Lotte World rolls out a VR coaster

Lotte World Adventure will be Korea’s first amusement park to unveil a rollercoaster using virtual reality (VR) technology. The French Revolution2 VR will begin operations on Tuesday.

Passengers will board the ride with a head-mounted display, or VR headset, a wearable device that presents a small screen right in front of the eyes, enabling the image on the screen to be perceived as reality.

The VR device will project a story related to the rollercoaster’s name. It will also contribute to enhancing the thrill of falling, as images projected on the screen can make a person think he or she is falling more than the actual distance of the drop.

French Revolution2 VR was developed to minimize the problem of dizziness, which is said to be the biggest weakness of VR. The video is played to match the ups and downs or turns of the fast-moving train.

The company plans to expand the application of VR technology next month to Gyro Drop, the 87 meter (285 foot) high drop tower and one of Lotte World Adventure’s most popular attractions.

In July, Lotte World Adventure was selected as a government partner to develop virtual reality theme parks for which the company will receive 10 billion won in funding until next year. The money will be used to develop VR technology for amusement parks in collaboration with smaller companies.

BY SONG KYOUNG-SON [song.kyoungson@joongang.co.kr]