Disney has been approved for a patent that would create personalized interactive attractions for theme park visitors. The technology would enable headset-free augmented reality attractions at Disney theme parks.
The technology would work by tracking visitors using their mobile phones, and generating and projecting personalized 3D effects onto nearby physical spaces, walls, and objects in the park.
The entertainment giant was approved for a “virtual-world simulator in a real-world venue,” patent on Dec. 28, 2021. It was originally filed to the United States Patent and Trademark Office in July 2020.
The Metaverse has largely been imagined as existing on the internet, accessed using virtual reality (VR) or AR headsets. However, the technology proposed by Disney would bring the Metaverse to the physical world.
This is not the first time Disney has indicated its interest in the Metaverse. During the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call during November 2021, CEO Bob Chapek said the firm is preparing to blend physical and digital assets in the metaverse.In Nov. 2020, Disney Resorts Chief Strategy Officer Tilak Mandadi shared in a Linkedin article that he had his sights set on blending the digital and physical world.