site.btaBulgarian Company to Create Virtual Reality Experiences of New Seven Wonders of World

The Bulgarian company ZenArt has been commissioned by the New Open World Corporation to create virtual reality (VR) experiences of the New Seven Wonders of the World as part of the corporation's campaign to promote these sites, Ivan Nikolaev, co-founder and Managing Director of ZenArtVR, ZenTech, ZenHold, and DreamVortex, told the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).

Founded six years ago with the aim of pioneering hyper-realistic VR tourism, ZenArt brings together experts from the worlds of cinema and video games. The company currently employs between 30 and 40 people. Its portfolio includes landmarks such as Machu Picchu, the Egyptian pyramids, and the ancient city of Petra - projects commissioned by the governments of Peru and Jordan, Nikolaev said. In his words, ZenArt is the only company producing hyper-realistic virtual reality reconstructions of large-scale structures like mountains and entire buildings.

To enhance these virtual experiences, one of Nikolaev’s companies is developing a VR chair, which, paired with VR headsets, would provide full 360-degree rotation, tilting, and even scent simulation. In the past three months, this technology has been used at a location in Barcelona, where ZenArt has been showcasing their products. Nikolaev said that the venture has been extremely successful, ranking among the top in tourist ticket sales. He added that they plan to expand with similar venues across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.

“We are not aware of any other company doing what we do. We are also developing hardware that enhances the virtual experience, making it feel as real as possible,” Nikolaev said. The process combines real-world footage with 3D scanning using cameras, drones, LiDAR, and other scanners. Tens or hundreds of thousands of images are being captured and processed through at least eight different software platforms. A team of 3D artists, animators, and scriptwriters then creates a compelling narrative from this material.

Creating each experience requires a lot of time and human resources, as well as software and hardware. The Petra project, for instance, took about eight months to complete, involving a team of 40 to 55 people. The ancient city’s markets and everything Petra was known for were recreated using real footage and VR technology. One interesting aspect was the water system they built to sustain the city in the desert, Nikolaev said. “All of that was brought to life - both as it looks today and as it might have appeared in the past - within the VR experience,” he added.