Given the growth of the AR/VR industry and the ever so powerful entertainment industry (no recession can slow down the need for Entertainment), it is safe to expect that theme park operators will rapidly adopt these technologies.
In order to address the merits of AR vs VR for theme park operators, let’s first assess what has been done so far by the community.
Considering that motion sickness is one of VR’s main issues, I believe that pairing VR with a high speed roller coaster ride is a recipe for disaster. Also, using a VR headset on a ride no longer enables the thrill seekers to share the experience sitting collectively. Let’s face it: VR is (at the moment) an individual experience which then makes it harder for the user to relate with friends and family the thrill component of the ride.
This is the next-generation laser tag / paint ball experience (for example work done by VRCade and Zero Latency). Interesting solution, but those who have tried to walk around “blindfolded” with a VR headset will agree that it is not the most intuitive feeling.
AR can be applied in several ways but has 2 main common treads; it’s a group experience and it blends in with the real world by overlaying 2D/3D content in our field of view. How?
For starters, with AR Apps for smartphone and tablets – Examples of this can be found with “The Battle for Cedar Point” app or the work we did with Isle of Wight where we placed 3D dinosaurs in a real live environment. From a hardware perspective, this is minimal investment for the theme park and allows guests to use their own devices.
Want more information on VR Theme Park Amusement, Athletic VR equipment, Mixed Reality Industry Solutions? Click the link below to contact us.