Apple applies for patent that lets riders virtually fight zombies or hang glide in self-driving cars
The patent, applied for in September 2017 and published last week, is framed as a way to “address problems with vehicles in motion that may result in motion sickness for passengers” by replacing views of the real world with virtual environments. On top of that, the patent proposes at least one VR controller that generates virtual content for projection and a mechanism for projecting onto windows of the vehicle. The visuals could then sync with an “active seat” and motion sensors, integrating the physical effects of driving (like turning around corners or stopping at a red light) into these virtual environments. Augmented reality is also mentioned, where content is displayed in a view of the real world in the front of the vehicle.
Passengers may choose to have relaxing virtual experiences … such as floating down a river or soaring over the landscape in a hang glider, or exciting virtual experiences such as a car chase or driving through a post-apocalyptic wasteland with zombies attacking … if the vehicle stops at a red light or for some other reason when fleeing zombies … the virtual experience may cause the vehicle to appear to stall and not allow the car to be restarted until the light turns green to build suspense.
See the full story here: https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/2/17188782/apple-virtual-augmented-reality-patent-self-driving-cars
Better story here: http://www.etcentric.org/apple-submits-vr-patents-for-next-gen-autonomous-vehicles/