Apparatus and method for grid-based virtual reality attraction

Abstract

A comprehensive solution is provided to transforming locations and retail spaces into high-traffic virtual reality (VR) attractions that provide a VR experience blended with a real-world tactile experience. A grid-based stage and kit of fixed and moveable accessories suitable for a wide variety of commercial venues contain all of the necessary equipment, infrastructure, technology, and content to assemble and operate a tactile, on-site VR attraction. Utilizing a modular set of set design and physical props, the physical structure and layout of the installations are designed to be easily rearranged and adapted to new VR content without requiring extensive construction or specialized expertise.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A grid-based virtual reality (VR) attraction apparatus, comprising:
 a VR stage kit that is associated with a plurality of VR representations generated by a VR simulation engine, said VR stage kit comprising: 
 a stage having a pattern of markings and accessory mounts arranged thereon for affixing accessories thereto, said pattern of markings identifying coordinates corresponding to a location locations of said accessory mounts; and 
 a motion tracking system, configured to track identity, location, and/or orientation of a VR participant on said stage; and 
 said VR simulation engine, coupled to said motion tracking system, configured to receive said identity, location, and/or orientation, and configured to generate said plurality of VR representations to simulate a virtual environment with virtually represented objects whose locations and orientations correspond to locations and orientations of said accessories coordinates identified by said pattern of markings. 
 
     
     
       2. The system apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said accessories comprise accessory mounts affix fixed accessories and moveable accessories, and wherein said accessory mounts restrict a possible location of said fixed accessories on said stage. 
     
     
       3. The system apparatus as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of VR representations align representations of fixed VR objects to locations and orientations of corresponding fixed accessories without relying upon sensory information about the location of said fixed accessories. 
     
     
       4. The system apparatus as recited in claim  3 , wherein representations of said fixed VR objects are more precisely aligned than representations of moveable virtual objects corresponding to said movable accessories. 
     
     
       5. The system apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said pattern of markings marks lines of a grid. 
     
     
       6. The system apparatus as recited in  claim 5 , wherein a corresponding virtual grid is displayed within one or more of said plurality of VR representations to illustrate a virtual coordinate system. 
     
     
       7. The system apparatus as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said virtual grid overlays a floor and includes grid lines that extend across and along a section of said floor. 
     
     
       8. The system apparatus as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said fixed accessories comprise further comprising a wall and a door affixed to said accessory mounts. 
     
     
       9. The system apparatus as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said virtual grid also overlays said wall and said door. 
     
     
       10. The method apparatus as recited in claim  5   1 , wherein a corresponding virtual grid is displayed within one or more of the plurality of VR representationsto illustrate a virtual coordinate system, and wherein the virtual grid overlays a floor and includes grid lines that extend across and along a section of the floor. 
     
     
       11. The method apparatus as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the fixed accessories comprise further comprising a wall and a door affixed to said accessory mounts, and wherein the virtual grid also overlays the wall and the door. 
     
     
       12. The system apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said accessory mounts comprise holes or pegs. 
     
     
       13. The system apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of VR representations comprises a unique set and/or position and/or orientation of VR objects, and wherein corresponding physical objects are modular, reconfigurable, and operable to be arranged to correlate with the position and and/or orientation of the VR objects in any selected one of said plurality of VR representations. 
     
     
       14. The system apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said and further comprising accessories comprise affixed by the accessory mounts having texturesthat, the affixed accessories to provide tactile sensations to complement and augment audio and visual sensations said of VR participant experiences within said VR virtual environment. 
     
     
       15. The method apparatus as recited in claim  1   13 , wherein the pattern of markings marks lines of a grid. 
     
     
       16. A grid-based virtual reality (VR) method, comprising:
 employing a VR simulation engine to generate a plurality of VR representations and associating each of a plurality of stage kits with one or more of the plurality of VR representations; and 
 assembling one of the plurality of stage kits, the plurality of stage kits comprising a stage and accessories, the stage having a pattern of markings thereon to aid in assembling the accessories to the stage; 
 configuring a motion tracking system to track a VR participant's identity, location, and/or orientation on the stage, and communicating the VR participant's identity, location and/or orientation information to the VR simulation engine, the pattern of markings identifying coordinates corresponding to locations of accessory mounts; and  
 using the identity, location, and/or orientation to simulate a virtual environment with virtually represented objects whose locations and orientations correspond to locations and orientations of the plurality of accessories coordinates identified by said pattern of markings. 
 
     
     
       17. The method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the accessories comprise fixed accessories and movable accessories. 
     
     
       18. The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of VR representations align representations of fixed VR objects to locations and orientations of corresponding fixed accessories without relying upon sensory information about the location of the fixed accessories. 
     
