west bank of River Vltava is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. Thanks to this detailed  online tour , you can have a nosey inside the walls, from the Cathedral of St Vitus to the castle’s sunny terraces and the petite homes along sixteenth-century Golden Lane. 

Schönbrunn Palace, Austria

An enormous Rococco palace once home to the Austrian royal family, the Schönbrunn is one of the most visited attractions in the country. Just not right now, obviously. You can still check out this sizeable castle’s gilded rooms and prized artworks though on this virtual tour . 

National Palace of Sintra, Portugal

High in the hills above the city of Lisbon, Sintra is one stunning spot. It was once a royal retreat and is studded with elaborate and beautiful buildings as a result. You can get a taste of one of the loveliest, the National Palace of Sintra, with this online tour . Just look at that tiling. 

Akasaka Palace, Japan

This grand palace in Tokoyo was built in 1909 as the Imperial Palace for the Crown Prince. T oday, Akasaka Palace, or The State Guest House, is both a tourist attraction and accommodation for visiting state dignitaries. Take a look inside with this virtual tour . 

Palace of Vira Harihara, India

Thought to date back to the fourteenth-century, this ancient palace no longer stands. You can usually explore the ruins of the ruined royal abode, but we’ll have to make do with visiting virtually. This online tour takes you around the ruins and the ornate base of the former palace. 

The White House, USA

This one technically isn’t a castle. But it is pretty much the closest you can get to an ancient royal palace in the US. You can walk around the exterior and interior of The White House, the official residence of the president of the United States, online thanks to this extensive virtual tour . 

Keep exploring

14 world-famous city views you can see from your sofa.

Expand your horizons and discover somewhere new from our phone screens, thanks to the miracle that is Google Street View

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[Traveling Without Leaving Home] 360° Virtual Tours of Japan

COVID claustrophobia is getting to all of us. It’s still going to be a while before we can safely hop on a plane, but in the meantime, a virtual tour is the next best thing. Discover Japan’s highlights, including world-class museums and UNESCO World Heritage sites, and prime yourself for the adventures you can have when restrictions ease.

Temples and Shrines

Go on a spiritual pilgrimage to two legendary World Heritage sites, revered for their impressive architecture and picturesque natural settings.

Nara Prefecture – Todaiji Temple

Visit Todaiji Temple in Nara Prefecture from your armchair through this 360-degree virtual tour. The temple is one of Japan’s grandest, with beautiful architecture and expansive grounds. The temple was commissioned in the 8th century and served as the head temple for the Buddhist faith in Japan. Todaiji plays a major role in Japanese history and is a popular attraction for anyone exploring Japan’s ancient capital of Nara.

The virtual tour begins at the Great South Gate, an imposing wooden structure guarded by the fearsome “Ni-o (Two Kings) of Todaiji.” Follow the pathway to the Daibutsu-den, a giant hall that is one of the world's largest wooden structures. The scale of the hall is impressive despite being rebuilt two-thirds smaller in the Edo period (1603–1867). The hall houses an enormous statue of Buddha that dates to 752. Scroll left and right to see other Buddhist artworks including two golden bodhisattva sculptures and a heavenly guardian.

You can explore much of the spacious temple precincts on your virtual visit, and the high-quality images give you an excellent idea of the scale and beauty of Todaiji. However, something you can’t experience on the tour is Nara’s famous deer. When you visit in person, expect to meet wild deer roaming the grounds. They are regarded in Japan as messengers of the gods, and there are many in and around Nara Park .

Hiroshima Prefecture – Miyajima and Itsukushima-jinja Shrine

Virtually visit an island that was once considered so sacred that people weren’t permitted to live there. Miyajima , near Hiroshima City , is a revered Shinto site best known for its UNESCO World Heritage-listed Itsukushima-jinja Shrine and iconic torii gate. The gate, which appears to float on the water, is just one part of the impressive shrine complex you can explore on your virtual tour.

Begin with a bird’s eye view of the shrine grounds and zoom in on the section you want to see. Make sure to drag the map to find the “floating” gate, which is set off from the main shrine buildings. Each section is accompanied by a short English blurb and high-quality panoramic images. The site’s location is a large part of the appeal. Lofty Mt. Misen overlooks it, and some of the vermillion-lacquered shrine buildings sit on stilts in the Seto Inland Sea. You can get a closer view of all of these on the tour.

