VR Torkel: Experience a wine press in virtual reality

Two students from the University of Applied Sciences Buchs NTB have set themselves the goal of bringing a Torkel, an old wine press, to life with VR. 

A Torkel is an old wine press that was used in the Lake Constance region several hundred years ago. It was used to press the grape juice from the grapes. In Nonnenhorn near Lindau, there is still a 400-year-old wine press that was in operation until 1955.

Philippe Croset and Dominik Traxler, two students at the University of Applied Sciences Buchs NTB, wanted to bring the ancient device to life with a modern application. As part of their bachelor's thesis, they used VR to dynamically recreate the Torkel.

The viewer can view the Torkel using VR glasses and operate it using a replica pressing rod. This is done via a mechanical structure that serves as an interface between VR and reality and is intended to give the visitor a real feeling of the movement. The visitor can turn the spindle using the so-called press plunger. At the same time, the spindle will rotate in the virtual environment. A braking system is used to simulate various torques on the spindle.

This gives visitors a real sense of the forces that had to be applied in the past to move the press beam up and down. Visitors to the Digital Day Switzerland were able to experience the application on 25 October in Vaduz. The mechanical setup will ultimately be installed and operated at the real Torkel in Nonnenhorn.

Source: NTB / Picture: tagblatt.ch