Tennessee Patent of the Month – March 2022
Emotional Ideas, Inc. is set on gamifying go-kart racing. They had the idea of bringing the engaging aspects of video game racing into the real world to create a hyper immersive gaming technology. One of the most engaging aspects of any racing video game is the use of “power-ups” or “weapons” that might be used to get ahead of others in the race. If these could be safely replicated in a go-kart race, we could effectively have real life Mario Kart, or in Emotional Ideas words, “Battle Racing” – the next evolution of Competitive Motorsports.
To bring this emotional idea to life, the company has developed their own proprietary go-kart style vehicle. The vehicle combines real life action with in-game virtual enhancements. This means virtual weaponry, virtual power-ups and a connection with the other cars on the track. Each car is outfitted with a series of sensors, transmitters, and receivers to communicate with each other.
Their Battle Racing cars are hyper immersive and use multi-sensory systems to bring the weapons and power-ups to life. If one player gets a “freeze” weapon and uses it on a second player, this second player’s cart will register the weapon and freeze for a few seconds.
Their virtual arsenal includes items such as
- Battle Rage;
- Vortex Shield;
- Freeze Ray Cannon;
- Laser Blaster;
- Turbo Boost; and
- Oil Slick.
When one of these tools are being used, an LED light built into the protective frame of the go-kart lights up to alert other players. If you got the Turbo Boost, the light might go green to indicate your improved speed. If you took damage from a Freeze Ray Cannon, it might go red to show your weakened state. With these virtual enhancements, Battle Racing is sure to be an exciting advancement in the go-kart world.
Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.
Who We Are:
Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.
Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.