     
       19. The method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the stage comprises accessory mounts comprise including holes or pegs. 
     
     
       20. The method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of VR representations comprises a unique set and/or position and/or orientation of VR objects, and
 wherein corresponding physical objects are modular, reconfigurable, and operable to be arranged to correlate with the position and and/or orientation of the VR objects in any a selected one of the plurality of VR representations. 
 
     
     
       21. A method comprising:
 positioning one or more stage accessories at one or more discrete locations of a stage, the one or more discrete locations being defined by coordinates of a stage plan in advance;   via a motion tracking system, tracking location and/or movement of a human participant relative to a discrete location of at least one of the one or more stage accessories; and   via one or more computing systems, employing the tracked location and/or movement of the human participant to generate one or more virtual reality (VR) representations that simulate a virtual environment to be experienced by the human participant, the virtual environment to comprise one or more virtually represented objects corresponding to the at least one of the one or more stage accessories based, at least in part, on the tracked location and/or movement of the human participant and the one or more discrete locations defined by coordinates of the stage plan, wherein:   the stage comprises a stage platform having a pattern of markings identifying the one or more discrete locations along at least two dimensions; and   the stage comprises accessory mounts arranged on the stage platform to affix stage accessories at the pattern of markings.   
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the stage comprises a plurality of stage sections that are adaptable to be interconnected according to the pattern to form the stage platform; and   the stage platform is configurable according to a plurality of stage plans comprising at least a first stage plan having a stage platform dimension of A×B fitting a first commercial space and a second stage plan of C×D fitting a second commercial space, wherein A, B, C, and D are different from each other.   
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21 , and further comprising, via the one or more computing devices, correlating and overlaying at least one of the one or more VR representations with the tracked location and/or movement of the human participant to simulate an experience of the human participant in time and space. 
     
     
       24. The method as recited in  claim 21 , wherein positioning the one or more stage accessories further comprises:
 positioning at least one wall and/or stationary prop on the stage according to the one or more discrete locations.   
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more stage accessories comprise one or more stage props to produce motion, heat, sound or tactile feedback, or a combination thereof, corresponding to VR objects in the virtual environment. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25 , wherein the one or more stage props comprise a fan, a heater or a vibration motor, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 21 , and further comprising aligning at least one of the one or more virtually represented objects to at least one of the discrete locations. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the one or more virtually represented objects is to be virtually represented to have a position and/or orientation in the simulated virtual environment based, at least in part, on a position and/or orientation of a corresponding stage accessory. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 21 , and further comprising simultaneously livestreaming at least a portion of the one or more VR representations to one or more destinations. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more stage accessories comprise a physical heating element corresponding to one or more depictions of heat sources in the virtual environment. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 30 , and further comprising generating sudden bursts of heat from the physical heating element to be felt by the human participant. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the one or more stage accessories comprises an elevator simulator. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 21 , via the motion tracking system, tracking location, movement and/or orientation of at least one of one or more props relative to at least one of the one or more discrete locations and/or relative to the tracked location and/or movement of the human participant, and wherein the virtual environment to comprise one or more virtually represented objects corresponding to at least one of one or more movable props based, at least in part on the tracked location, movement and/or orientation of the at least one of the one or more movable props. 
     
     
       34. A system comprising:
 a stage defining one or more predefined discrete locations;   a motion tracking system to track location and/or movement of a human participant relative to at least a location of at least one of one or more stage accessories positioned on at least one of the one or more predefined discrete locations defined according to coordinates of a stage plan; and   one or more computing systems to employ the tracked location and/or movement of the human participant to generate one or more virtual reality (VR) representations that simulate a virtual environment to be experienced by the human participant, the virtual environment to comprise at least one virtually represented object corresponding to the at least one of the one or more stage accessories based, at least in part, on the tracked location and/or movement of the human participant and the one or more predefined discrete locations defined according to the coordinates of the stage plan, wherein the stage further comprises:   a platform having a pattern of markings identifying the one or more predefined discrete locations along at least two dimensions; and   one or more accessory mounts arranged on the platform to affix stage accessories at the pattern of markings.   
     
     
       35. The system of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more computing systems are further to:
 correlate and overlay at least one of the one or more VR representations with the tracked location and/or movement of the human participant to simulate an experience of the human participant in time and space.   
     
     
       36. The system of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more stage accessories comprise a physical heating element corresponding to one or more depictions of heat sources in the virtual environment. 
     
     
       37. The system of  claim 36 , wherein the one or more computing systems are further to control a valve and/or exit door to provide sudden bursts of heat from the physical heating element to be felt by the human participant. 
     
     
       38. The system of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more computing systems are further to align the at least one virtually represented object to at least one of the one or more predefined discrete locations.