Mesh Labs Projects

Hurricane Heroes

Hurricane Heroes is an asynchronous, cross-platform educational experience designed for students in the Introduction to Meteorology Lab (GPH 214) course at Arizona State University (ASU). The experience utilizes a three-act narrative structure to focus on hurricane forecasting, decision-making, and safety procedures from the perspective of different careers before, during and after a storm's landfall.

Office desk with dual monitors showing a weather map and video feeds, surrounded by modern office elements.

Key goals

Immersion

Placing the user at the center of decision-making within an environment that uses real-world data and audio from actual hurricanes.

Education

Explaining the complexities of meteorology and showcasing the importance of collaboration across multiple teams during high-stress situations.

Engagement

Making the narrative enjoyable and dramatic to encourage students to complete all three acts.

Suburban scene at dusk with people on a balcony overlooking cars and houses under a cloudy orange sky.

Impact

Hurricane Heroes was designed specifically for the Introduction to Meteorology Course (GPH 212) at Arizona State University and is part of the lab (GPH 214). The experience is available to all ASU students, with VR headsets provided for those who do not own one. The game uses real data from Hurricane Irma, presented in a way that’s accessible to students of all skill levels. Quizzes and questions based on the experience reinforce the lessons covered in class, helping students memorize key concepts related to hurricane forecasting and safety procedures.

Contribution

Meteor Studio’s contribution involved creating a cross-platform VR experience that was easy to use and informative for students. Real hurricane data from Hurricane Irma was used to build an interactive environment, ensuring students had access to valuable, real-world information

Tools:

Blender
Figma
Maya
Unity

Team

Project lead

Rachael Kaye

Student leads

Alex Vuong, Alexandra Barret

Tech artists/designers

Evan Koutsogiannis, Derek Sanchez, Christian Boesch, Sharliz Reyes, Krupa Kapadia, Saeed Pulatov, Mackenzie Leichtman

Developers

Dion Pimentel, Austin Porter, Mehul Srivastava, Abhirup Gunakar, Ashray Inala

Advised by

Robert LiKamWa