Japanese designer creates beautiful VR map of his country, destroys it with laser beams【Video】

VoxelKei has been working to create the ultimate VR map of Japan, allowing people the chance to explore an extremely detailed rendering of the entire country. Oh, and also fire massive death rays at it.

Ever want to became a kaiju like Godzilla? Well prepare to get excited, because thanks to this new virtual reality program you may be bombarding Japan with laser beams in no time at all. Created by Japanese designer VoxelKei, the program was originally designed for decidedly peaceful purposes, offering an amazing 3-D replica of Japan painstakingly developed over the course of several years. The VR interface is offered through hardware like HTC Vive or OculusRift according to the developer, giving users a more immersive experience than popular applications like Google Maps.

Now, a recent update to the program has the Internet going wild. In a Twitter video demonstrating the latest function added to the program, VoxelKei shows that you can now also fire massive, explosion-causing laser beams across the country.

▼　You too can become a kaiju!

日本列島焼き尽くすVRになってしまう。 https://t.co/MrDMoTmTGl

—
  (@VoxelKei) December 19, 2016

All giant-monster mayhem aside, VoxelKei’s map also represents an impressive technical achievement, and stands as a testament to the developer’s hard work over the years. According to their website, the project began development in early 2015 and was created using a variety of resources and topographical surveys, including materials created by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. Unlike many other digital map projects, however, VoxelKei’s VR map of Japan doesn’t rely on pasting satellite photographs over a 3-D rendered surface. Everything you see is generated in realtime using the game engine Unity.

▼ No satellite photos were used to create the map’s texture!

▼ the program even renders atmospheric effects and snowfall!

The educational potential of a tool like this seems limitless, and for those of us without money for a private jet, or omnipotent, god-like powers, it seems like a great chance to learn more about Japanese geography no matter where you live! While you’re at it, why not get one of these tiny, 3-D printed models of Tokyo too?

Sources: Hachima Kikou, Terra Japan VR
Featured image: Twitter/@VoxelKei
Insert images: Terra Japan VR (1, 2)

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