PortaVerse

Inspiration

Portaverse

Portaverse is a voice-powered VR travel tool that allows users to explore destinations in immersive 3D before they ever leave home. Instead of relying on flat images or text reviews, users can navigate through spatially accurate representations of real-world places and interact with key landmarks and local insights directly in virtual reality.

The project uses Google Maps Platform to anchor real locations in space, blending familiar geodata with intuitive VR movement and natural language input. Users can say a location aloud like “Go to Tokyo Tower” and instantly be transported into a spatial environment where they can walk through neighborhoods, identify points of interest, and plan their trips with deeper context and confidence.

Portaverse is not about nostalgia or memories. It is a practical planning tool designed for future travel. By simulating what it feels like to be in a location, Portaverse helps users evaluate destinations, understand the surrounding area, and make informed decisions before booking.

This project reimagines the role of maps in travel. Instead of serving as a flat reference or post-trip archive, maps become immersive, navigable spaces that support decision-making and trip preparation.

What it does

Users begin in a neutral virtual lobby and activate the system using voice search. When a destination is named, the system queries the Google Maps Platform for the coordinates and relevant place data.

A 3D environment loads based on this data. Key landmarks are placed using latitude and longitude coordinates. The surrounding visuals include terrain data, stylized skyboxes, and lighting that reflects the region’s ambiance.

Users can move within the space using gaze-based or controller-based navigation. As they explore, they can select interactive points that display curated information about restaurants, transportation hubs, viewpoints, and cultural sites.

The project was built in Unity with WebXR support and tested in Quest VR. Google Maps Platform provides geolocation, place search, and contextual data for each destination. Voice commands are processed using a speech recognition pipeline integrated into the Unity application.

How we built it

By harnessing Google Photorealistic 3D Tiles and Cesium, I've materialized the real digital world. Incorporating voice commands, the system accurately interprets spoken locations into coordinates via Google Map API, instantly transporting users to their desired destinations. Fun functionalities, such as 3D models from Sketchfab, enhance the experience

Challenges we ran into

Conceiving this idea just a week before the deadline posed a time constraint, limiting the implementation of features like multiplayer. However, I aim to integrate this element soon.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Successfully realizing the vision of navigating places (teleporting) through voice commands has been immensely fulfilling.

What we learned

Mastering Google Photorealistic 3D Tiles, Cesium, and the Google Map API has been an enjoyable learning experience, fueling my excitement for future creations.

What's next for PortaVerse

Future plans involve enabling interaction among users through multiplayer functionality, facilitating story-sharing and hosting engaging events.

Built With

• geospatial
• potorealstic
• unity