HoloTile: Disney reveals ‘smart floor’ that can be used alongside VR headset

Disney unofficially introduced a new technology. Could solve one of the biggest problems of Virtual Reality (VR) today. The vehicle seems to be able to allow a user with headphones on his face to move without getting up from the seat.

Equipment called HoloTile, smart floor that acts like a treadmill. Each time a person begins walking in one direction, it adjusts in the opposite direction to create the sensation of movement without the user having to lift their feet off the surface.

The news was announced in the clip below, starting at 3 minutes and 20 seconds into the video. It is possible to see the invention in detail and also its basic functioning in the material.

According to the show, The floor consists of a series of mobile units and sensors controlled by a computer that record movement.

Possible applications of HoloTile

Person responsible for innovation Lanny Smootwhy daydreamer (Disney’s equivalent of inventor) has been with the company for 25 years. Lanny has a long career in telecommunications and currently has over 100 patents registered to his name.

He became the second company employee to be inducted into the United States Inventors Hall of Fame, after Walt Disney.

But ultimately where can HoloTile be used? According to Lanny, the technology has many possible applications, but even the team doesn’t know where it will be used in practice.

Possibilities include: Attractions in Disney parks, dance or acting performances and even a variety of interactive experiencesLike simulators and games.

“Imagine if multiple people in a room could collaborate, move around and see the sights. Imagine theatrical stages where this could be built into so dancers could perform incredible moves,” the inventor explains.

So far there is no estimate of HoloTile’s release to the public or Disney. The company has many inventions that sit in laboratories for years before being commercially implemented, with no guarantee that they will even happen.