The Walt Disney Company participates in the Metaverse. That much is evident from a patent for a simulator of the virtual world. What exactly this is about, we present in the article.
We are not talking about online appearances or business meetings with avatars. With the Virtual World Simulator, a new technology that was registered for a patent in the USA on December 28th, Disney wants to expand the virtual dimension of its theme parks.
The system could be used as follows: The user enters a place or a ride where images are projected onto flat and curved surfaces, creating an immersive virtual environment. The movements of the user are tracked and the projections change accordingly, creating the impression of a complex, 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. The park visitors could end up interacting with Mickey Mouse and Elsa as images and not with the actors in their costumes. The technology, which can include a device in the hands, could enable them to interact with the virtual elements, for example by pointing at them.
Virtual World Simulator
The Virtual World Simulator differs both from virtual reality (VR), in which the user immerses himself in a virtual world via a headset, and from augmented reality (AR), in which the user uses a device such as glasses or a Smartphone can display virtual elements in its surroundings. With Disney's new platform, the user doesn't have to wear anything.
In the patent it says:
AR glasses, goggles, and headsets can be expensive and inconvenient to wear. Growing concerns about the spread of infectious diseases, making equipment difficult to share 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 notes that the venue need not necessarily be a theme park: it could be a personal residence, a gaming environment, or a movie or television studio.
Not Disney's first innovation
This kind of experimentation is not new for Disney, whose history is peppered with technical innovations in animation production, but also in adventure entertainment. The company has used projection mapping in Disneyland's fireworks shows and has partnered with Metas Oculus through its subsidiary Lucasfilm for VR experiences like Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge.
Disney executives have been touting their Metaverse ambitions for a while. In November 2020, Tilak Mandadi, then head of digital and technology for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, wrote in a LinkedIn post :
When we look to the future, networked park experiences that overcome physical and digital barriers and open up new levels of storytelling are a very exciting focus of ours. I call this concept the theme park metaverse - this is where physical and digital worlds merge, with wearables, smartphones and digital access points immersing guests in the Disney metaverse. These experiences are enduring and guests are involved both inside and outside the parks. They are unique to you, but also social and connected. They are constantly changing, so there is always something new to discover.
Disney CEO is behind Metaverse
In November 2021, CEO Bob Chapek reiterated this assessment during a profit notification, promising a time when the company will be able to connect the physical and digital worlds even more closely, enabling limitless storytelling in our own Disney metaverse will. He told CNBC that the metaverse will have something to do with Disney +.
As with much in the Metaverse, Disney's plans here remain largely vague. But the patent reveals part of the strategy in this very interesting area. The most famous producer of linear animation films is serious about experience animation.
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