Disney Parks YouTube
Disney recently revealed that it has developed something it calls Holotile. The company calls its new invention “the world’s first multi-person, omnidirectional, modular, expandable, treadmill floor.”
It was designed by Disney Research Fellow and Imagineer Lanny Smoot. Smoot is the person who also designed special effects like making Madame Leota’s head float inside the Haunted Mansion and real life Star Wars lightsabers.
As Smoot explains in a new video from Disney Parks, “So I can walk on this omnidirectional floor in any direction I want. It will automatically do whatever it needs to have me stay on the floor.
“And what’s amazing about this is multiple people can be on it and all walking independently. They can walk in virtual reality and so many other things.”
As for its potential applications, Smooth explains, “Imagine a number of people being in a room, being able to be somewhere else collaboratively and moving around, seeing, doing sightseeing.
“Imagine theatrical stages that might have these embedded in them so that dancers can do amazing moves.”
He added, “There are just so many applications for this type of technology, and we don’t know yet where that where it will be used.”
Many people do have a pretty good idea of where HoloTile can be used: virtual reality (VR) gaming.
As one person commented on Reddit about the Holotile, “OMG, that’s the holy grail — the VR gaming floor that lets you walk indefinitely in any direction. Omnideck has tried it, but this looks far more slick and finished.”
Another person astutely (and jokingly) pointed out, “But you’d be stuck on it forever. Never able to get off of it.”
Which then led to, “Imagine a future where someone‘s holofloor glitches and they starve to death because they can’t get off of it.”
“…and they are surrounded by holographic food,” another commenter added.
“Imagine a 20’x20′ room with the floor made of this,” read another observation.
“Black Mirror episode incoming,” someone else joked, kind of.
“Jamiroquai would like to talk to teh manager,” another Redditor joked.