Las Vegas Grand Prix Fans Will Share the Race Experience with Sphere‘s Orbi
LAS VEGAS – As the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix revs up Saturday night, 300,000 spectators won’t be the only ones captivated by the action.Orbi, the iconic emoji displayed on the exterior of the Sphere, will be “watching” alongside fans, reacting in real-time to the race with expressive eye movements and head turns.
The immersive experience is made possible by a sophisticated system linking Orbi’s visuals to live race data. Sphere’s chief creative officer, Ned McNeilage, explained that the project aims to connect with audiences on an emotional level, leveraging the public’s affection for the digital character. “Everything we do at Sphere we try to move people emotionally, and people love Orbi,” he said.
To achieve this, Sphere developed a model mapping the track cameras’ positions relative to Orbi. GPS positioning data is then received from Formula 1’s London headquarters in Biggin Hill,ensuring Orbi’s ”vision” is perfectly synchronized with the cars on the track. “He can track any driver throughout the race with his eyes-it’s frequently enough the leader but it can be another car if there’s drama or an overtake,” McNeilage stated.”But he’s tracking it with his eyes exactly, which we think is pretty cool-he’s watching the race with us.”
Despite the high-stakes competition, Orbi remains impartial. “He doesn’t have a favorite though. Every driver is tied for first in his mind,” McNeilage added.
Fans can witness Orbi’s race-watching experience in a video accompanying this report.
