IMMERSIVE TOOLS
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Floor and ceiling projections add realism to learning spaces
user centred. Modular, omnidirectional and large enough to fit multiple people, the floor promises to be a game changer in VR by supporting shared experiences and keeping users engaged (they won’t be disrupted by falling off the floor’s edge, for instance). The Holotile Floor isn’t merely a VR accessory; it can also have applications in live performance. For example, theatre groups could use the floor as a set piece, allowing actors to simulate motion during a scene change or create a practical effect by moving a prop seemingly by magic. And magic is Smoot’s whole shtick. He’s responsible for the floating head and changing portraits in Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride and has left his mark on many other theme park attractions. For Smoot, the Holotile is a thing of versatility, and though it has yet to find a designated use within Disney, its possibilities are wide open. TRAINING DAY An obvious choice for entertainment, immersive technology is also a useful tool in education. “Shown to have a number of benefits for students, an immersive space is always a shared experience,” introduces Henry Brown, marketing executive at Igloo Vision. Unlike in a virtual learning environment, ‘the teacher can retain full autonomy over the session and offer the instant feedback essential in education’. Igloo Vision creates immersive spaces, primarily through LED walls, for a global network of clients. “Broadly speaking, we see four main use cases: simulation, visualisation, collaboration as well as engagement,” adds Brown. “With an Igloo space, you get a sense of presence and scale otherwise not possible unless you are in that environment. It tricks the mind into thinking it’s somewhere it’s not.” It’s like stepping into another world.
also known as cyber sickness in some) as the technology improves. The experience normally combines indoor simulated skydiving with VR goggles to create the physical feeling of falling while sending audio-visual input to the brain. In the UK, iFLY – with locations in London, Manchester, Basingstoke and Milton Keynes – offers a 360° VR experience that lets the diver choose between nine scenic locations, including Hawaii and the Swiss Alps. Guided by a trained instructor, iFLY provides a safe yet adrenaline-heavy alternative to a potentially hazardous activity. Who says you need to fall from the sky to have a good time? INVISIBLE TOUCH While technologically impressive, VR generally falls short of true immersion because it targets certain senses (sight and sound) and not others (smell, taste or touch). As with iFLY’s virtual skydiving – which importantly introduces a bodily sensation to an otherwise digitally led experience – VR seems to be heading towards haptics. In Ready Player One – which mainly takes place in a futuristic metaverse – the characters wear full-body haptic suits and walk on treadmills (in other words, they use immersion rigs) while engaged in VR. The bodysuits transmit a signal so a digital touch becomes a physical sensation, taking VR tech to new heights and – in the novel – making the characters even more likely to prefer the metaverse over real life. But the treadmills also play another key role: players can walk or run and mimic a sense of movement. Recently unveiled by Lanny Smoot – a long-time Disney employee who’s just been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame – the Holotile Floor is a treadmill-like surface which does everything in its power to keep its
You get a sense of presence and scale otherwise not possible unless
you are in that environment”
Ready-made Igloo solutions are the most popular choices among clients
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