Special Effects Visualization for Personalized 3D Transportation Illusions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing transportation illusions in entertainment venues provide limited immersive experiences, with audiences primarily acting as passive observers, lacking an active participation and personalized, dynamic interaction.

Innovation Solution

A special effects visualization system that captures user likeness data to generate a personalized 3D presentation and triggers special effects, providing an immersive and transformative experience by simulating transportation to another location, incorporating environmental and sensory stimuli.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional transportation illusions are used, then the performer can be transported to another location, but the audience remains a passive observer without immersive experience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimmersive experienceVSAvoidactive participation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates a virtual copy of the user's likeness through 3D scanning and reconstruction, allowing the user to be transported in the virtual environment without physical movement. The captured physical user is replaced by a digital representation that can be manipulated and transported independently, enabling immersive experience while maintaining the user's physical presence.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces multiple intermediaries including 3D scanning devices, virtual reality headsets, and environmental projection systems. These intermediaries bridge the gap between the physical user and the virtual transportation illusion, enabling active participation through head tracking, eye tracking, and environmental interaction while maintaining the transportation effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a single performance transportation illusion is staged, then the performer can be transported, but the audience cannot experience personalized dynamic interaction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepersonalized interactionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adapts the transportation illusion based on real-time user interactions. Head tracking, eye tracking, and environmental sensor data are processed continuously to adjust the virtual environment, transportation path, and special effects in real-time, creating a personalized experience that responds to each user's actions rather than following a fixed script.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates multiple feedback loops where user actions (head movement, eye movement, environmental interaction) are detected and immediately reflected in the virtual environment. The transportation illusion adjusts based on user feedback, creating an adaptive system that personalizes the experience while managing complexity through automated feedback processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If multiple users are transported simultaneously, then more users can experience the illusion, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of usersVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the transportation illusion into independent virtual environments for each user. Each user receives a personalized virtual space with their own 3D likeness and transportation sequence, allowing multiple users to experience the illusion simultaneously without interfering with each other. This modular approach enables scalability while managing complexity through user-specific virtual instances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4299153B1Special effects visualization techniques
Publication Date: 2025.07.02 UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS LLC
  • EP4299153B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4299153B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4299153B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A special effects visualization system includes a capture system configured to acquire likeness data of a user at a first location and generate a dataset based on the likeness data, an environmental system configured to display a three-dimensional (3D) presentation based on the dataset at a second location different from the first location, wherein the 3D presentation comprises a likeness of the user, and a special effects system configured to trigger a special effect at the second location during the display of the 3D presentation.