Pioneeringwork:first3DworldfortheBirdlyflightsimulator–developedwiththeInteractiveMediaFoundation.

Client
Flugsimulation 1890
Industry
Travel & Leisure
Services
Technical ConsultingUX DesignVisual DesignSoftware DevelopmentDevOpsProducing
Awards
Red Dot AwardiF Design AwardADC Germany (Art Directors Club)Deutscher Digital AwardDDC Gute Gestaltung (Deutscher Designer Club)Webby AwardsAnnual Multimedia Award

We bring the dream of flying over Ulm in 1890 to life in Virtual Reality.

Making history tangible was our goal.
In collaboration with the Interactive Media Foundation, we developed the first 3D world for the Birdly flight simulator. The aim was to create an accessible VR experience for residents and tourists to experience Ulm from 1890 from a bird's-eye view and feel the Ulm Minster as an emotional anchor.
Birdly flight simulator in action with the Ulm skyline and the Ulm Minster prominently featured.
The implementation includes an open flight framework, a modular house kit with 45 models, a manually placed old town with around 2,000 historical buildings, and a highly detailed model of the Ulm Minster. The experience was enhanced with synchronized sound and targeted performance optimizations.
An immersive 3D world for the Birdly flight simulator was delivered.
Wireframe representation as a 'snow globe' of the Ulm old town with interaction points and flight paths.

Our UX approach went beyond classic wireframes and designed a small, intuitive world where users can fly freely. The snow globe metaphor creates open movement freedom, clear interaction rules for collisions, and a speed scaling that makes the flight experience safe, emotional, and easily accessible.

Technical excellence ensures immersion.
Through atomic design with a house kit, vertical-slice prototyping, and strict polygon management, we achieved high visual quality at stable 90 fps. The team optimized shaders and lightmaps, built a small render farm for realistic lighting, and complemented the world with over 50 custom-produced 3D sounds.
Close-up of the 3D model of the Ulm Minster with wireframe overlay and lighting render.
In just six months, 45 house kit models, around 2,000 houses, the Minster with 136,000 polygons, and a budget of eight million polygons for the entire world were created. Over 500 hours of 3D design and more than 100 hours of flight testing ensured refinement, allowing visitors to experience an emotionally rich journey today.
The experience sets new standards for VR flight simulation.
The installation as part of 'Ulm Stories' allows each guest to write their personal story of the dream of flying. Feedback ranges from moved residents to appreciative expert voices; even the current Minster architect found our model to be accurate. Technical stability and emotional value were equally in focus.

Together, we create immersive experiences with cultural depth.