The Shrine complex is undergoing restoration work in advance of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, which are now due to be held in 2021.

Freely explore a stunning underground Natural Monument and an idyllic traditional village – without the crowds.

Gifu Prefecture – Shirakawa-go

Take a virtual stroll through one of Japan’s most charming traditional villages. Shirakawa-go , in the mountains in the remote Shogawakyo Valley , has more gassho-zukuri farmhouses than anywhere else in Japan. The name gassho-zukuri, meaning “praying hands,” comes from the distinctive shape of their steep thatched roofs.

The remarkable 19th-century houses, built without nails, are considered a feat of Japanese architecture. They were built to quickly shed snow and provided a large attic space for cultivating silkworms. This picturesque village is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, and many of the houses now function as museums.

The 360-degree virtual tour lets you wander among the houses and paddy fields in different seasons, which are lush and green in summer and thick with snow in winter. Let the tour whet your appetite for a real-life visit, when you can see the village lit up at night and bathe in the nearby onsen.

Okayama Prefecture – Makido Cave

Makido Cave is 450-meter-long limestone cavern formed over thousands of years by a steady drip of water. Thanks to this virtual tour, you can descend into the fantastical cave without even leaving your home.

Begin at the cave entrance before heading down to a world of stalactites, underground lakes, and dramatic rock formations. Virtually wander across bright red bridges and look out for interesting rock shapes, including a tall stack that resembles a five-story pagoda, and the “silver curtain”—a plunging wall of rock. The cave is illuminated, and you can opt to view the cave’s interior lit in different colors.

Visit in person and you can enjoy refreshing, year-round 15-degree temperatures. And one thing you can’t get from the virtual tour is the good luck you receive by throwing a coin in the spring pond.

Get an all-access pass to both the past and the future. Take a 3D walkthrough of two world-class exhibitions that explore where we’ve come from and where we’re going.

Tokyo – National Museum of Nature and Science

©Virtual Reality Innovation Organization

Japan’s National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo’s Ueno Park has opened its virtual doors to allow you to view a selection of its more than 25,000 exhibits in front of your computer screen. The wide-ranging exhibits cover everything from nature, history and people to some of Japan’s latest advances in technology.

The 3D virtual tour offers unlimited access to the museum’s artifacts in both the Global Pavillion  and the Japan Pavillion with a user-friendly interface. Click and move around the museum’s multiple floors and view dinosaur skeletons, taxidermic animals, nature and organisms of the Japanese islands and a floor dedicated to progress in science and technology.

When you visit the museum in person, be sure to try out the hands-on experiments with light, magnetism and electricity.

Tokyo – Mori Art Museum

You could visit Mori Art Museum on every trip you ever make to Tokyo , and it would never be the same twice. This beautifully curated contemporary art museum in the heart of Tokyo has an astounding line-up of exhibitions. Its current show, “Future and the Arts: AI, Robotics, Cities, Life – How Humanity Will Live Tomorrow”, is a fitting exhibit for those wondering what the future holds.

Their 3D Walkthrough—available only until June 30th, 2020—transports you to the museum, allowing you to “wander” through the galleries and linger to read the signage, which is all in both English and Japanese. The current exhibition features more than 100 projects and works in categories including “New Possibilities of Cities,” “Lifestyle and Design Innovations,” and “Society and Humans in Transformation.” Contemplate how cities, human lifestyles, and society are likely to be transformed through cutting-edge developments in science and technology, including AI, biotechnology, robotics, and AR (augmented reality), as well as art, design, and architecture. This glimpse of what the future may hold might renew your hope for it.

When you visit in person, check out Mori Art Museum’s latest exhibitions and visit Tokyo City View, an observation deck overlooking the city. You’ll need a separate ticket, but the views are worth it.

We can’t travel now, but these six virtual tours should inspire you to plan your Japan itinerary for when we can. For more inspiration, visit https://www.japan.travel/experiences-in-japan/en/ .

