A 3D Stereo Tour of the Future

When the time came for GM to update its Dreamchasers ride at Epcot, R-Works and Jack Morton Worldwide worked with us to take it up a notch, resulting in this 2004 MCAI Best of Show and multiple gold winner.

The existing custom design, built in England, included an exotic seat on a motorized spindle, a shaker, stereo speakers, and a video headset to tell an immersive story. Since the headset had separate eyepieces, we found a way to send left and right images through the existing analog switcher for a true 3D stereo view. We worked with Jack Morton Worldwide, RFG Productions, and Universal Images to develop a story, then assembled specially recorded live footage and CGI animation into a full 3D stereo presentation. After developing the electro-mechanics for an off site working prototype, we developed new playback hardware, software, and circuitry to send stereo video to each eye every 1/25th of a second. This produced a vivid 3D stereo image that appears in the headset as a 70″ screen at 13 ft. We then developed software to author and synchronize the motion of the chair, added custom video circuitry to integrate this highly precise video signal with the existing framework for transmission to the 20 seats, and worked with Gold Sound to integrate their multi-channel sound design.

The stereo video with synchronized spinning and rumbling of the seat, and the enveloping sound track, created a leading edge, immersive VR experience that transported the rider through a fantasy tour of GM’s future technology from the perspective of an endearing toy car that aspires to be full size.