MEDIA

Instead of just sitting in your theatre seat watching pictures, how about flying in a war plane? Bullets whiz past you as the fighter pilot flips the aircraft upside down and twirls around to escape his opponent. Water sprays on to your face as the jet travels past a cascade. Though it all feels real, it is a virtual creation, part of the exhilarating experience at the newly opened 7D theatre in the city.

“Please call it as 7D+ Video Ride Simulator,” clarifies K. Gopalakrishnan, advisor, 7D+ Fun Corner. “It is an innovative edufotainment venture for the entertainment-starved people of Temple City.”

Films with three-dimensional effects are already popular, but 7D is a giant leap in the technology. It brings together an immersive experience on-screen and sensational seat simulation coupled with special effects that are bound to transport the audience to a different world. The simulator combines sophisticated audio-visual equipment including extreme performance control systems and high-end simulation.

The simulator is at the Vishaal de Mal. It has a 24-seater auditorium, control room and power room. The complete 7D+ system consists of motion seats and special effects (SFX), projection or video equipment, audio equipment, motion controllers and drivers, and hardware and software to co-ordinate the synchronisations.

“The entire visual pleasure is built on Stereoscopic 3D Technology or S3D,” says Gopalakrishnan. “The technique of enriching the illusion of depth in an image or a video footage by presenting two offset images or video footages separately to the left and right eye of the viewer is called ‘stereoscopy’ (also called stereoscopic vision or 3D imaging or stereo 3D or S3D),” he explains.

When seated in the motion seat, the guest moves in synchronisation with the events on-screen. “These motion seats are indigenously developed in order to simulate real life sequences that appear on-screen and are powered by pneumatic actuators that makeup the motion base,” says Gopalakrishnan.

Each motion base moves in three different axes — the seats move up and down, forward and backward, and sideways. They also come with flexible air tubes that tickle your ankles, water spray, a butt tickler thrusting upward from the bottom seat cushion, a back poker thrusting forward from the back seat cushion, a seat vibrator, and a powerful jet of air on the back of your neck.

“Cinema theatres screening 3D content can adopt this technology,” says Gopalakrishnan. “If not for the whole theatre at least a section can be provided with the facility. We have developed 45 animated contents exclusively for screening in our fun corner,” he adds.

With indigenously developed technology, the company aims to provide stereoscopic 3D visualization, animation, intelligent imaging solutions, image enhancement, stereo 3D, 4D, 5D, 6D movies and special effects, stereo 3D learning resources, stereo 3D studios, virtual reality simulators, designing and running games and demonstration of visual or immersive projection technologies.

Gopalakrishnan, who is an alumnus of Thiagarajar College of Engineering, says 7D+ Fun Corner also wishes to help interested researchers in engineering colleges and technical universities in setting up stereo 3D studios or intelligent imaging centres with equipment and training. “We are also interested to nurture and mentor new ventures at various cities including Tier II cities,” he says.

The video ride simulator is not recommended for pregnant women and persons with neck or back pain and heart patients. However, all age group in general and kids in particular will enjoy this ride.

The Fun Corner is open from 11 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. during weekends. Each show is 15 minutes long and a ticket costs Rs.150 on weekends and Rs.130 on weekdays. “For bulk booking and for school students we offer discounts,” says P. Sugumaran, another advisor, 7D+ Fun Corner.

At a time when cinema theatres are witnessing a sudden drop in the number of visitors, this technology may bring movie goers back.