About the author

Kristopher Spencer is an American writer based in Bangkok, Thailand. His trips to Japan have always left him wanting more and writing about the Land of the Rising Sun now is providing plenty of inspiration for his post-pandemic travel itinerary. An avid photographer, Kristopher recommends Japan’s bright, bustling cityscapes and stunning natural vistas alike for all shutterbugs and social media connoisseurs.

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Sell More Properties with 360 Virtual Tours

Take your clients on a 360 virtual tour with our gen4 camera. elevate your listings and promote properties with 3d house viewings that capture spaces from all angles and stitch them together into a seamless viewing experience., create high performance listings, whether you’re an estate agent looking to win more listings or a landlord who wants to promote their property, our virtual tour camera can help you. here are just a few ways virtual tours can benefit real estate agencies:, more listing views*, click-through rate on listing portals*, longer site visits*, more engagement*, enquiry increase*.

*Data taken from Giraffe360, LCP, Mass Interact and Digital in the round

Experience a property virtually

Bring your property listings to life with 360 virtual tours and 3D house viewings that immerse your clients and walk them through the layout of a space. Our 360 property camera uses precise laser LiDAR technology to scan properties, capture every angle, and note accurate measurements before blending the panoramic images together to form high-quality 270-megapixel virtual tours.

Minimap Navigation

A floor plan is automatically integrated into your virtual tour, in the form of a mini-map, for easy navigation between rooms and floors. This rotates as you look around the space, allowing you to get a better spatial understanding of the property.

Drive Direct Enquiries

Prospective buyers can enquire directly via the information field in the virtual tour, driving more leads for users. Subscribers can customise the fields in the information pop up and contact form to suit their preferences.

Hotspot Key Information

Add information hotspots (labels) to your tours, to provide viewers with e.g. relevant technical information, links and additional sales information. So to provide a greater level of detail, when presenting properties online.

Capture virtual tours with the push of a button

Press ‘Scan’, leave the room for just one minute and then move onto the next room. Then automatically create 360 virtual tours and 3D house viewings ready for your listings.

Edited for you with AI virtual tour software

When you create a 3D house tour with our Gen 4 Camera , it is automatically uploaded and processed by our AI software. Family photographs, private information and number plates are automatically blurred and camera reflections are removed from your tours, ensuring the property is ready for listing.

Personalise your virtual tour

Store all of your captured virtual tours in our online dashboard, with unlimited hosting. You can customise your captured tours with branding, information hotspots, contact information and more. Then you can download, share, and embed your assets.

Take your clients on a guided tour

Once a property has been scanned, you can also share a link for a remote viewing call with customers anywhere in the world. This means you can take them on a tour of your property and give them the same level of interaction and bespoke expertise as viewing a space in person.

Save precious time by eliminating the need to commute to a house or site multiple times to take prospective clients around your property. A 3D walkthrough gives your viewers an interactive digital version to explore, letting them book a real-life tour when they’re ready.

Along with taking back your time, you can save on travel costs by cutting down on the need to visit a house or site in person. Your clients will still benefit from a professional and immersive experience that gives them an excellent first feel for your property.

Remove complexity

Giraffe360 allows you to create virtual tours with no manual stitching or editing required. Just scan every room in the property and your virtual tour will be created and returned to you ready for use.

We have been able to decrease physical viewings by 70%

- Luke Appleby, Kontor

Frequently asked questions about our virtual tours and viewings

Do virtual tours help sell real estate?

What is virtual tour software?

How do guided viewings work?

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Can I book an online demo?

How much do virtual tours cost to create?

Is there a limit on how many virtual tours I can create?

What other features are available in the Giraffe360 dashboard?

How does the Giraffe360 Gen 4 Camera work?

How long does it take to scan a property?

Whilst you're capturing a virtual tour, you can also create:

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We create 360 VR immersive solutions for companies and institutions aimed at meeting their marketing, sales and training goals in a more engaging and interactive way!

Virtual 3D Studios specializes in developing 360 immersive solutions for brands, companies and institutions. Our solutions are built on immersive digital multimedia content created by us! We offer a variety of digital tools for brands of all sizes. As a team of creators, we are constantly searching for ways we can approach new markets and niches.

