SEE COACHELLA’S FIRST AUGMENTED REALITY-ENABLED STAGE: Coachella debuted one of the first augmented reality-equipped stages at the first weekend of the festival. Located at the Sahara Tent, the stage digitally comes to life through a page on the festival app. Sam Schoonover, the festival’s first digital innovation manager, helmed the technology initiative. Billboard: “Guests who open the festival app’s “Coachella Camera” page and point their smartphones at the Sahara Tent before, during, or after performances will see outer space-theme images like planets and astronauts floating above the crowd onscreen. ‘Since A.R. is not yet fully immersive, it still needs to be experienced through a smartphone,’ says Schoonover. Guests can also swipe through live photo and video filters, which will change shape and color according to the sound being captured by the phone’s speakers.” DISNEY REVEALS DETAILS ABOUT STAR WARS THEME PARK: At Star Wars Celebration in Chicago on Saturday, executives from Walt Disney’s Imagineering and Lucasfilm revealed details about Galaxy’s Edge, the newest Disney theme park opening in California this spring and in Florida in August. The Star Wars park is part of Disney’s $2 billion investment the company made into its theme parks. CNBC: “The new lands are set on Batuu, a new planet not yet seen on film. It’s a thriving port filled with rogue traders, droids, and unique alien species. Disney park guests will be able to explore the planet’s Black Spire Outpost and shops as well as pilot the Millennium Falcon on the Smugglers Run ride and take part in an epic battle between the First Order and the Resistance ride. … Oga’s Cantina is the local hot spot for food and drinks at the Black Spire Outpost. Patrons can sample braised Shaak roast, oven-roasted Burra fish, and smoked Kaadu ribs, as well as a number of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. John Williams, the composer behind [the] Star Wars iconic score, has also created a soundtrack exclusively for the park.” SONY FILES PATENT FOR VIEWING ESPORTS TOURNAMENTS IN VIRTUAL REALITY: Sony has filed a patent application called “Spectator View Into An Interactive Gaming World Showcased In A Live Event Held In A Real-World Venue.” The patent describes using cameras to make a virtual-reality headset user feel like they’re at the tournament. VentureBeat: “The cameras and microphones would be embedded in the seats themselves. A proximity sensor in the seats could tell whether real people are sitting in the seats, so as to not use those for broadcast. The patent also describes letting the V.R. user see inside the game being played. Imagine toggling between being in the audience and being in the game. It additionally envisions hybrid modes where elements of the game appear in a virtual augmented reality view around the arena.” | 