MinaVR
Primary Role: VR Developer
MinaVR is an immersive virtual reality experience developed in Unreal Engine, designed to simulate the challenging and rewarding work of mining. Players don a VR headset and become miners, tasked with extracting valuable resources from a dynamic and interactive environment. The game emphasizes realistic physics, precise tool handling, and strategic decision-making in a safe, yet engaging, virtual setting.
Built using Unreal Engine, MinaVR leverages the engine's powerful rendering capabilities and VR support to deliver a convincing and captivating experience. The project was developed with a focus on optimizing performance for smooth VR gameplay while maintaining a high level of visual fidelity.
Note: This gameplay footage was recorded on Meta Quest during a class session, which may result in limited video quality.
Core Development Work
VR Interaction System
I designed and implemented the core VR interaction system, allowing players to naturally interact with the mining environment and tools. This involved developing realistic interactions for actions such as:
- Tool Handling: Picking up, wielding, and manipulating pickaxes with precise control.
- Resource Extraction: Breaking rocks, collecting minerals, and managing resources within the VR space.
- Environmental Interaction: Navigating the mine.
The system was built with extensibility in mind, allowing for easy addition of new tools and interaction types.
Realistic Rock Mining Collisions
I implemented the collision logic between the pickaxe and the rocks to simulate a realistic mining experience. This involved ensuring that breaking a rock required a variable number of hits, determined randomly, to enhance the sense of effort and realism in resource extraction.
Performance Optimization for VR
Given the demanding nature of VR, I focused on optimizing the game to ensure smooth and comfortable performance. This involved:
- Level Streaming: Implementing level streaming to dynamically load and unload sections of the mine, reducing memory usage.
- VR Specific Optimizations: Utilizing VR-specific rendering techniques to maximize frame rate and minimize latency.
These optimizations were crucial for delivering a high-quality VR experience without causing motion sickness or performance issues.
