The Athens Rock Lobsters
The Rock Lobsters are a new professional ice hockey team based in Athens, Georgia. They play in the Federal Prospects Hockey League at Akins Ford Arena. The team's name was chosen by community vote and honors "Rock Lobster," the debut single by The B-52s, the iconic band that formed in Athens in 1976.
The ask.
The Athens Rock Lobsters have tasked us to create a 360° virtual tour of the Akins Ford Arena. They want to provide this immersive experience so fans can explore the venue before purchasing tickets, adding confidence and clarity to the ticket-buying process by letting them see exactly what to expect from different seating areas.
The technology we used.
The Insta360 camera captures fully immersive 360° panoramic photos in stunning 8K resolution, offering dynamic range and sharp detail that brings every angle to life. This cutting-edge technology allows viewers to explore spaces with exceptional clarity, creating a true-to-life virtual experience that makes them feel like they're actually there.
Our initial test.
During our initial development phase, we explored photogrammetry techniques using software like RealityCapture and SuperSplatting to compile multiple photographs into a detailed mesh that could be converted into a 3D model. However, we found that this technology wasn't as developed as our project required. This led us to pivot to the Insta360 camera.
Our Solution
Our solution is an interactive virtual tour that puts fans directly in the driver's seat of their ticket-buying experience. Users can click on any section within Akins Ford Arena and instantly view the perspective from that sectioned area , just as if they were sitting there in person.
Project team roles:
Macy Teter: Creative Director + Project Manager
Greta Imhof: Lead Developer
Lucca Fagundes: Point of Contact + Strategy
Rachel Davies: Developer + Photographer
Rye Harrison: Developer + Designer