World-leading 3D hologram arcade opens in Southport

A new 40-room holographic entertainment centre, providing a highly realistic 3D experience not available anywhere else in the world, has opened on the Gold Coast.

Developed by Brisbane-based technology company Euclideon, the Holoverse virtual reality games arcade allows guests to walk into virtual worlds by simply putting on a belt and a pair of 3D glasses and moving around the room.

The technology can take guests to marine environments, the savannah of Africa and make virtual ‘snow’ fall.

Euclideon founder Bruce Dell explains that guests will experience “things like a statue of an elephant coming out of the wall that people can put their hand through, as well as snowflakes falling from the sky to African safaris and holographic water up to your waist with fish jumping around you.”

Dell said he and his team were excited to bring what the public have seen in science fiction films to life, adding “people can physically go inside and experience hologram technology for the very first time.

"We often say science fiction has been our friend as it's given us 20 years of free advertising."

Opening the attraction last month, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the future applications of Euclideon’s technology were mind blowing.

Premier Palaszczuk stated “gaming is just the start. There’s also huge potential for tourism and education.

“Nothing beats being on the Great Barrier Reef and seeing it for yourself but imagine the advantage of someone in China taking a virtual tour of the Reef and enticing them to visit.

“NASA has already expressed interest in this type of development. Aspiring astronauts could take walks on the moon long before their rocket leaves the ground.

“There are also countless applications in the medical realm. Euclideon is currently working with the Queensland Brain Institute to develop a visualisation system that will enable researchers to view the brain’s extremely complex neurotransmitter connections in 3D.”

In the future, Dell believes that holographic technology could help in medicine and will allow people the chance to appear in their own ‘holonovels’ in the future.

He added “there are many industries that will benefit where we can give them real-world experience.

"World Heritage locations can benefit too like the Great Barrier Reef.

"We're scrambling to scan these locations so people can enjoy them via holograms for generations.

"Money can then return to those locations, to work on the upkeep of them."

Image: Holographic turtles swim with a visitor at Holoverse.

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