29 Jan 2019
Universal files patent application for walkthrough VR experiences
BY Andy Knaggs
Universal Studios has submitted a patent application in the US for a new system designed to keep visitors on track while experiencing a walk-through virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) attraction.
Titled Systems and Methods for Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Path Management, the idea would see VR headsets and harnesses worn by guests connected to tracks above them. This way, Universal could keep guests moving onto the appropriate positions within the attraction at the appropriate speed, stopping them from going too quickly, or from doubling back and interfering with those coming behind them.
A tether would move the harness along the track while the guest walks, and once they are in the correct area the tether would lock in place, allowing movement only within a specific range. Visitors could be kept within a certain zone until the next zone is free of users.
In announcing the patent application, Universal has drawn comparisons with The Void’s Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire attraction at Disney Springs, where groups of four guests are completely untethered as they progress through the VR experience. The downside, Universal observes, is that guests do not move through at the same speed, making the scheduling of allotments of time problematic.
The challenge has been to translate a free-roaming immersive VR experience into an attraction at a theme park, where queues need to move steadily forward. Of course, there is no guarantee of a patent application being approved, nor of the associated technology ever being used, and Universal says it has applied for numerous ride-system patents, many of which include VR components.
Close Window