Rowan VR lab provides virtual view of Philadelphia for Pope Francis' visit

The projected 1.5 million people who hope for a glimpse of Pope Francis at the end of September when he is in Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families can get a look at what to expect thanks to the Virtual Reality Lab at the South Jersey Technology Park at Rowan University.

Director George Lecakes and graduate assistant Michael Bucceroni spent close to a month creating a virtual view for NBC10 that includes Center City and North Philadelphia, with an emphasis on the Art Museum area to 20th Street. Among other activities, the Pontiff will celebrate Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Sunday, Sept. 27.

The virtual projection shows a crowd of 75,000, roughly half of what is expected at the Mass, from the Pope’s position. It also includes routes to reach the city, areas open and closed to the public, security checkpoints and emergency facilities, and Jumbotron locations.

.