Virtual reality (VR) is all the talk these days, so how about a physical roller coaster that takes you on a VR ride through space?
Alton Towers aims to do just that with its upcoming "Galactica" roller coaster, which is shaping up as an ambitious VR project.
This reality can get boring at times, so an escape into a virtual one seems to be on everyone's mind recently. Oculus Rift preorders finally kicked off, HTC now thinks VR is more important than smartphones and is preparing to start taking HTC Vive preorders in February, and other big VR projects are bound to shake the scene as well.
While all of those VR projects sound intriguing, however, Alton Towers has something unique in mind: a virtual reality tour through space while you're physically riding a roller coaster.
The British theme park is planning to open its Galactica roller coaster in April, giving riders a space-themed experience with the help of Gear VR headsets. The ride will last for three minutes, during which you'll be able to blaze through the depths of VR space.
According to Alton Towers, no other roller coaster has ever been dedicated entirely to VR, so its Galactica will mark a first.
The project involves the story of Galactica, a space tourism company that takes "Galactanaut" pioneers on their first trip through space. The virtual reality visuals part of the roller coaster ride will transport riders into space, push them into a warp tunnel and carry them across mysterious galaxies for the ride of a lifetime.
It's impossible to come up with such a project and not take motion sickness into account, so Alton Towers also took some steps to ensure pioneers don't puke their way through virtual reality space. The roller coaster itself will be a rebranded, modified version of Alton Towers' Air ride, and it will involve hefty shoulder straps that aim to prevent people from moving their head right or left. This way, the systems will only have to motion-track the roller coaster rather than all riders' body movements.
Moreover, each individual headset will apparently have its own sensors to ensure the space visuals are properly synchronized when riders move their head vertically. A custom tethering system, meanwhile, is Alton Towers' way of making sure the headset will not fall off wearers' face, while head straps will serve to keep sweat off the gadget.
The virtual reality aspect of Galactica is what offers this roller coaster a unique edge, but riders who prefer not to dive into VR will also be able to enjoy the ride as it is, in physical reality, with no VR spice.
Head over to the Galactica website to learn more about the company's vision, or watch the video below to get a better idea of the concept.
