This is one cool website. Virtual reality of a nation. It is not that comprehensive but well, it is interesting to have a 360 degree view of some places.
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The New Paper
07 Aug 2008
Photographer dreams of creating a virtual tour of S'pore all through his lens
He gets chased away but won't give up
By Liew Hanqing
HE has been chased away and has had his e-mails and phone calls ignored. But that hasn't stopped him from trying to capture as much of Singapore on camera as possible.
Photography enthusiast Aram Pan, 32, runs SingaporeVR.com, a website which features online virtual-reality (VR) tours of places in Singapore.
He creates his VR tours by 'stitching', or joining photographs taken from different angles, giving viewers the illusion that they are actually there.
He has created tours of more than 30 local attractions, including the Merlion, Orchard Road and Kranji war memorial. He also regularly covers events, such as the Singapore Food Expo and the Singapore Airshow.
But getting these photographs is not always easy.
Said Mr Pan: 'Sometimes when I need to get permission to shoot an attraction, I need to go through so many people. 'And people say they don't understand why I am doing this, and are reluctant to give me permission to take pictures.'
Mr Pan explained that the project is purely a hobby and he does not profit from it. He has invested more than $2,000 on it.
He said: 'It's difficult to get permission to shoot in some places, especially places of worship.' He recalled being stopped from entering a Hindu temple with his camera. 'I also tried to take a photograph outside the Chinatown MRT station but was chased away by one of the staff,' he said.
The Singapore Tourism Board now helps Mr Pan get permission to take pictures at some attractions he previously had difficulty accessing, such as the Singapore Flyer.
He now hopes to create a series of VR tours, taken from the top of tallest buildings here.
But getting permission to do so has been next to impossible. He lamented: 'Ever since the 11 Sep terrorist attacks (on the World Trade Center in New York), people seem more wary of photographers. 'I used to be able to take photographs just about anywhere, and nobody really bothered me.'
Mr Pan, who runs a company distributing health supplements, set up his VR website in February. Since then, it has attracted about 50,000 hits.
He began his foray into VR tours about five years ago, creating online tours of residential and commercial properties.
WORKING FOR CAUSES
He also works with non-profit organisations to help create awareness of the work they do.
Ms Sally Pang, 44, a volunteer with Breakthrough Missions, a home for former drug addicts, worked with Mr Pang in creating a virtual tour of the home for the organisation's website. She said: 'His work helps bring a greater understanding of the work done by this organisation. People will also have a better idea of what the home's facilities are like.'
Ms Pang, who maintains the organisation's website, added: 'Aram puts so much effort into these projects. He always does them wholeheartedly.'
Mr Pan also worked with World Vision Singapore, a Christian relief organisation, creating a VR tour of one of its exhibitions to raise awareness about HIV and Aids. Mr Pan said he hopes to add a section on his website with video clips of interesting places in Singapore by the end of this year.
He also hopes his site will one day be comprehensive enough to be recognised as Singapore's official virtual reality tour. He said: 'Doing this gives me a lot of joy, and I hope it brings joy to people who see my work too.'
-------------------------
The New Paper
07 Aug 2008
Photographer dreams of creating a virtual tour of S'pore all through his lens
He gets chased away but won't give up
By Liew Hanqing
HE has been chased away and has had his e-mails and phone calls ignored. But that hasn't stopped him from trying to capture as much of Singapore on camera as possible.
Photography enthusiast Aram Pan, 32, runs SingaporeVR.com, a website which features online virtual-reality (VR) tours of places in Singapore.
He creates his VR tours by 'stitching', or joining photographs taken from different angles, giving viewers the illusion that they are actually there.
He has created tours of more than 30 local attractions, including the Merlion, Orchard Road and Kranji war memorial. He also regularly covers events, such as the Singapore Food Expo and the Singapore Airshow.
But getting these photographs is not always easy.
Said Mr Pan: 'Sometimes when I need to get permission to shoot an attraction, I need to go through so many people. 'And people say they don't understand why I am doing this, and are reluctant to give me permission to take pictures.'
Mr Pan explained that the project is purely a hobby and he does not profit from it. He has invested more than $2,000 on it.
He said: 'It's difficult to get permission to shoot in some places, especially places of worship.' He recalled being stopped from entering a Hindu temple with his camera. 'I also tried to take a photograph outside the Chinatown MRT station but was chased away by one of the staff,' he said.
The Singapore Tourism Board now helps Mr Pan get permission to take pictures at some attractions he previously had difficulty accessing, such as the Singapore Flyer.
He now hopes to create a series of VR tours, taken from the top of tallest buildings here.
But getting permission to do so has been next to impossible. He lamented: 'Ever since the 11 Sep terrorist attacks (on the World Trade Center in New York), people seem more wary of photographers. 'I used to be able to take photographs just about anywhere, and nobody really bothered me.'
Mr Pan, who runs a company distributing health supplements, set up his VR website in February. Since then, it has attracted about 50,000 hits.
He began his foray into VR tours about five years ago, creating online tours of residential and commercial properties.
WORKING FOR CAUSES
He also works with non-profit organisations to help create awareness of the work they do.
Ms Sally Pang, 44, a volunteer with Breakthrough Missions, a home for former drug addicts, worked with Mr Pang in creating a virtual tour of the home for the organisation's website. She said: 'His work helps bring a greater understanding of the work done by this organisation. People will also have a better idea of what the home's facilities are like.'
Ms Pang, who maintains the organisation's website, added: 'Aram puts so much effort into these projects. He always does them wholeheartedly.'
Mr Pan also worked with World Vision Singapore, a Christian relief organisation, creating a VR tour of one of its exhibitions to raise awareness about HIV and Aids. Mr Pan said he hopes to add a section on his website with video clips of interesting places in Singapore by the end of this year.
He also hopes his site will one day be comprehensive enough to be recognised as Singapore's official virtual reality tour. He said: 'Doing this gives me a lot of joy, and I hope it brings joy to people who see my work too.'
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