Tech Grove Connect – Behind the Screams: The Groundbreaking Modeling & Simulation Innovations in a Disney Ride

Did you know that the very first commercially developed simulation aviation trainer - the LINK trainer - was co-patented as an amusement device as well? Have you heard that Battle Station 21 used in the final stages of training U.S. Navy recruits was developed with subject matter experts from the theme park industry? The powerful cross-synergy between serious-minded M&S training applications and industry-leading simulator-based entertainment experiences has existed for nearly one hundred years and will continue. This Best Tutorial winner of I/ITSEC 2023 deep dives into the emerging technologies "behind the screams" of the Rise of the Resistance attraction at Disney World's Hollywood Studios in Orlando. The multisensory attraction includes several groundbreaking innovations such as a turntable simulation, trackless planar motion, large screen immersive platform simulation, and a ride finale that includes a freefall drop segment never experienced previously on a ride simulation. What are the broader potential impacts of these emerging technologies in the military simulation and training environment? And what is on the horizon in the innovative world of simulator entertainment that could be applied to military simulation?

Join us for this first webinar in the 2024 NTSA/Tech Grove Connect eight-part series highlighting the insights, people, and stories behind the best papers and tutorials of I/ITSEC 2023.