Serving the themed entertainment community

Latest News

  • Walltopia introduces Equipment Lease Financing Program for climbing and active entertainment products
  • Clip ‘n Climb launches new branded website and booking system
  • Sydney selected to host SIGGRAPH Asia 2023
  • Herschend Enterprises becomes majority partner and operator of Kentucky Kingdom
  • Far from done with lifetime achievements, former Imagineer Joe Rohde joins Virgin Galactic in key role
  • Christie RGB pure laser projectors take guests on flight over America at Wisconsin’s Wilderness Resort
  • Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary to transform park icons into “Beacons of Magic”
  • Meow Wolf gives new meaning to “art market”
  • Home
  • Opportunity Hub
    • Leads & Opportunities
    • Webinar Calendar
    • Submit a Webinar
  • Explore
    • Features
    • News
    • COVID-19
  • Issues
    • 2020
      • #85 – Looking forward to the future
      • #84 – Everything the industry has to offer
      • #83 – Waterparks and more!
      • #82 – Solving Problems with Innovation
      • #81 COVID-19 and beyond
      • IPM guide to AV 2020
    • 2019
      • #80 – IAAPA 2019
      • #79.5 – IAAPA Expo 2019 Preview
      • #79 Europe and Waterparks
      • #78 – Asia/Tech
      • #77 – The Best in Themed Entertainment
    • 2018
      • #76 – Year End/Trade Show Round-up
      • #75 – IAAPA 2018
      • #74 – EME/Waterparks
      • #73 – Asia and Technology
      • #72 – Dubai/Museums
      • #71 – MENA/Entertainment
    • 2017
      • #70 – IAAPA 2017
      • #69 – Game Changers
      • #68 Going Global: Technology on the International Stage
      • #67 – Experience Design: Many Faces Many Places
      • #66 Theatrical Influence and Convergence
    • 2016
      • #65 IAAPA 2016
      • #64 Waterpark, Zoo & Aquarium 2016
      • #63 Technology 2016
      • #62 International
      • #61 Museums and Expanding Markets
    • 2015
      • #60 – IAAPA 2015
      • #59 – Zoos/Aquaria and Waterparks 2015
      • #58 – Technology 2015
      • #57 – International 2015
      • #56 – Museums 2015
    • 2014
      • #55 – IAAPA 2014 / Tenth Anniversary
      • #54 – Waterparks, Zoos and Aquariums 2014
      • #53 – Technology 2014
      • #52 – International 2014
      • #51 – Museums 2014
    • 2013
      • #46 – Museums 2013
      • #47 – International 2013
      • #48 – Technology 2013
      • #49 – Waterparks 2013
      • #50 – IAAPA 2013
      • 2013 Wrap-Up
    • 2012
      • #45 – IAAPA & WWA Wrap-Up
      • #44 – IAAPA
      • #43 – Waterparks
      • #42 – Technology
      • #41 – International
      • #40 – Museums
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About
    • About InPark
    • Privacy Policy
  • IPM books
    • Screens to scenes: Christie’s visual technology
    • Tales from the Expo
    • Themed entertainment in academia
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linked
    • Youtube

DreamCraft Attractions: Reality, but better

Jun 10, 2020 Joe Kleiman #81 COVID-19 and beyond, 2020, Attractions, Business, COVID-19, Features, Museums, Technology & Media, Theme Parks Comments Off on DreamCraft Attractions: Reality, but better


DreamCraft Attractions: Reality, but better

AR and VR are making more memorable attractions

by Sarah Brack, CAVU Designwerks

All photos courtesy of DreamCraft Attractions

AR, the game changer

Boomers, zoomers, millennials, and everyone else are on the cusp of joining Generation AR (augmented reality): using powerful technology and real-time systems to add layers of information over the real world. So what is AR, and how will it change our lives?

In 2016, the world discovered the first mass-market augmented reality app. People — young and old —were hunting in neighborhoods, parks, and city sidewalks, staring intensely at their phones to catch elusive creatures by swiping virtual balls at them. These creatures exist only in the phones, but for anyone looking at their screen, they seemed to be right there in the real world. Pokémon GO was a smash hit that made AR mainstream.

Like many technologies, AR has evolved a great deal since its roots in the military decades ago. It has evolved from rudimentary heads-up displays for flight crews to a robust entertainment experience connecting millions of people around the world.

