Tired of walking? Flyview offers aerial tour of Paris in virtual reality

Tuesday, 10 April 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: There are many ways to see Paris such as by foot, by boat, and now by virtual reality.

Flyview’s virtual reality tour that enables users to “fly” over Paris’s monuments was launched recently.

Guests arrive in a lobby resembling an airport terminal with check-in counters, flight attendants and screens announcing upcoming flights. They are then invited to climb on a “jetpack”, where they would put on virtual reality helmets. And off they go, propelled into the skies of the French capital.

The devices synchronise the views with the jetpack’s movements by taking off, flying forward, stopping for panoramic views, moving sideways, and dropping down next to a monument to create an immersive experience.

The journey takes users from the Place de la Concorde, to the second-floor of the Eiffel tower, past the Arc de Triomphe, and towards the Champs-Elysées. Visitors also get a bird’s eye view of the Seine and its famous bridges, before ending up on top of the Notre Dame Cathedral. The trip ends on an aerial view of the cathedral’s architectural details.

Around 20 monuments, filmed with a drone equipped with seven cameras, can be explored during the 13-minute trip. Each virtual reality experience is unique to the user.