METHOD FOR PROVIDING A VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE FOR AT LEAST ONE PASSENGER OF AN AMUSEMENT RIDE, AND AMUSEMENT RIDE

Abstract

A method provides a virtual reality experience for at least one passenger of an amusement ride, in particular a water ride, with at least two spaced-apart and stationary UWB antennas. The at least one passenger is able to move in the ride and is provided with VR goggles and a UWB tag. The VR goggles can present the virtual reality experience in the field of vision of the at least one passenger. The method includes the steps: establishing a wireless connection and transmitting at least one signal between the at least two stationary UWB antennas and the UWB tag; calculating the position of the UWB tag based on the at least one received signal; generating a virtual reality according to the calculated position; reproducing the virtual reality experience through the VR goggles according to the calculated position and the viewing direction of the VR goggles.

Claims

1. A method for providing a virtual reality experience for at least one passenger of an amusement ride (1), in particular a water ride, comprising at least two spaced-apart and stationary UWB antennas (15), wherein the at least one passenger is able move in the amusement ride (1), the at least one passenger being provided with VR goggles (20) and a UWB tag (25), and the VR goggles (20) being able to present the virtual reality experience in the field of vision of the at least one passenger, characterized by the method steps: establishing a wireless connection and transmitting at least one signal between the at least two stationary UWB antennas (15) and the UWB tag (25); calculating the position of the UWB tag (25) using the at least one received signal; generating a virtual reality according to the calculated position; reproducing the virtual reality experience through the VR goggles (20) according to the calculated position and the viewing direction of the VR goggles (20).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the position of the UWB tag (25) is calculated using the signals received from the at least two stationary UWB antennas (15).

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the position of the UWB tag (25) is calculated using the signals transmitted by the at least two stationary UWB antennas (15).

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the calculated position is transmitted to the VR goggles (20), and in that the VR goggles (20) produce and present the virtual reality experience according to the calculated position and the viewing direction of the VR goggles (20).

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the virtual reality experience is generated according to the calculated position, and in that the virtual reality experience is transmitted to the VR goggles (20) and the virtual experience is reproduced according to on the viewing direction of the VR goggles (20).

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least three UWB antennas (15) are distributed on the amusement ride (1).

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one signal is transmitted continuously between the at least two stationary UWB antennas (15) and the UWB tag (25).

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the position of the UWB tag (25) is calculated via triangulation and/or trilateration.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the UWB tag (25) is connected to the VR goggles (20) via an interface.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the UWB tag (25) is supplied with power via the power source of the VR goggles (20).

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the UWB tag (25) communicates wirelessly or with a cable with the VR goggles (20).

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the amusement ride (1) has a track and/or a pool that is preferably flushed with water, and in that the at least two UWB antennas (15) are arranged so as to be spatially distributed, preferably over the water-flushed track and/or the pool.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the position of the UWB tag (25) is calculated using the at least one received signal and the course of the track and/or the pool stored as a model.

14. An amusement ride (1) comprising a preferably water-flushed track and/or a pool and at least two stationary and spaced-apart UWB antennas (15) for carrying out a method according to claim 1.

15. The amusement ride (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the at least two UWB antennas (15) are connected to a signal processing device (10), in that the signal processing device (10) can calculate the position of the UWB tag (25) of the at least one passenger based on the signals received from the at least two antennas (15), and in that the signal processing device (10) can transmit the calculated position to the VR goggles.

16. The amusement ride (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the at least two UWB antennas (15) are connected to a signal processing device (10), in that the signal processing device (10) can calculate the position of the UWB tag (25) of the at least one passenger based on the signals received from the at least two antennas (15), and in that the signal processing device (10) generates the virtual reality experience based on the calculated position and can transmit or stream it to the VR goggles (20).