Founded in 2016, our company has broad expertise creating digital immersive content. With presence in the US and South America, Virtual 3D Studios has been pioneering with immersive technology for a while! Exploring and using different tech tools applied to different market niches and at the same time adding our creative touch.

Virtual 3D Studios offers tailor made virtual experiences such as interactive virtual tours, 360 VR videos, 3D environment worlds as part of our core business. Along with developing a commercial and marketing concept our clients, they can always expect more engagement and value from our solutions.

The new immersive and interactive language includes instruments for different goals and objectives, which include e-learning, training, onboarding, e-commerce, marketing, branding, advertising campaigns, and much more.

Immersive technology allows for an easy and intuitive navigation through our different platforms. This allows for interaction with digital content that leads to informative, marketing or purchasing actions within the virtual platform.

We will create a solution that fits your personal needs.

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All our solutions include a concept to consumer approach. From the creative stage to post production and final delivery for different platforms. We understand that every client is different and so is our approach to every single project.

We only use state of the art equipment and tools to deliver professional, creative and outstanding visuals! We developed a unique model to take advantage of the latest technology combined with top notch creativity.

Our experienced human team is able to deliver an exceptional solution to each and every one of our clients. These solutions provide a great boost on how users perceive our client’s brand.

Our solutions can incorporate new information and plug ins over time after initial delivery. We develop a custom-made interface in each project according to the client’s brand needs, as we support them through the whole creative process.

Interactive 360° virtual tour

Virtual tours allows users to meet physical spaces with visual, informative and narrative support for an awesome experience. This solution is useful for showcasing physical spaces in detail, allowing for external or internal users to learn more about a place or a brand overall. Within the virtual tour, we can include different type of information that complements the experience, such as videos, documents, images, quizzes, etc.

We can develop these custom-made virtual tours for different scenarios, ranging from showcasing museums to a virtual audit for certifications without the need to visit in person. Popular markets that take advantage of our virtual tours include hospitality, tourism, education, manufacturing facilities, agriculture, art galleries, stadiums and many others. The interactive virtual tours can be experienced through any device connected or not to the internet, as well as any VR headset that can support our platform.

Virtual sales and training platform

Virtual platform development aimed at sales and marketing to support company efforts and reduce costs. This platform may be used for training, onboarding, even trade shows! Each client can count on accomplishing their objectives in an interactive and easy way. Being immersed in an environment that is as real as it would be in person, has a direct impact on the company overall training cost. The virtual reality training platform enhances productivity and brand recognition in an interactive way, where the trainee is able to simulate processes with the help of an avatar.

Virtual 3D showroom

E-commerce made easy! Our virtual 3D platforms allow for retail spaces to show their stores or products in an engaging way, having a direct impact in foot traffic to the physical store, online sales and online Google presence. Through a virtual 3D showroom, users are able to experience firsthand new products and directly add to cart to buy from the store and have products shipped directly to them without the need to visit a physical store! Brands will benefit from direct cost reductions as well as increased user engagement and added value with our virtual showrooms.

Immersive marketing experiences

Engaging experiences where the user is inside real live action or virtual worlds experiencing sensations and emotions associated with the immersive content. These experiences are generally generated so they can be experienced through a VR headset. Brands can enhance their products or services by combining the very best in technology and creativity to reach new audiences and increase customer loyalty. A 360 immersive marketing experience allows brands to create a memorable experience associated with a launch, key product development or customer engagement with this virtual reality tool.

Videos and VR videos

Creative videos that enhance brand identity and strategy, where we take advantage of the latest technology combined with top notch creativity. As content creators, we always care for the art, lighting, colors and sound to deliver outstanding visuals! We take care of the whole from concept to consumer workflow. This includes concept creation, scripts, production, post production and delivery.

A 360 VR video will help your audience engage in a much more powerful way than regular video content, as the users are immersed in an environment rather than just looking from outside. The 360 video format can be viewed on a screen or through a VR headset (Meta Quest, Oculus, Google Cardboard, Pico, HTC Vive, etc). This adds to an amazing immersive experience where the user is able to capture every detail and action of the environment. This tool is ideal for learning, storytelling, showcasing and transporting your audience to different places within a safe VR environment.

