5 minute read
Mario Kart Augmented Reality Themed Ride Technology
Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement
Technical Innovation
This innovative design and engineering solution integrates an in-house prototyped AR (augmented reality) headmounted-display solution and head tracking system with facility-side media control and cloud gaming. It was developed to fulfill the vision of immersing guests into the world of the Mario Kart game at Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan. This breakthrough AR technology enables a novel, guest-immersive, game playing experience to come to life within the practical realm of themed ride entertainment. It allows for video game world characters to be seen moving at terrific speeds through dimensional, scenic environments and to interact with projection-mapped video media. In addition, each four-passenger ride KART allows for individual guest interaction with the characters. More than 20 patents have already been granted to numerous components. The Universal Advanced Technology Group had to innovate multiple technological and operational solutions in-house and to coordinate the efforts of numerous global vendors. Principal in this effort was the design and prototyping of a robust headset and game engine solution that would stand up to and satisfy the rigors of high-capacity, theme park operation. A two-piece design was developed to facilitate cleaning, while also providing the tethered Electro-Optical packaged “Racing Goggles” central to the AR experience. With head tracking technology, cloud gaming service for interaction with players’ mobile phones to check their scores, specialized software to support player interactions, and enlarged field-of-view and image resolution, all elements combine to put guests in the middle of the race to compete with classic Nintendo characters.
UNIVERSAL PARKS AND RESORTS- EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Tom Williams, Chairman, Universal Parks and Resorts Mark Woodbury, Vice Chairman, UPR & President Universal Creative Tracey Stockwell, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, UOR J. L. Bonnier, President & CEO, Universal Studios Japan, USJ Admin
UNIVERSAL CREATIVE- PROJECT TEAM Mark Pohlhammer, VP & Project Director Tom Geraghty, Sr. Director, Innovation & Global Executive Producer Patrick J Goergen, Sr Mgr, Technical-Creative Timothy R Tryzbiak, Sr Mgr, Technical-Creative Patrick Devin Boyle, Show Design Director Tom Cluff, Creative Director UPR Christopher R Bromby, Media Producer UPR Bestor, Valerie R, Sr Coord,Media Buecken, Patrick, Sr Mgr, Engineering & Safety Dennis, Yurika, Sr Mgr,Intellectul Property Finn, William E, Sr Dir,Projects Graham, Martin E Mgr,System Integration Greer, Daniel, Assoc Producer UPR Haines, Stockwell D, Engineer Hope, Shawn M, Mgr,Network Systems-Creative Huber, William Sr Mgr,Network System-Creative Humphrey, Anthony B Sr Mgr,Technical-Creative Hussami, Cindy, Media Producer UPR Kellenberger, Kevin B, Asst Dir,Engineering & Safety Kohei, Hotta, ATI Engineer Maras, Craig R, Producer,Creative Sloan, Jeremy, Media Producer Trujillo, Tomas, Asst Dir, Engineering & Safety Watson, Duncan, Mgr,Network Systems-Creative Wolski, Pawel, Assistant Manager AVP
UNIVERSAL CREATIVE- CORE Thierry Coup, Chief Creative Officer & Senior Vice President, Creative Studio Steve Blum, Senior Vice President, Safety and Engineering Dan Memis, Chief Financial Officer & Senior Vice President, Finance Brawner Greer, Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs Gene Dobrzyn, Senior Vice President Mike Kiddoo, Vice President, Safety and Engineering Chris Oliver, Vice President, Safety and Engineering Jennifer Addeo, Vice President, Finance Keith Wright, Vice President, Project Controls Robert Cortelyou, Senior Director, Safety and Engineering Brian McQuillian, Senior Director, Safety and Engineering Jody Keller, Senior Director, ATI Programs Mark Traynor, Asst. Director, ATI - Software