Description

[0036] An embodiment of the ride according to the invention and the method according to the invention for providing a virtual reality experience for at least one passenger on an amusement ride are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a greatly simplified and schematic representation of the amusement ride 1 according to the invention. The amusement ride 1 can, for example, be a water ride such as a water slide, a swimming pool, a plunge pool, a water channel, and/or the like, wherein the ride can also have a course in which the passenger can come into contact with water in a targeted manner, for example by spraying it in a targeted manner.

[0038] In FIG. 1, the stationary components of the amusement ride 1 are identified by reference number 8 and the components that move with the at least one passenger (not shown) are identified by reference number 9. The amusement ride 1 enables a large number of passengers to experience the virtual reality experience at the same time. For example, a plurality of passengers can be in the water pool and experience the same virtual reality experience or one customized according to their preferences at the same time It is also possible for a plurality of passengers to slide down the water-flushed track or the water slide at the same time or one after the other.

[0039] The stationary components of the amusement ride 1 comprised a plurality of UWB antennas 15 (not shown in detail) which are spaced apart from one another and distributed in the amusement ride 1. The UWB antennas 15 are connected to a signal processing device 10, wherein the signal processing device 10 is able to evaluate the signals received from the UWB antennas 15. The signal processing device 10 also has a communication interface 18.

[0040] A passenger (not shown) can carry the components 9 with him in the amusement ride 1. These components 9 comprise VR goggles 20 (not shown in detail) and a preferably active UWB tag 25.

[0041] In addition, at least one movement means such as a swimming ring or boat—identified by reference number 29 in FIG. 1—can also be equipped with a preferably active UWB tag 25, so that these can be presented in the VR display independently of the passenger.

[0042] The VR goggles 20 can generate VR content from a program stored in a memory (not shown) and reproduce it via display means (not shown) in the current field of view, preferably by a stereographic representation. VR goggles 20 of this kind are well known from prior art and are often also referred to as an HMD (head-mounted display). The VR goggles 20 can be an extended reality device and, with the aid of computer programs, can generate an enhanced perception of sensory impressions within a multidimensional environment, which can comprise a combination of real and virtual elements. Extended reality also comprises intermediate stages of virtuality, such as mixed reality (MR), augmented reality (AR), augmented virtuality (AV), and virtual reality (VR).

[0043] The active UWB tag 25 can either be carried by the passenger, fastened to the VR goggles 20, or arranged on the movement aid that the passenger can carry with them. The UWB tag 25 can transmit an electrical signal that can be received by the UWB antennas 15. Typically, such a UWB tag 25 can transmit and/or receive an electrical signal.

[0044] The UWB tag 25 and/or the UWB antennas 15 work with a low transmission power of approx. 0.5 mW/41.3 dBm/MHz, which is why frequency ranges that have already been set are not disturbed.

[0045] The signals sent by the relevant UWB tag 25 can be received by the UWB antennas 15 and the signal processing device 10 can determine an exact position of the UWB tag 25 in the amusement ride 1 either via triangulation or trilateration. In a preferred embodiment, more than three UWB antennas are used, and a position can be calculated up to 100 times per second, as a result of which height differences in particular can be precisely determined.

[0046] The calculated position of the at least one UWB tag 25 can be transmitted via the communication interface 18 either to the UWB tag 25 via one of the UWB antennas 15 or directly to a communication interface 28 of the movable components 9 or the VR goggles 20. The communication interfaces 28, 18 can for example communicate via WLAN or Bluetooth.

[0047] Based on the calculated position, the VR goggles 20 can generate and present a stereo-geographic representation of a virtual reality corresponding to the current position by means of a VR software application together with a passenger's viewing direction determined by a corresponding sensor system.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0048] 1 Amusement ride [0049] 8 Stationary components [0050] 9 Moving components [0051] 10 Signal processing device [0052] 15 UWB antennas [0053] 18 Communication interface from 8 [0054] 20 VR goggles [0055] 25 UWB tag [0056] 28 Communication interface from 9 [0057] 29 Movement means