Virtual reality gives humans a turtle's-eye view of wildlife

Adapted from a news story written by Laurel Hamers, University Of Oregon Communications

(JUNE 24, 2022) A professor at the University of Oregon in Eugene designed a new virtual reality (VR) simulation. He hopes it will encourage people to protect the environment. He calls it Project Shell.

Participants wear a VR headset. They imagine they are the body of a turtle. For 15 minutes, they experience a turtle's life from egg to adult. They must avoid hazards like ships and fishing gear. The professor learned that the simulation increased people’s empathy and concern for environmental issues.

“Embodiment of nonhuman bodies is a powerful tool that environmental storytellers can use,” says Daniel Pimentel. He is a professor in the School of Journalism and Communication. He led the work. “I hope that this experience can help raise awareness and hopefully engage the public in a way that trickles down to more support.”

Pimentel was inspired by childhood trips to Disney World. He became interested in VR as a communication tool. It can be difficult to get humans to care about animals. People are sad when a family pet dies. However, people do not feel the same emotions for far-away animals that die from warming oceans or pollution.

Pimentel wanted to make those problems more personal. He thought people would change their beliefs if they experienced the world from another perspective. He wanted people to experience life as a turtle. His goal was to cause a phenomenon called "body transfer." Body transfer tricks the brain. People feel like the turtle’s experiences are their own.

In the simulation, participants begin by pecking their way out of an egg. Then they grow up as a turtle. They face a variety of potentially deadly hazards. Participants sit in a special chair to change the position of their body. They wear a special backpack that sends vibrations when, for example, a boat is near.

Pimentel evaluated people’s attitudes and beliefs about the environment. The body transfer effect was generally strong, especially for younger participants. People often felt as if the virtual turtle’s body was truly their own. This also affected the way participants responded to other animals in the game.

“When people become sea turtles, they view other sea turtles in the environment differently than they view other animals,” Pimentel says. “You see them as part of your in-group.”

The experience also affected people’s beliefs about the environment. The experience increased empathy and concern for turtles. It affected the amount of money people would give to protect the environment. This was especially true when people saw multiple dead sea turtles in the simulation.

VR technology is quickly becoming more affordable. So Pimentel hopes the simulation could be something people download themselves. He hopes they can experience it on their own devices. “I want to turn as many people turtle as possible," he says.