Disney Metaverse Patent
We’re not talking about online appearances or business meetings with avatars. With Virtual World Simulator, a new technology that was patented in the US on December 28, Disney wants to expand the virtual dimension of its theme parks.
The system can be used as follows: The user enters a location or flight where images are projected onto flat and curved surfaces, creating an immersive virtual environment. User movements are tracked and expectations change accordingly, creating the impression of a complex and coherent world. The changing perspective is captured using a technique called Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM).
These projections can be animated characters, props, or backgrounds. Park visitors may end up interacting with Mickey Mouse and Elsa as pictures and not with the actors in their costumes. The technology, which can include a device in the hand, can enable it to interact with virtual items, for example by pointing at them.
virtual world simulator
Virtual World Simulator differs from virtual reality (VR), where the user immerses himself in a virtual world via a headset, and from augmented reality (AR), where the user uses a device such as glasses or a smartphone that can project virtual items in their surroundings. With the new Disney platform, the user does not have to wear anything.
In the patent it says:
Augmented reality glasses, goggles, and headphones can be expensive and inconvenient to wear. Growing concerns about the spread of infectious diseases, which makes it difficult to share equipment as it requires cleaning, requires new avenues to be explored. In addition, there seems to be a need to use a personal device to enjoy a virtual environment.
The patent indicates that the place does not have to be an amusement park: it can be a personal residence, a gaming environment, a film or television studio.
