While Google shuts down its VR divisions one by one, we thankfully have others who are willing to save some of the great products that began the VR resurgence in 2015. In case you missed it, Google announced that it will be shutting down Google Expeditions on June 30, 2021 and many people are understandably disappointed. Unfortunately, this includes many of the educators who invested their time and effort into collecting the necessary equipment and creating custom expeditions for their classes. Stepping in to prevent this loss, a company named Singleton Technology LTD, based in Lancashire, UK, is rescuing the app and renaming it Expeditions Pro.
According to the Expeditions Pro website, they will be launching an app that will contain all of the same features currently available on the Google Expeditions platform. In addition, a similar interface will be available for creating and editing custom 360 degree tours just like Google’s Tour Creator app. Instructions are also given to explain how to export your previously created tours to the new app.
For the many teachers still using Google Expeditions (or at least were right before the pandemic), now is the time to save your work! With most school field trips cancelled due to the pandemic, this might be the only way our students get to travel outside. On the other hand, this could also easily slide into a time to simply cut bait on using VR in the classroom. With the current pandemic-wary climate in schools, teachers have to do quite a job ensuring that VR headsets meet sanitary levels. Regardless of the logistics facing teachers, its nice to know that some companies are willing to step in and help. If you or a teacher you know is interested in this, currently the Expeditions Pro app is accepting beta testers.