Red Bull The Edge: Virtually climb the Matterhorn

With "Red Bull The Edge", it is now possible at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne to virtually reach the summit of the Matterhorns to climb. An amazing and realistic climbing adventure is in prospect.

Virtual reality glasses, foot and hand tracking and 4D effects such as wind, vibration and texture are designed to narrow the gap between the virtual and the real. To do this properly and create a unique high-tech experience, a new 3D technology is used. The idea generators are the Geneva film producers Garidi.

Garidi Films from Geneva developed the new attraction with Red Bull, the Swiss Museum of Transport and in close exchange with athletes, mountain guides, climbers, engineers and motion capture specialists. Finally, the Geneva-based architecture firm 3BM3, the VR production company X Studios from Orlando and the timber construction company Schmidlin-Steinen were also brought on board.

The VR experience was built on a 3D photogrammetry scan of the Matterhorn. For this, over 14,000 square kilometres of mountain ranges were mapped by senseFly. The X Studios agency and its team of 3D scenographers, animators and programmers created the scenery in a photo-realistic and interactive way, including foot and hand tracking as well as with a high-end VR backpack from HP, which acts as a mobile computer. A virtual AlpinerX clock even gives the climber the altitude metres.

Red Bull athlete and freerider Jérémie Heitz and his friend Sam Anthamatten first welcome the guests with a video briefing. Then the participants are equipped with climbing harnesses and VR goggles to tackle the last metres to the summit of the Matterhorn. They are accompanied by the experienced mountain guide Sam Anthamatten. In the exhibition outside, you can learn more about the myth of the Matterhorn, the long tradition of the Zermatt mountain guides and mountain rescue, innovations of the mountain railways as well as the achievements of present-day athletes.

The Red Bull Media World in the Swiss Museum of Transport will be all about the mountains in 2021 anyway with the special exhibition "Altitude: Peak Performance on the Mountain". Visitors can fly over the Engadine with the Icaros training device, experience a virtual Everest climb, challenge multiple Red Bull X-Alps winner Chrigl Maurer in paragliding and accompany Red Bull athlete Jérémie Heitz and mountain guide Sam Anthamatten to the summit in the 360-degree VR documentary "Matterhorn VR: The Summit" by VR filmmaker Jonathan Griffith.

The VR experience "Red Bull: The Edge" is available from the age of 12. The regular ticket price is 24 Swiss francs. Reduced tickets for students and pupils as well as in combination with the Museum of Transport day pass are available from 19 Swiss francs. Tickets can only be booked with a pre-reserved time slot, online at the Museum of Transport ticket shop or directly at the museum ticket office. All further info can be found on the official side.

Source: Press release