Putting the 'Art' in Artemis
Way to Mars
Summary
Our challenge is based on educating others about humanity's road to Mars. Our solution is to build a 3D game named "Way to Mars" that will implement game-based learning concept. The game has multiple levels. Each level has multiple tasks based on information regarding Mars missions. The information lies in the game's story. After completing each level, the gamer will get interesting rewards like observing Mars' present weather. Thus, the gamer will learn about humanity's road to mars spontaneously. Nasa's images, videos, information, weather data are used in this game. The Development environment is Unreal Engine 4. This game can be extended in future to educate others about whole universe.
How We Addressed This Challenge
We're trying to solve the challenge "Putting the 'Art' in Artemis" and for this, we have come up with the idea which will enable players to learn about Mars and Mars-missions through playing games. We, team Titans, have developed a cross-platform 3D (TPP) game named "Way to Mars" that will use game-based learning concept. The game has multiple levels. In each level, there will be information, images, videos regarding Mars and Mars-missions. Gamers will have to complete some tasks using this information to complete the level. After completing each level, players will get some rewards such that they find it interesting to complete them.
The whole historical information, 3d models, images & videos about missions to Mars will be divided into different levels. So, by completing all the tasks of all levels, the gamers can easily gain knowledge about Humanity's road to Mars and how we have struggled to know about Mars since 1950's. We want to spread this information among people by this game. Also, we will extend this game in the future to spread information about space exploration among mass people.
How We Developed This Project
- Using mars' 360 panorama image to create Mars' environment was planned initially.
- Curiosity Rover's 1.8billion pixel panorama image was used to create the environment of the prototype.
- 3D resources were built & collected from the NASA 3D resource site.
- Images, Videos, Information were collected from different NASA sites.
- The core application is being developed in the Unreal Engine 4.25 game engine.
- Browser plugin was added to the game to connect to the internet from the game.
- InSight: Mars Weather Service API is added to collect weather information from Mars.
- All the scripts were written in the Blueprints Visual Scripting system in Unreal Engine.
Tools Used:
- Unreal Engine 4.25
- Blueprints Visual Scripting system in Unreal Engine
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe After Effects
- VivaCut
- TTS service used from Text to Speech (TTS) App
How We Used Space Agency Data in This Project
While developing this project, for the environment of the first level, we have used the Curiosity Mars rover's 1.8 billion-pixel panorama image so that gamers can feel how it's like to stand on the Mars surface at first glance. Our plan is to use different panorama images to create the environments of different levels so that the gamers can observe the different environments of different locations of Mars. The needed 3d models have been built & collected from the NASA 3D resource site.
In each level of this game, there are images, videos, information regarding Mars mission. Gamers will have to complete tasks using this information. The information, images and videos are collected from NASA's resources. In our prototype, we have developed level 1. In this level, the control center of a Mars base has been locked due to system malfunction. The gamer has to unlock it by answering the security questions using information from the data center. The data center contains information, image & video archive about Mars-missions. The security questions are based on those.
This is the information archive menu in the data center:
This is one of the security questions of the control center:
After successfully answering security questions players will get some rewards such as observing Mars' present weather and participate in NASA's "Send Your Name to Mars" program as rewards. The weather data is collected using InSight: Mars Weather Service API. "Send Your Name to Mars" option is directly connected to the NASA's "Send Your Name to Mars" program's site.
Project Demo
Project Code
Data & Resources
3D Model:
- Habitat Demonstration Unit: https://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/nmss-hdu
InSight: Mars Weather Service API:
Mars Environment:
- Curiosity Mars Rover's 1.8-Billion-Pixel Panorama: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA23623
Images:
- Atlas V Carrying Perseverance Rover: https://images.nasa.gov/details-KSC-20200730-PH-AWG06_0022
- Curiosity Rover: https://mars.nasa.gov/system/feature_items/images/6037_msl_banner.jpg
- InSight Mars Lander: https://images.nasa.gov/details-PIA22228
- Maven Orbiter: https://mars.nasa.gov/layout/maven/images/maven-orbiter.png
- Phoenix Mars Lander: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/spinoff_teledyne_optech1.jpg
- Sojourner Rover: https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/image/marspath_yogi_rov.jpg
- Spirit Rover (MER-2): https://images.nasa.gov/details-KSC-03pd0786
Videos:
- Building Mars 2020 Rover: https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/24642/building-nasas-mars-2020-rover/
- About Curiosity Mars Rover's 1.8-Billion-Pixel Panorama Image: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1611
- Mission Overview of Perseverance Rover: https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/25147/mission-overview-nasas-perseverance-mars-rover/
- Opportunity Rover: https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/22302/opportunity-nasa-rover-completes-mars-mission
"Send Your Name to Mars" Program's Site: