AR glasses used for the first time to celebrate League of Legends World Championship
Due to the pandemic this year, there is limited seating for the 2020 League of Legends World Championship tournaments and opening ceremony for the finals in Shanghai, China. For the first time ever, fans can use augmented reality (AR) glasses to celebrate the Worlds, using AR technology to experience the same sensations as though they are at the live-events to cheer for their favorite teams.
Using mixed reality (MR) is not new to the Worlds. In 2017, a virtual dragon modelled after an in-game dragon flew around the Beijing National Stadium, which the audiences could only see through screens. Since then, there was always MR technology involved, such as AR K-pop group in Incheon two years ago and holographic hip-hop stars in Paris last year.
This year is the first time AR glasses are introduced to the Worlds. By putting on a pair of AR glasses called Rokid Vision, fans can summon an in-game dragon to fly around Shanghai’s famous Oriental Pearl TV Tower, transforming the city into the Summoner’s Rift. The surrounding augmented space will then change into the Worlds live-event, with personalized features such as highlights of the game, close-ups of a favorite player, favorite team’s name, logo, color, and others.
AR glasses allow fans to fully immersive themselves into the augmented reality experience. These AR glasses are also equipped with AI technology with voice and visual recognition so that fans can interact and give commands to it. The AR glasses are provided by a startup called Rokid, located in Hangzhou, China.
Rokid Vision was first introduced at AWE USA 2019. As a combination of Rokid’s state-of-the-art binocular optics, AR and AI capabilities, it extends existing user interfaces (including phones, laptops, gaming consoles, and tables) to improve productivity, entertainment, and gaming experiences. It is also equipped with 6 Degrees of Freedom (DoF) technology, which directly projects 3D virtual content right in front of the users’ visual field, creating the illusion that virtual objects exist in real-world environments.
AR technology is more than just a visual experience. Due to the pandemic this year, many fans are left to stream the Worlds on computers or mobile devices. Rokid hopes to break the boundary of a computer or phone screen, allowing fans to experience as if they are attending the live event, and it is more than merely just “watching”. In 2018, Rokid made a 3D vision device for Formula 1 (F1) fans, offering a lifelike immersive experience that gives them, no matter where they are in the world, the feeling of being at the F1 track. Through the comprehensive data collected by the race car body and camera, using the Rokid Vision and Teslasuit somatosensory suit to reproduce the tactile feedback, users can experience the visual impact and physical experience of the F1 champion.
MR is the future technology for the Worlds, and AR glasses are a part of that. For example, AR glasses could be used at the Worlds for fans to experience enhanced sensory perception along with impressive digital effects on stage at the opening ceremonies or even watching the games. With Rokid Vision’s ability to connect to a computer or a mobile device and combined with a somatosensory suit, there is a future where players will use AR glasses to compete for the Worlds for a true battlefield experience.