Google Launches VR Tour Of White House, Consists Of Images, Video & Narration

Google has now made it possible for you to tour the White House through its educational software, Google Expeditions, which had launched back in September but has not made much buzz since. The program has now released a 360-degree video tour of the White House's holiday setup, where one can see the showcase of the holiday décor as narration and slideshows fill up the minutes of the video.

The video lasts for about five minutes and can be played in both 2Dand 3D. It plays out like a slideshow and displays 180-degree stills of the many rooms of the White House in Washington D.C., Immortal News reported.

Using the Google cardboard and the new Go Pro rig for 360 videos, one can easily be inside the White House in the comfort of their own home. However, for this purpose, Google only went with panoramic shots, towards which some people did not find very interesting, as the video seems to look more like a documentary and less of an actual experience, roaming inside of the White House, according to The REM.

For this video, Google had used a 16-camera setup called the Jump camera rig to do all the filming of the White House. Viewers will also get an opportunity to meet President Barack Obama's family dog, Bo.

"The White House is a place plenty of people will never go and a virtual tour is theoretically enlightening. Unfortunately, this video sort of feels like you're a 10-year-old being dragged down the corridors by an underpaid tour guide. Maybe I'm cynical. Ok, I'm cynical. But this could have been amazing. One day, when the tools to create virtual reality are better-and more people know how to create high-quality experiences-it will be," Gizmodo's Mario Aguilar said.

Until then, this is the best experience for you to enjoy exploring the White House without actually being there. The video is a mix of static images, movies and a narrative that provides the atmosphere of a guided tour, according to PC Mag.

Tags
White House, Google, Virtual reality, Christmas, Tour, Washington
Real Time Analytics