Disney's research arm has shown off a new cutting-edge technology that could be our first glimpse into the future of entertainment. Named "HoloTile" floor, it is being designed by Lanny Smoot and his team, providing users with a 360-degree virtual reality experience.
What Happened: The Walt Disney Co.'s DIS research team has showcased a futuristic VR product called HoloTile floor that an endless number of users to experience VR for an "unlimited distance."
Disney's HoloTile floor teaser shows Smoot walking endlessly on a dynamic surface, allowing him to walk in all directions without worrying about falling off it.
The company describes it as "the world's first multi-person, omnidirectional, modular, expandable, treadmill floor."
True to this description, the floor is seen expanding and contracting based on the user's movements. Picture yourself walking on a treadmill and still not actually moving forward – that is exactly what the HoloTile floor is seen doing.
Why It Matters: What could be the real-world use cases for this? For one, Disney says it could be used in theatre plays showing actors walking, running or moving around, with the background changing as needed.
In homes, too, it could prove to be useful in games involving either a single or multiple players.
Gamers could couple this with a virtual reality headset – something like Apple Inc.'s AAPL Vision Pro headset – and play everything from virtual tennis to endless runners, right from the comfort of their homes.
Even without a mixed reality headset, HoloTile floor could be useful if paired with the right games or anything that requires a dynamic surface.
Existing VR technology limits itself to tracking the user's head and arm movements, so HoloTile floor could be the next step in expanding the usability of this technology. It remains to be seen if Disney will make it a mass-market product or use it in its parks for an exclusive experience.
Until then, you can watch Smoot himself demonstrating the HoloTile floor below.
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Photo courtesy: Disney
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