Disney has been awarded a patent that will create personalized, interactive attractions for theme park visitors. The technology will facilitate headset-free augmented reality (AR) attractions at Disney theme parks.

The technology will work by tracking visitors using their phones, generating and projecting personalized 3D effects onto physical spaces, walls and objects around the park.

The entertainment giant is approved for “virtual world simulators in real-world venues,” patent December 28, 2021. Originally filed with the USPTO in July 2020.

This”Metaverse“It’s largely imagined to exist on the internet, accessed using virtual reality (VR) or AR headsets. However, Disney’s proposed technology will bring the metaverse into the physical world.

This isn’t the first time Disney has shown interest in the metaverseDuring the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call in November 2021, CEO Bob Chapek stated that the company is preparing to merge physical and digital assets into the virtual world.

“We’ll be able to connect the physical and digital worlds more closely for borderless storytelling in our own Disney Metaverse.”

Disney Resorts Chief Strategy Officer Tilak Mandadi shared on LinkedIn in November 2020 article His goal is to merge the digital and physical worlds.

“As we look to the future, the connected park experience that transcends physical and digital barriers and unlocks new layers of storytelling is our very exciting focus,” he wrote at the time.

“These experiences are perennial, with visitor engagement in and out of the park. They are unique to you, but also social and connected. They are constantly changing, so there is always something new to discover.”

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Although Disney told los angeles times It has “no current plans” to use the simulator in the near future, and the recently approved patent echoes Mandadi’s vision for a “theme park metaverse.”

There are 12 official Disney theme parks worldwide, located in the United States, Paris, Hong Kong, Japan and China. In 2021, Disney’s Parks, Experiences and Products segment will generate nearly $17 billion in total revenue despite global lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.