3D Animations VFX

Elevate your brand storytelling to new heights with a touch of magic! Visions become vivid realities in hand with the best tools to enhance narratives for any type of content. Eye catching effects are the new way to captivate and engage digital audiences. Our animations can take various forms, catering to the unique needs and preferences of our global clients. Our creative approach to 3D modeling and animation for characters, environments, and narratives works closely with our visual effects (VFX) services including clean up, chroma key, camera tracking and compositing.

Robert L. Ferris named Lineberger executive director

The Carolina alumnus comes to Chapel Hill from the Hillman Cancer Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Dr. Robert L. Ferris, a head and neck surgical oncologist, leading expert in cancer immunotherapy and cancer center chief executive, has been named the executive director of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and UNC system chief of oncology services, effective Oct. 1, announced UNC School of Medicine Dean Dr. Wesley Burks.

Ferris comes to Carolina from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he was the director of the Hillman Cancer Center. He succeeds Dr. Shelley Earp, who served as UNC Lineberger director twice, from 1997-2014 and 2018-2024. Earp announced his intent to step down as director last fall. He will continue as a faculty member of UNC School of Medicine and the cancer center, to lead his lab at UNC Lineberger, and service to external organizations, including as chair of the National Cancer Institute’s Board of Scientific Advisors.

“Bob Ferris is an exceptional cancer physician-scientist, a highly skilled health executive with deep experience leading an NCI comprehensive cancer center and a person with a genuine passion for service to others,” said Burks, vice chancellor for medical affairs at UNC School of Medicine and CEO of UNC Health. “This blend of skills, experience and vision makes Bob the ideal person to lead our cancer center and to expand on the leadership successes of Joe Pagano, Ned Sharpless and Shelley Earp, under whose direction UNC Lineberger has become one of our country’s great cancer centers.”

The appointment marks a return to Chapel Hill for Ferris, who earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry with honors and distinction from the University. He earned his medical degree and his doctoral degree in immunology from Johns Hopkins Medical School, where he also completed his residency and was chief resident in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery.

Ferris has served as director and associate senior vice chancellor for cancer research at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center since 2017 and senior vice president for oncology programs at UPMC and associate senior vice chancellor for cancer research at the University of Pittsburgh starting in 2023. Under his leadership, UMPC Hillman’s clinical, academic and research faculty and activities were more closely aligned. This, among other things, generated a 29% increase in peer-reviewed cancer research funding ($106 million, up from $82 million) and a 53% increase in National Cancer Institute funding ($48 million, up from $31.2 million). The center also obtained or renewed three highly sought-after NCI Specialized Programs of Research Excellence research grants (in head, neck, skin and ovarian cancers) and multiple principal investigator grants.

Ferris has led a highly productive clinical, translational and laboratory research enterprise during his tenure at Hillman Cancer Center, which has led to the founding of two companies and the publication of more than 450 peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters.

He has been the principal investigator of multiple cancer immunotherapeutic trials, including several studies investigating treatment deintensification for HPV+ head and neck cancer after transoral surgery. He is the principal investigator of the Specialized Programs of Research Excellence in head and neck cancer. His translational research has generated fundamental insights into the mechanisms of anti-tumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment and tumor cell escape. His lab pioneered studies demonstrating innate and adaptive immune responses induced by cetuximab, the EGFR-specific monoclonal antibody, in head and neck cancer. The team is also investigating immunosuppressive molecules, including immune checkpoint receptors PD-1, CTLA-4, TIM-3 and LAG-3.

Ferris also had a longstanding commitment to external service. He co-chaired the NCI Steering Committee for Head and Neck Cancer and is the immediate past president of the American Head and Neck Society. He serves on the external advisory boards for MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center and the Georgetown Lombardi Cancer Center. He also is editor-in-chief of Oral Oncology and on the editorial board for Clinical Cancer Research and Cancer Immunology Research.

Read more about Ferris and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

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Stan Ahalt studies society through a data lens

Data literacy is essential for tomorrow’s workforce, says the UNC School of Data Science and Society dean.

