Rigi Railways want to defy the fog with virtual reality
Rigi Bahnen is working on a solution that will allow guests to enjoy the view even in bad weather.
The company confirmed this information to Schweiz am Sonntag. The aim is to ensure that the service promise can be kept "promisingly" even in bad weather, says Managing Director Stefan Otz to the newspaper. Installations on the mountain and solutions with apps for smartphones are conceivable. However, the company is not yet ready to reveal exactly what the solution will look like.
The company is currently in contact with various providers. A pilot project could be launched as early as summer 2017. The finished solution should then be officially launched a year later. Using 360-degree VR glasses, guests could also enjoy a panoramic experience with additional information when there is nothing to see due to the weather.
As Schweiz am Sonntag writes, other mountain railroads are also looking into the new technical possibilities. Although the Brig Visp Zermatt Bahn does not rely on virtual reality, it is flirting with augmented reality. This means that location-dependent additional information about the route can be displayed on a smartphone screen and placed directly in the landscape - names, films, 3D models. According to spokesperson Jan Bärwalde, the necessary internet connection is already available along the route. (hae/SaS)
