Project Highlight
Olympic Whitewater Training & Public Athletic Simulation
Prototyping an interactive virtual reality kayak and paddle sports simulation in collaboration with OKC Riversport, an official U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site.
The OKC Riversport XR Simulation is an interactive virtual reality training experience developed at the VAST Lab in partnership with OKC Riversport in Oklahoma City. The system brings the adrenaline, hydraulic forces, and navigational challenges of Class II–IV artificial whitewater channels into an immersive headset simulation.
Hydrodynamic Simulation & Kayak Buoyancy
Accurately capturing kayak behavior in turbulent rapids required custom physics modeling:
- Buoyancy Raymarching: Submerged hull volume sampling to calculate dynamic buoyant center-of-mass forces across moving wave crests and hydraulic holes.
- Eddy & Current Vectors: Directional vector fields mapping river eddies, boils, and downstream surge velocities.
Physics-Based Paddle Propulsion
Using tracked VR motion controllers with custom paddle peripheral attachments:
- Fluid drag equations calculate resistive paddle blade thrust based on blade immersion angle and sweep velocity.
- Real-time resistance curves provide natural haptic cues, training athletes on effective forward strokes, draw strokes, and roll maneuvers without water risk.