2023-08-24 14:53:00
The space is desert: a gray floor, empty walls, a few pillars. But once the virtual reality helmet is placed on the head, a world populated by dinosaurs appears. The counter engages and we rush aboard the kart in a circuit that looks furiously like the game Mario Kart.
“A world first”, rejoice the managers of the Bigc (Brussels Indoor Games Center). This week, the leisure center recently installed in Anderlecht’s Westland Shopping is offering a new attraction: virtual reality karting. Namely a real moving kart, but in an artificial world made possible by an augmented reality helmet.
As in Mario Kart, the driver can collect item boxes. For example, a rocket to throw at an opponent to slow him down. A barely disguised influence on the famous video game of the mustache and his gang. “It’s a new generation Mario Kart,” says Francesco Losavio, co-manager of Brig’c.
He does not hide it: the sensations are different from those of traditional karting, in a generally larger space. The Westland Shopping area is approximately 450 m², and to give the impression of space, the circuits are slalomed.
Several universes are available: a world of dinosaurs, and a world of zombies. Soon, it will be possible to ride in Egypt at the time of the pharaohs. Other universes should gradually be added to the collection, the designers promise.
A system to avoid accidents
Above all, this attraction proved to be a technical challenge for the Liège company Mi12, known in particular for laser games. “It’s innovative because we wanted to merge virtual reality and physical reality. Running a go-kart in virtual reality requires parameters calculated in micro-seconds.. . From a technical point of view, it was really a challenge”, says Bruno Compère, from Mi12, also co-manager of Big’c.
Although it quickly becomes repetitive, the circuit offers a disconcerting precision. Thanks to a bumper system, it is possible to buffer your competitor in abundance… But to prevent accidents, frontal with a wall or a pillar, a specific system is put in place. When the kart approaches the walls, they are adorned with markings indicating the end of the track. At the moment of getting even closer, the virtual reality ends. “But between 12 and 25 km/h, there is not too much risk”, we are told.
This virtual circuit is however not given. Count 21€ for 15 minutes. The party is for a maximum of 10 people, with reservation preferably. In the places are also organized, since the opening of the complex, virtual reality games “in the arena”, without kart but with a joystick.
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