Walt Disney Co. has been approved for a patent to project moving 3-D images on real-world objects to interact with theme park visitors, making it easier to create interactive attractions throughout its theme parks.
Last month, the U.S. Patent Office approved the patent for a technology described as a “Virtual World Simulator” for Disney Enterprises.
The entertainment giant already uses 3-D projectors to cast moving images on sprays of water in the light shows at Disney California Adventure in “World of Color” and “Fantasmic” in Disneyland. They also use the current technology on buildings and rides during the nightly firework show on Main Street USA.
But the new technology described in the patent would not be geared for large audiences. It would be used to track individual guests around the parks and project images specifically for them on nearby objects, buildings, and walls.
According to the patent, guests would not have to wear any special goggles or headsets to see the images of characters waving and dancing in front of them.
Guests would be tracked through their smartphones or other devices they are carrying so that the tracking information could be relayed to a computer connected to projection devices throughout the theme parks. After locating the guests, the “Virtual World Simulator” could project an image of a Disney character in front of the guests, with hidden speakers providing voices for an immersive and personal experience.