Alert Carolina sirens test to be held June 18

No action is required as the University conducts a summer test of its Emergency Notification System.

Hussman researcher promotes truth in the news

Heesoo Jang, who helped create a fact-checking service in South Korea, now focuses on U.S. media.

JR Anton was ‘one of the guys’

As the Tar Heels return to Omaha for the College World Series, they remember their biggest fan.

VR may help athletes recover from ACL injuries

In sport scientist Shelby Baez’s study, they use virtual reality headsets to guide meditation and reduce fear.

Computer scientist wants to protect your texts

Saba Eskandarian designs online messaging applications that let users report abuses while preserving privacy.

3D model will let people face the future

Computer scientist Roni Sengupta develops AI-based technology to predict facial changes as someone ages or transitions.

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Reallusion Brings Digital Characters to Life with NVIDIA AI

In today’s digital age, creating realistic animated characters is crucial for filmmakers, game developers, and content creators looking to bring their visions to life. Reallusion is at the forefront of this cutting-edge art form, using powerful AI technologies like NVIDIA Audio2Face and NVIDIA Maxine to craft lifelike digital humans and character animations.

A major challenge exists in capturing synchronized facial animation all while matching audio and creating the overall output in a single pass. Reallusion’s adoption of Maxine AR addresses this by bypassing this complex multi-track timing synchronization, using chained effects, to create a revolutionary motion capture (mocap) solution that effectively generates both animation and audio into a single stream.

Transforming character performances: Audio2Face integration with Reallusion’s iClone and Character Creator

Audio2Face is an advanced AI technology that can automatically generate expressive facial animations and lip-syncing just from an audio or text input. It supports multiple languages and can animate characters speaking or even singing. 

It’s not just limited to lip-syncing dialogue in various languages. The most recent standalone release of Audio2Face incorporates functionality to animate realistic facial expressions too. Animators can use slider and keyframe controls to animate even the most complex emotions and personality through the characters’ expressions in tandem with the speech animations.

Reallusion has integrated Audio2Face through plugins in their Character Creator and iClone applications, enabling a seamless AI-assisted animation workflow. With just one click, you can prepare an asset for animation, which generates live facial movements matched to any supplied voice track. The resulting animation can then be transitioned directly into iClone, enabling additional polishing and refinements before rendering it out for use in 3D apps, game engines, and other production environments.

Born from a close collaboration between NVIDIA and Reallusion, the CC Character Auto Setup plugin consolidates a previously cumbersome 18-step process into just one simple operation. 

Import a Character Creator asset and select either the Mark or Claire training model, then immediately see that 3D character come alive with lifelike facial animations lip-synced to any audio input. 

You can further sculpt the performance using Audio2Face’s motion sliders, auto-expression tools, and keyframe controls before passing the polished animation directly into iClone for final production refinements. This is where iClone’s powerful facial editing capabilities come into play, providing the tools needed to transform performances into polished character animations ready for production. 

Within iClone’s user-friendly interface, you have granular control over every aspect of the facial animation. Expression levels, head motions, and intricate details such as simulated eye darts can all be precisely adjusted to authentically convey a character’s distinctive personality: 

• Jaw ranges can be exaggerated to convey powerful emotional intensity when needed. 
• Tongue motion can be carefully sculpted to authentically mimic enunciation and speech patterns. 

iClone can also incorporate head movements sourced mocap equipment, such as AccuFACE or iPhone Live Face .

AccuFACE: Next-gen AI face mocap powered by the NVIDIA Maxine AR SDK

Authentic facial performances encompass more than mere lip sync; they are significantly informed by nuanced facial expressions and congruity with the emotion expressed in words. 

For example, the conveyance of sarcasm relies heavily on facial expressions—articulating a phrase such as, “It tastes fine” while simultaneously exhibiting a look of distaste conveys a markedly different meaning. 

To encapsulate these implicit cues, it is imperative to integrate visual performance capture beyond the audio component within your production workflow. 