NINTENDO Creative Directors Shigeru Miyamoto, Creative Director Shinya Takahashi, Creative Director Kensuke Tanabe. Creative Director
Project Team Kozo Makino, Project Lead Masaho Nomura, Project Support Higashi Takanori, Project Support Yugo Sato. Project Support Ayaka Osakabe, Project Support
Visual Supervision Tsuyoshi Watanabe Yo Onishi Sota Kagino Chiharu Sakiyama Yosuke Yamamoto Kenko Kawahara Norio Asakura
Audio Supervision Koji Kondo Takahiro Watanabe Mahito Yokota Yuki Tsuji Kenta Nagata Ryoji Yoshitomi
Merchandise/Food Supervision Yoichi Yamamoto Naoya Hasegawa Noriyoshi Iwata Ryosuke Hirayama
Business Coordination Yusuke Beppu Yutaka Takehisa Atsushi Yamamoto Hironari Makiuchi Special Thanks Satoru Iwata Shuntaro Furukawa
VENDORS Holovis Stuart Hetherington, CEO Andrew Brown, COO Joe Jurado, CTO Amy Steele, Project Director Stephen Joy, Technical Director Alex Kiss, Project Manager Mitchell Hartwell, Software Integration Supervisor Gus Poveda, System Architect Glynn Harcombe, Installation Supervisor - Hardware Michael Agreda, Software Engineer Tom Bland, Project Engineer Clark Taylor, Installation Supervisor - ARV Chris Layfield, Quality Assurance Manager Alex Rainy Brown, Installation Engineer Kevan Stratton, Installation Engineer Matthew Knight, Integration Programmer Nathan Garrett, Integration Programmer Colin Norris, Project Engineer Daniel Davie, Project Engineer Dave Reynolds, Project Engineer Ian Bellamy, Project Engineer Simon Moloney, Project Engineer Ada Oliveira, Business Support Adam Jones, Solutions Architect - Art Andreas Georgiou, Solutions Architect - Art Brandon Tan, Solutions Architect - SW Brian Unwin, Solutions Architect - Art Chris Stanley, Solutions Architect - Eng Chris Walker-Brown, Digital Content Creation Specialist Drew Dunk, Solutions Architect - SW Duncan Fewkes, Solutions Architect - SW Eric Kang, Solutions Architect - Eng Francis Caamano, Warehouse Manager - US Gareth Williams, Solutions Architect - Eng Gary Moulton, Warehouse Controller - UK Glenn Byford, Solutions Architect - Eng Ian Souster, Purchasing Specialist James Lodder, Solutions Architect - Eng James Wills, Solutions Architect - Eng Kerri Drake, Logistics Manager Mark Doorbar, Software Developer ©Disney
Richard Wingfield, Solutions Architect - Eng Taylor Drew, Solutions Architect - Eng Yohann Advikolanu, Solutions Architect - SW Kevin Wang, Business Development Manager - Zotac USA
Dreamcraft Vernon MacGugin, President Jamie Toghill, Project Manager Mike Wozniewski, Game Development Lead Rob Roe, Rendering Engineer John Holland, Technical Artist Stephen O’Grady, Technical Artist Patrick Fewtrell, Backend Game Developer Alex Campelo, Game Developer Andrew Kim, Game Developer Dave Irons, Game Developer Jan-Arnout Mager, QA and Testing Lead Dave Elton, Studio Manager Tony Christney, Game Development Lead Steph Cates, Project Manager Joanne Service, Game Design Glen Schulz, Technical Artist Eric Roy, Backend Game Developer Kai Wunderle, Backend Game Developer Joshua Manton, Game Developer Roger Braunstein, Game Developer Ariel Lorenzo Luaces, Game Developer Geoff Johns, Game Developer Daniel McKinnon, Game Developer Amesh Narsing, Game Developer Tristyn Stimpson, Game Developer Jordan Ivey, Sound Designer Justin Sieben, QA Tester
Jaycon Jiten Chandiramanii, CEO & Co-Founder Derek Blankenship, COO & Co-Founder Tony Le, Project Manager Steven Du, Project Manager Jiongtong Fang, Project Manager Lucas Santos, Mechanical Engineer Joshua Aurigemma, Mechanical Engineer Manuel Castro, Electrical Engineer Raphael Setin, Software Developer Steven Braeger, Software Developer Jesse Pica, Production Manager David Kim, Production/Quality Yajing Liu, Sourcing Joy Jiang, Sourcing Yan Gao, Sourcing Lisa Clark, Administrative Assistant
Mira Matt Stern, COO Montana Reed, CPO Nakul Anand, TPM/Production Ben Taft, CEO
Polhemus Skip Rodgers, President Bob Higgins, Engineering Lead James Farr, Engineering Lead
The Third Floor Chris Edwards, CEO Dane Smith, VP, Project Lead