Augmented Reality 101

There are two approaches to augmented reality: passthrough and reflection. AR headsets, like the Microsoft HoloLens or the Nreal AR glasses, use reflection to generate an AR experience. Images are projected onto a surface (glass or a similar material) in front of the user’s eyes. The DreamCraft Attractions team has substantial experience with this format, having been part of the development team for HoloLens, and more recently, in a soon-to- be-seen, technologically impressive theme park attraction.

Passthrough AR applies virtual images to a video feed; Pokémon GO is one adaptation of this technology. Using their smartphone cameras, users can view their environment with an AR overlay to display interactive characters. Some Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, such as models from Varjo Technologies, use this technology. It’s a powerful way to immerse the viewer through a blend of virtual, augmented, and real-life elements.

Technical aspects of VR and AR will continue to improve, deepening the engagement in an AR experience. Currently, tethered headsets offer power and connection to a high-end processing solution, but limit guest’ freedom of movement. Advancements in wireless technology will overcome this issue. The resolution of the graphics in standalone headsets will improve as 5G/edge computing becomes a standard equipment integration, and longer-lived battery packs will allow for a seamless experience.

Beyond Immersion

When combined with advanced technologies, such as real-time projection mapping, AR and VR can become fully interactive experiences. Within the augmented world, guests can battle aliens, interact with cartoons, and see details in events that otherwise would be impossible to see or overlooked altogether. In the hands of a producer familiar with the media, a guest experience can move between projection mapping and AR with ease, taking full advantage of the strengths of both technologies.

In addition, real-time projection mapping can bring the added benefit of social distancing to the guest experience. Guests can be shown where to stand in the line, while cameras track the group and projected content keeps everyone effectively and safely distant, all in real-time. This setup can substantially enhance the ride experience through the creative use of projection-mapped animations and integrations.

Tomorrow’s Technology, Today

The future of AR will have a substantial impact on our lives. Innovative organizations, like Apple, Nvidia and Qualcomm, are putting considerable efforts behind AR, seeing it as the future of human computing interfaces. The hardware is improving every day, and teams, such as DreamCraft Attractions, with substantial and successful experience and expertise with AR are pushing it to its limits. And beyond. While games like Pokémon GO have introduced AR to the masses, tomorrow’s AR experiences will help us interact with the world in truly amazing ways.

About DreamCraft Attractions

With a strong focus on innovation, DreamCraft Attractions combines hardware systems, proprietary software, and storyline adaptations to tell stories through interactive experiences driven by advanced real-time technology. Visit www. dreamcraftattractions.com • • •

VR in action: Midnight Ride at Lionsgate World is a model for immersive, state-of-the-art, me- dia-based experiences in the age of COVID

Midnight Ride at Lionsgate Entertainment World in Zhuhai, China

DreamCraft’s most recent VR experience, a Twilight-themed adventure called Midnight Ride, available at Lionsgate Entertainment World in Zhuhai, China, lets guests climb on motorcycles attached to individual motion bases. The guests feel like they are actually riding with the movie’s wolf pack, with force feedback and the motion base providing the sensation of riding across different terrains, such as the beach, a rickety old bridge, and through the woods. The sense of immersion goes deeper due to the inclusion of hand-tracking, allowing groups of four to wave at or signal each other while engaging with the ride environment.

The ride vehicles for the Twilight experience are laid out in a pattern that demonstrates what the setup for attractions in a post-COVID-19 world might look like. Each guest rides the motion-based platform, situated over two meters apart. In this arrangement, guests can fill from back to front, then exit on the other side of the room in the same order, or reverse order if the exit is on the same wall as the entry. This keeps guests compliant with social distancing, and with a hygienic headset solution, such as DreamCraft’s DreamSet, helps alleviate concerns about sanitation. •

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Print

  • AR, augmented reality, CAVU Designwerks, COVID-19, DreamCraft Attractions, technology, virtual reality, vr
  • tweet
Related articles
  • Walltopia introduces Equipment Lease Financing Program for climbing and active entertainment products
    Walltopia introduces Equipment Lease...

    Comments Off on Walltopia introduces Equipment Lease Financing Program for climbing and active entertainment products

  • Christie’s new germicidal UV product for attractions
    Christie’s new germicidal UV...

    Comments Off on Christie’s new germicidal UV product for attractions

  • Putting a spotlight on themed environments
    Putting a spotlight on themed...

