UNIS VR: Interview
The joint venture between Unis and software developer Virtuix sees them vying to become one of the first effective providers of a workable VR arcade product with the Omni Arena. Ronnie Dungan chatted to Unis boss Steven Tan about making the technology work in the attractions space….
Reality bites T
Steven Tan
he race to establish virtual reality as a commercially viable arcade attraction has seen UNIS create a new division in partnership with
developer Virtuix to distribute the Omni Arena VR experience. The partnership has led to UNIS creating a new brand called Fun VR Tech which provides both the hardware to make simulated experiences possible and the software to enact a wide variety of those experiences. Omni Arena features a series of omnidirectional treadmills, which allow users to explore a programmed world from a single location. The treadmills sync with the simulation software, adjusting the user’s position based on where they are within the reality that they are simulating. Which means that can interact with the virtual world just as they would with the external one. It can accommodate between two and five users at a
time, making it ideally positioned for family entertainment centres.
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www.globalamusementsandplay.com
Unis boss, Steven Tan feels the technology will eventually become integral to future arcade experiences, being incorporated and added to games and attractions rather than replacing them. He says: “We think that VR will bring fresh ideas to the
market rather than superseding everything that’s already there. We might see more of the regular genres incorporate VR elements in the future. Right now the medium of VR is exciting so it does make it feel like this is the sole direction for the future of the industry, however the past and the future are more likely to merge in a slew of new products.” The deal with Virtuix is a straightforward partnership
between software and hardware. “Their technology is simply the most advanced, safe, and
suitable for the amusement market. There is a ton of VR innovation out there, however not many companies think about the sort of hurdles that a commercial space brings with it. We evaluated what Virtuix had in mind and realised
March 2017
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