It was a sunny weekend, and I was queuing for the "Iron Man Experience" at Hong Kong Disneyland. To be honest, waiting in line was really boring - I had been standing there for nearly an hour. Surrounding tourists were either playing on their phones, chatting casually, or children were running around playing. As I was looking around aimlessly, the large screen in the queue area suddenly lit up.
Instead of the usual Disney animation clips, the screen played an innovative advertisement - Disney was testing a brand new virtual park service. The ad showed a group of people wearing VR headsets with happy smiles on their faces. Some were waving their hands in the air as if riding a roller coaster; others reached out their hands as if touching something; and some were spinning in place with enchanted expressions. The ad claimed that by simply wearing VR goggles at home, you could experience all the park's attractions without queuing, rushing, or time limits.
This advertisement instantly caught my attention. As a frequent traveler, I knew well the hassles of queuing and rushing between attractions. How wonderful would it be if you could experience theme parks from home! This thought lingered in my mind even after experiencing the "Iron Man Experience," leaving the park, and returning home.
After returning home, I immediately opened my computer to search for related information. Fortune favors the prepared mind - I quickly found the test application portal on Disney's official website. After filling out numerous forms, I finally received test qualification. While the platform offered VR headset rentals, since I'm a tech enthusiast with a decent VR headset at home, I decided to use my own device for the experience.
When I put on the VR headset and opened Disney's virtual park program, my world instantly changed. Instead of my small rental apartment, I found myself at the familiar Disneyland entrance. The giant Mickey floral display looked lifelike, with fountain water sparkling in the sunlight. I tried walking forward a few steps, and the perspective changed accordingly, just like actually strolling through the park.
Walking into Main Street U.S.A., I was amazed by the surrounding details. The Victorian-style buildings along the street maintained their original elegance, with even the door handle carvings clearly visible. The scent of popcorn wafted from afar - though I knew it was just programmed environmental audio, I still unconsciously took a deep breath. Suddenly, a figure in red shorts bounced past me - it was Mickey! He turned around, waved at me, and his iconic voice came through the headphones: "Hi pal!" I instinctively waved back, a smile unconsciously appearing on my face.
The virtual environment's level of detail was breathtaking. Through 3D modeling and panoramic imaging technology, every corner of the park was perfectly replicated. Walking down the street, I noticed cracks in the brick walls, rust on the lampposts, and even wear marks left by pedestrians on the ground. This extreme attention to detail made the entire virtual world feel exceptionally real.
What delighted me even more was that this virtual world was dynamic and alive. Garden flowers swayed in the wind, fountain sprays constantly changed patterns, and passing visitors all had natural movements. While taking photos in front of the castle, I even met other users experiencing the virtual park - we could chat through voice communication and share our experiences together.
This experience sparked my intense interest in the technical principles behind virtual tourism. Through research and interviews with technical staff, I gradually understood the core technologies supporting virtual tourism.
First is 3D modeling technology. To construct a virtual tourism scene, the buildings and landscapes of the real world must first be three-dimensionally reconstructed. Technical staff use laser scanners to scan actual scenes, obtaining large amounts of point cloud data. This data records the spatial position information of every point in the scene. Then, through professional 3D modeling software, these point cloud data are converted into three-dimensional models.
Beyond modeling, materials and textures need to be added. For instance, the Disney Castle's exterior walls need to accurately reproduce their stone texture; street pavements need to show age and wear marks. These are achieved through high-definition photography and image processing technology. Technical staff collect numerous real scene photos, process them, and map them onto the 3D models to make virtual scenes more realistic.
VR technology allows users to immersively experience these virtual scenes. VR devices display stereoscopic images through dual screens, combined with gyroscopes and other sensors to track users' head rotation and movement in real-time. When users turn their heads or move, the visuals change accordingly, creating an immersive experience. High-end VR devices also come with controllers, allowing users to interact with the virtual environment.
AR technology plays a complementary and enhancing role in virtual tourism. It can overlay virtual information onto real scenes, such as restoring historical scenes when visiting ancient sites or displaying detailed explanatory information. Some virtual tourism products also incorporate AI technology, recommending personalized tour routes and content based on users' interests and behaviors.
These technologies work together to build a highly interactive and immersive virtual tourism experience. With the popularization of 5G networks and increasing computing power, virtual tourism's visual quality and smoothness continue to improve. According to developers, they are researching haptic feedback technology - in the future, users might not only see and hear but also "touch" objects in the virtual world.
After deeply understanding virtual tourism, I became very interested in its development history. Through research, I discovered that virtual tourism's development journey is full of innovation and breakthroughs.
In the 1980s, as computer graphics technology developed, the concept of virtual reality began to emerge. Computers could generate simple three-dimensional images, and scientists began exploring how to apply this technology to various fields. In 1984, American computer scientist William Gibson first proposed the concept of "cyberspace" in his science fiction novel, providing inspiration for later virtual reality technology development.
By the 1990s, virtual tourism's prototype began to appear. Some museums and tourist attractions started creating 360-degree panoramic photos, allowing people to take virtual tours on computers. However, the technology was primitive then, with low resolution and only simple image switching, like browsing through an electronic tourism album. User experience was very limited, with almost zero interactivity.
Entering the 21st century, with the rapid development of internet technology, virtual tourism entered a period of rapid development. In 2007, Google launched its Street View service, allowing people to roam streets worldwide online. While this service couldn't be called true virtual tourism, it laid an important foundation for later development.
In the 2010s, VR technology began to mature. Consumer VR devices launched by companies like Oculus and HTC brought virtual reality technology into ordinary homes. The tourism industry began adopting VR technology on a large scale, developing various virtual tourism products. Many famous scenic spots and museums launched VR guide services, allowing people to experience worldwide attractions without leaving home.
Market data shows rapid growth in the global virtual tourism market. By 2022, this market size had reached approximately $4.7 billion. Industry experts predict this number will exceed $10 billion by 2025. This growth rate far surpasses traditional tourism, showing virtual tourism's strong development potential.
Many factors drive this market's rapid development. Technological progress has made virtual tourism experiences increasingly realistic while costs continue to decrease. The influx of capital has driven industry innovation and development. Meanwhile, user demand for new forms of tourism continues to grow. Young generations, in particular, show great interest in this fresh way of experiencing travel.
[Continued...]
Previous
