It wasn't too long ago that I found myself musing about how virtual reality technology like Oculus Rift could affect meetings and events. Little did I know that Marriott Hotels was cooking up a seriously interesting VR project of its own, what it's calling a "Teleporter" that will be traveling to eight U.S. cities over the next week. I am so driving into Boston when it comes to the Boston Marriott Cambridge next weekend!
It's a 4-D virtual reality trip via Oculus Rift and some serious engineering to places including a Hawaiian beach and downtown London, complete with sights, smells, sensations, movements—sounds about as close to being there as you can be when you're not (there, that is). Check out the video for more:
Or, if you don't want to watch the vid, here's the gist from the press release:
To create a virtual travel experience that truly feels like "being there," Marriott Hotels turned to its partners, video effects and creative content studio Framestore and experiential marketing agency Relevent, to pioneer several new virtual reality innovations. This included developing a new, unparalleled technique for capturing 3-D, 360 degree live-action video, and then mixing that video with photo real CGI (computer-generated imagery) and 4-D elements such as heat, wind and mist.
In addition to New York, where it's starting, and Boston, the Teleporter will be heading to Washington D.C., Atlanta, Dallas, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. Here's more on the project.
So maybe you can hold the meeting at your organization's headquarters, then send them off to a virtual beach for an off-site activity? Hey, that day may not actually be too far off. What, if any, affect do you think virtual reality could possibly have on meetings? Leave a comment below or shoot me an e-mail.