AccuFACE taps into the NVIDIA Maxine AR SDK to enable unprecedented real-time facial capture quality and capabilities. Powered by NVIDIA GPUs with Tensor Cores, the Maxine AR SDK offers AI-driven 3D facial tracking and modeling, body pose estimation, and more. It instantly analyzes expressions through parallel processing while accelerating throughput and minimizing latency. 

Key features leveraged by AccuFACE include the following:

• Precise landmark mapping
• Head pose and deformation tracking
• Facial mesh reconstruction
• Robust face detection and localization

By harnessing cutting-edge Maxine technology, AccuFACE translates captured facial data into seamless digital animation and enables you to generate expressive facial animations, drive responsive 3D avatars in real time, and facilitate interactive virtual conversations.

AccuFACE provides a comprehensive toolkit to let you refine the AI-generated tracking for professional-grade results: 

• Device settings, like smooth filtering and denoising, address jitters, twitches, and other tracking artifacts. 
• Anti-interference cancellation prevents brow, mouth, and head movements from erroneous cross-triggering. This protects against muddied or exaggerated expressions. 

To capture distinct expressions, further calibration and refinement can be added. This aims to regionally strengthen sculpting motion intensity across eyes, cheeks, and lips to deliver the authenticity of individual actors and their unique performances.

Reallusion’s partnership with NVIDIA showcases the transformative potential of AI in animation; professional-grade facial motion capture and animation are now within reach of a broader audience. 

With intuitive tools for refining facial animations and synchronization, you can achieve high-quality results without the need for extensive expertise or specialized equipment, revolutionizing the landscape of digital character animation.

Availability

From enhancing day-to-day video conferencing needs to integrating AI technology, NVIDIA Maxine offers high-quality video communications for all professionals.

The latest Maxine production release is included exclusively with NVIDIA AI Enterprise , which enables you to tap into production-ready features such as Triton Inference Server, enterprise support, and more.

If you’re interested in early access, with non-production access to production and soon-to-be-released features, see the Maxine Early Access program (requires login).

To help improve features in upcoming releases, provide feedback on the NVIDIA Maxine and NVIDIA Broadcast App survey.

Related resources

• GTC session: Generative AI Theater: AI Decoded - Generative AI Spotlight Art With RTX PCs and Workstations
• GTC session: One-Click Creation of Hyper-Realistic 3D Characters from AI-Powered Conversations and Designs
• GTC session: Enabling Multi-Character Motion Capture and Real-Rime Rendering (Presented by Z by HP)
• SDK: Path Tracing SDK
• SDK: NVIDIA Real-Time Denoisers (NRD) SDK
• SDK: RTX Direct Illumination (RTXDI)

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• Hot Spots: Dark Slope Set To Expand Toronto’s Virtual Production Capabilities

By Diana Lodderhose

Diana Lodderhose

International Features Editor

More Stories By Diana

• Hot Spots: Toronto’s Screen Industries Are Booming & Here’s How The Region Is Looking To Keep Up With The Volume
• Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard Wrap Performance Film ‘The Extraordinary Miss Flower’ Starring Icelandic Artist Emilíana Torrini & Caroline Catz; Richard Ayoade, Nick Cave, Alice Lowe, Mark Monero & More Play Supporting Roles

Now more than ever it feels like content creators across the film and television sectors are expected to do “more with less” as budget-crunching, global inflation and less investment from major players and streamers have had a huge impact on the global marketplace. That said, there are some bright spots in the advancements of technology – particularly in virtual production – that are increasingly opening up new creative possibilities to help producers find cost-effective ways to do more with their budgets. 

Related Stories

Hot Spots: How Ireland's Booming Screen Sector Shows No Signs Of Slowing Down And Why It's "An Overnight Success, Thirty Years In The Making"

AGBO Launches Innovation Department To Expand Physical & Virtual Production Capabilities; Exec Team Stocked With Vets From Epic Games, 'Avatar' And VisualCreatures

The company, which was founded by Raja Khanna and Dan Fill , is just coming off the back of launching its new, advanced 35,000 square feet virtual production studio in Toronto, which includes two soundstages and an LED volume that sits at 75 feet wide in circumference and 16.5 feet high, making it one of the largest LED volumes in North America. (It’s the second largest in Toronto after Pixomondo, which was acquired by Sony Pictures Entertainment earlier this year). 