    Comments Off on Putting a spotlight on themed environments

  • New York State clears theme parks and FECs to reopen, California theme parks respond
    New York State clears theme parks and...

    Comments Off on New York State clears theme parks and FECs to reopen, California theme parks respond

More in this category
  • Clip ‘n Climb launches new branded website and booking system
    Clip ‘n Climb launches new...

    Feb 23, 2021 Comments Off on Clip ‘n Climb launches new branded website and booking system

  • Sydney selected to host SIGGRAPH Asia 2023
    Sydney selected to host SIGGRAPH Asia...

    Feb 23, 2021 Comments Off on Sydney selected to host SIGGRAPH Asia 2023

  • Herschend Enterprises becomes majority partner and operator of Kentucky Kingdom
    Herschend Enterprises becomes majority...

    Feb 23, 2021 Comments Off on Herschend Enterprises becomes majority partner and operator of Kentucky Kingdom

  • Far from done with lifetime achievements, former Imagineer Joe Rohde joins Virgin Galactic in key role
    Far from done with lifetime...

    Feb 22, 2021 Comments Off on Far from done with lifetime achievements, former Imagineer Joe Rohde joins Virgin Galactic in key role


Quick Takes

My Tweets

Latest Issue

Leads & Opportunities

  • Eleventh Hour seeks Technical Proposal Writer/Manager for entertainment company client
    Eleventh Hour seeks Technical Proposal Writer/Manager for...

    Feb 16, 2021 Comments Off on Eleventh Hour seeks Technical Proposal Writer/Manager for entertainment company client

    The position is ideal for a technical proposal writer who...
  • Little Canada seeks Visual Arts Specialist
    Little Canada seeks Visual Arts Specialist

    Feb 16, 2021 Comments Off on Little Canada seeks Visual Arts Specialist

    Little Canada is a highly detailed and animated journey...
  • Scenario seeks LA-based safety manager
    Scenario seeks LA-based safety manager

    Feb 15, 2021 Comments Off on Scenario seeks LA-based safety manager

    The main office/shop located in San Fernando with various...
  • Steelman Partners and Gensler designing 75 hectare resort near Angkor Wat
    Steelman Partners and Gensler designing 75 hectare resort...

    Feb 10, 2021 Comments Off on Steelman Partners and Gensler designing 75 hectare resort near Angkor Wat

    The initial phase is expected to be completed by 2025 at an...
  • Walt Disney Imagineering seeks Business Planning and Operations Executive
    Walt Disney Imagineering seeks Business Planning and...

    Feb 03, 2021 Comments Off on Walt Disney Imagineering seeks Business Planning and Operations Executive

    The Director will lead financial planning and tracking and...

Top Posts

  • Crayola IDEAworks® traveling exhibit unleashes colorful creativity in young minds
    Crayola IDEAworks® traveling exhibit unleashes colorful creativity in young minds
  • Meow Wolf gives new meaning to "art market"
    Meow Wolf gives new meaning to "art market"
  • Christie's new germicidal UV product for attractions
    Christie's new germicidal UV product for attractions
  • Christie RGB pure laser projectors take guests on flight over America at Wisconsin's Wilderness Resort
    Christie RGB pure laser projectors take guests on flight over America at Wisconsin's Wilderness Resort
  • Herschend Enterprises becomes majority partner and operator of Kentucky Kingdom
    Herschend Enterprises becomes majority partner and operator of Kentucky Kingdom
  • Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary to transform park icons into "Beacons of Magic"
    Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary to transform park icons into "Beacons of Magic"
  • Far from done with lifetime achievements, former Imagineer Joe Rohde joins Virgin Galactic in key role
    Far from done with lifetime achievements, former Imagineer Joe Rohde joins Virgin Galactic in key role

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Categories

  • IPM Interviews
  • Theme Parks
  • Museums
  • Water Parks
  • Attractions
    • Haunts
    • Zoos & Aquariums
  • World markets
    • Asia
    • Europe & Middle East
    • Latin America & Mexico
    • North America
  • Technology & Media
  • Business
    • Events
    • People
  • World Expos

InPark Magazine

2349 E Ohio Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207 USA
262.412.7107
mpalicki@inparkmagazine.com

View our Privacy Policy

Copyright 2018 InPark Magazine / All rights reserved
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Instagram