Soar Over Alaska with Princess Cruises: An Interactive Bald Eagle Flight Simulator Powered by Groove Jones
Princess Cruises partnered with Groove Jones to launch an immersive, Alaska-themed interactive flight simulator that lets guests take flight as a bald eagle over Denali National Park and Preserve. Using advanced computer vision, motion tracking, and AI-enhanced environments, this hands-free experience is installed aboard multiple Princess Cruises ships, offering guests a breathtaking and educational journey through Alaska’s wild landscapes.
Motion-Controlled Gameplay – No Controllers Required
The full-body motion-tracked game uses a depth-sensing camera and custom-built markerless body tracking software to translate a player’s arm movements into on-screen flight controls. Guests flap their arms to gain speed, lean to steer, and shift forward or backward to change altitude.
This controller-free gameplay is accessible to all ages and invites guests to soar through rivers, valleys, and evergreen forests, spotting Alaskan Easter eggs along the way, like dog sled teams, jumping salmon, grizzly bears, and totem poles.
Gamified Exploration with Scenic Surprises
The primary goal? Fly through as many Bronze, Silver, and Gold rings as possible to rack up points. A magical moment awaits skilled players who navigate through a hidden gold ring near the end of the course, triggering a cinematic transition to nighttime, where northern lights unfurl across the sky in a dazzling finale. Players then glide over a beautifully rendered Princess cruise ship in an emotional closing shot that ties the journey back to the real-world vessel.
Behind the Tech: Motion Tracking & Computer Vision
Groove Jones engineered a sophisticated computer vision-based tracking system that uses a T-pose calibration phase to detect the player’s body without wearables or handheld devices. This system applies a smoothed average convolution filter to player input, ensuring natural and stable motion. A delayed-follow camera system enhances the experience with a cinematic third-person perspective, giving players the sense of being filmed in-flight.
Realistic Animation and 3D Modeling of the Eagle
To bring the bald eagle to life, Groove Jones studied extensive flight footage, enhancing realism through:
1. Detailed feather rigging and bone dynamics
2. Custom wing flap and tail movement animations
3. Blendshapes for subtle body and shoulder motion
The result is a majestic and believable eagle flight experience—designed to delight bird lovers, nature enthusiasts, and gamers alike.
AI-Generated Assets Using Image-to-3D Pipeline
To accelerate production, Groove Jones employed a custom AI Image-to-3D pipeline using ComfyUI, allowing for rapid generation of background elements like totem poles and log cabins. This AI-assisted 3D workflow enabled faster environmental asset creation while freeing artists to focus on hero models, merging the efficiency of AI with the craftsmanship of human artists.
Hardware Innovation and Console Design
The installation uses the Orbbec Femto Bolt camera, a powerful successor to the now-retired Microsoft Azure Kinect. Each shipboard installation features a custom-built, mobile game console fabricated in collaboration with 3D Exhibits. Designed for high durability and compact footprint, the unit integrates seamlessly into Princess Cruises’ onboard entertainment offering.
A New Benchmark in Cruise Ship Entertainment
This interactive bald eagle flight simulator exemplifies how cruise lines can integrate immersive entertainment, AI-enhanced environments, and regional storytelling into their guest experiences. By combining game-based learningwith cutting-edge technology, Princess Cruises and Groove Jones have set a new standard for engaging travelers through experiential design.
Full case study - https://www.groovejones.com/princess-cruises-eagle-quest-alaska-game