To boot, Dark Slope has a team that is well-versed in tech like Unreal Engine production and gaming, and it’s worked across productions for companies such as WarnerMedia, Hasbro, Epic Games, NBC Peacock ( Babble Bop!) , Aircraft, Nickelodeon International ( Ready Set Dance ) and many more. 

Earlier this month, the company announced a $1.5M ($1M USD) investment from Canadian venture capital fund Relay Ventures, which will be used to enhance the company’s pipeline with AI upgrades as well as investing in IP development for the company. This comes after Toronto-based CG/VFX creator SideFX Software invested in the company in February to help build its new virtual production studio.

When it first set out in the business, the company’s goal was to be the conduit for newer technologies available to producers in the business and facilitate changes to how content was being made. “We were one of the first companies making primetime television shows and animated television shows without using any animators,” says Khanna. 

Now, the company hopes to position itself as a go-to virtual production hub that can not only draw on all of the benefits of shooting within the Canadian system but is also more accessible to productions across a range of budgets as they look to find ways to cut costs. 

“LED volume virtual production in the first instance, was servicing just these mind-blowingly amazing CGI productions,” says Dark Slope President Dan Fill. “I think every director, every creator out there was looking at it and thinking they’d love to do that but didn’t have $300M to do so. But, over the last five years, we’ve rapidly watched the talent availability, the availability of tools and the price points come down. There’s a moment in time right now where we believe it’s going to go mainstream and we’re going to be watching all levels of production looking for a solution so that they can elevate the quality of their shows where they’ll be able to produce things faster and more cost-effectively, and it feels like that moment is now.” 

After last year’s dual SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes resulted in a slowdown of commissions, both Khanna and Fill examined the market and felt there was a “great opportunity” to look to provide a solution for local and international producers and creators “when things turned on again”. “We can see the light now,” says Fill. “That was our belief and so far, it feels like that is what is happening and there really isn’t a player in this space to service that – I think we’re just filling the gap.”

Dark Slope offers a small team of experts to each production to “help advise and support so that they can take advantage of all the different possibilities on the shoot,” Fill says.  

When Dark Slope first began in 2018, Fill points to the fact that the company was focused on “creating a mind-altering audience experience – one where you could literally put on a suit in a  Ready Player One  kind of way and immerse yourself entirely in 3D.” But, he admits, that model “wasn’t very scalable” so Dark Slope looked to use the same components and pipeline, which comes down to “motion tracking, Unreal Engine and a combination of VFX and animation.”

“It’s not that there are no animators but it’s a faster and better-quality production with smaller teams and it’s a director’s dream – they love it. We’re able to provide what we think is a fantastic offering for the audience and it’s focused also on the producers themselves as they take advantage of these tools and utilize them in films, drama, animation, unscripted and nonfiction.” 

Khanna adds: “It’s a way to create content that is less expensive, opens up new creative possibilities and is faster and has a smaller carbon footprint.” 

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Computer Science > Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition

Title: a hierarchical 3d gaussian representation for real-time rendering of very large datasets.

Abstract: Novel view synthesis has seen major advances in recent years, with 3D Gaussian splatting offering an excellent level of visual quality, fast training and real-time rendering. However, the resources needed for training and rendering inevitably limit the size of the captured scenes that can be represented with good visual quality. We introduce a hierarchy of 3D Gaussians that preserves visual quality for very large scenes, while offering an efficient Level-of-Detail (LOD) solution for efficient rendering of distant content with effective level selection and smooth transitions between levels.We introduce a divide-and-conquer approach that allows us to train very large scenes in independent chunks. We consolidate the chunks into a hierarchy that can be optimized to further improve visual quality of Gaussians merged into intermediate nodes. Very large captures typically have sparse coverage of the scene, presenting many challenges to the original 3D Gaussian splatting training method; we adapt and regularize training to account for these issues. We present a complete solution, that enables real-time rendering of very large scenes and can adapt to available resources thanks to our LOD method. We show results for captured scenes with up to tens of thousands of images with a simple and affordable rig, covering trajectories of up to several kilometers and lasting up to one hour. Project Page: this https URL

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