Insight Trip _____ Everland
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Hyper Realistic Entertainment Enabled by VR and AR
History has recently become the most popular content in cultural products and the entertainment industry. It is not difficult to find a historical drama on TV at any given time, covering historical events or figures. In the past, the historical content was predominantly made for visual products such as films and television shows, but it is increasingly being adopted for direct experience and enjoyment. The driving engine behind such a transformation is the development of ICT. The latest technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and 4D imaging enable service users to experience the past history in a highly realistic manner. Now, Everland, Korea’s largest amusement park, situated in Yongin, offers a time-traveling journey to enjoy dynamic attractions through state-of-the-art ICT applications.
Smart Play and Realistic Experience of History
We are now living in an era when ICT can be enjoyed everywhere,
such as at home and in schools, companies, department stores, and hospitals.
The benefits are not limited to making our daily lives more convenient.
As a space for smart play combined with ICT and entertainment,
“Pride in Korea” in Everland attracts visitors with the content of Korean history.
The entrance leads to a wormhole with a fantastic atmosphere where
historical figures welcome visitors, and Bays 1 through 7 offer an exciting journey into history.
Titled “Brilliant Light in Korea,” Bay 1 welcomes visitors with a sophisticated panoramic video showcasing the nation’s brilliant culture.
The video conjures up an overwhelming experience of exploring the natural environments with ancient mystery,
the spiritual culture passed down throughout the nation’s long history,
a heritage of science and documents that contributed to human civilization, and the culture of play and arts.
Bay 2 introduces well-known historical figures such as Jang Bogo, Gwanggaeto the Great,
and King Sejong, and then more ICT experience begins in the subsequent sections.
History Learned with Games and Experienced through Science
Bay 3 “Korean Spirit” invites visitors to have a firsthand experience of the Battle of Myeongnyang with AR technology.
Watching themselves on a large screen, visitors can participate in warfare by firing a cannon through a certain motion.
Bay 4 “Korean Renaissance” presents a real-media touch game in which visitors become
classical scholars in the era of King Sejong and try to win the state examination.
The media table connected to 12 touch-screen monitors visualizes the exam in fields including astronomy, weaponry, language, and music.
This experience is designed so that participants can learn about the unique scientific heritage of this time based
on the achievements made by great men who helped Korean culture blossom in the 15thcentury.
The next section offers a chance to wear traditional clothes in augmented reality.
Visitors to Bay 5 “Korean Costume” are invited to virtually wear clothes from the Shilla, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Joseon eras
as a means to experience the natural beauty, practicality, and aesthetic elements of Korean traditional costume.
Visitors can select their favorite costume and have the virtual experience of living
in the respective era in that costume and moving around various places in the past.
The adventure continues with the VR experience in Bay 6 “Beautiful Korea.”
Sitting on a turning chair and wearing Samsung Gear VR,
visitors are teleported to Dokdo Island, Korea’s representative natural heritage,
or to Gyeongju, a time-honored city with World Heritage Sites designated by UNESCO.
The tip for this experience is to turn the head and body as much as possible to best enjoy the 360-degree virtual reality.
If they sit still, visitors might miss the ocean seen from above, the waves between the rocks, and the stars scattered across the night sky.
Pride in Korea also shows 4D movies for visitors.
With an area of almost 600m2 and 96seats, the 4D theater is equipped with acurved and wide silver screen with aratioof 32:9
and motion chair sthat can be precisely controlled for six effects including wind, water, and vibration.
The world’s first dynamic motion system responding to the movement of images offer sasense of reality different from the existing 4D films.
Scenes of charging for ward on a horse or an arrow hitting the target will particularly creat eaclimax of liveliness and tense.
VR Combined with Giant 6-meter Robot Arm
While Pride in Korea focuses on learning about history, another edutainment attraction “Robot VR Attraction” concentrates on fun.
As its name suggests, Robot VR Attraction offers a combination of robots and VR content.
Visitors ride inside the robot arm that can rotate in all directions and wear Samsung Gear VR to play
high-quality graphic images, enjoying a 4D VR experience as though controlling the robot themselves.
Developed by a Korean small business, the riding module embedded in the robot control system
maximizes the sensation of immersion by precisely moving the robot arm based on the image signals.
The images played through Gear VR depict a story of a manned robot (robot arm) fighting against rebellious robots
in a near future with advanced AI technology.
The beauty of Robot VR Attraction is a thrilling experience only available in virtual reality,
such as jumping from a skyscraper and dodging a rocket strike from an enemy robot while flying in the sky.
The Hyper Realistic images and dynamic motions keep the visitors screaming with excitement.
April Garden with Tulips in Full Bloom
Everland is renowned for its garden filled with nature’s beauty.
Including pink diamond, apeldoorn, and synaeda blue, over 100 kinds of tulips cover the garden,
and the total number reaches almost 1.2 million.
The place is more colorful than anyone could expect, considering that the garden is only dedicated to tulips,
and the garden is usually full of visitors who want to make the most out of the short spring season.
In 2017, Everland also is introducing about 30 types of stripe tulips with two colors coexisting in each petal.
The chocolate-colored tulips with yellow edges are called “Doberman,” seemingly after the dog breed with the same name.
Is there anything else that can make people instantly happier?
In addition to the beautiful flowers, the refreshing sound of a fountain dancing in tune with waltz music and
the mild scent of the tulips are perfect additions to the beauty of the season.
Teenagers wearing cute hair bands, children holding balloons, people taking selfies with the flowers,
and foreign tourists who enjoy the beautiful season—each of the visitors wears a smiley face as bright as the flowers.
Without specific content or technology, nature itself serves as the best source of entertainment in the garden.
