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Belfast Telegraph

Co Down duo behind immersive dragon game hope their AI tech will help future pilot navigation

Emma (33) and Matthew (35) Eaton of Genysys Engine have developed an interactive video game, dubbed Become the Dragon Rider, which simulates what riding a dragon would feel like. The Co Down team-of-two are co-founders of an AI research company which employs the technology to 'protect the planet', with Emma picking up awards for related conservation tech work in the past. The game features a VR headset to visualise the experience and a saddle for users to detect the ups, downs and turns of the beast, with the final product set to feature speakers and fans for noise and wind. What makes the project unique is the AI programming of the dragon, who can decide to fly in a direction of its choosing and has wants or needs, which 'makes him almost like the real animal'. Genysys CEO Emma explained that what started out as a way to take immersive gaming to the next level quickly snowballed for the couple. 'We just thought immersive experiences weren't really immersive enough,' she said. 'It's a new way that humans can really bond with AI and have almost real living animals within the game to create unique immersive experiences. The aim of that really is to improve education and scientific research long-term.' One of these pathways includes a pilot-guiding system to aid navigation in unexpected circumstances or difficult conditions. Chief technology officer Matthew provides his expertise to this aspect, with his background as an aerospace engineer officer. 'When we look at flight logs and things like that, it's normally down to slight human misjudgements,' Emma explained. 'Your weight wasn't right, you didn't have enough stuff. So if you're up in a mountain and it's completely cloudy and your navigation system is dying, all you have is that little needle to try to direct you through the mountain. 'If that's broken, then you would have our system, hopefully in the future, that would step in. And it would use the visuals to pretty much guide pilots safely to the ground. 'So with the immersive experiences and the way that it can create its own scenario, you can create pretty much every single variation of what would happen in an aircraft. 'And because you have that variation, you can train models and datasets on that to actually make a system that would be available during the flight.' The game created by the pair will be showcased at tech shows and stakeholder events in the coming months, with several investors in NI's expansive aerospace and technology industry already showing interest. Several 'prominent' entertainment companies have also been reaching out to Genysys and use its model to develop other experiences, such as space travel or exploring the seas. Sites such as the Mourne Mountains, the Obel tower in Belfast and even local bars have all been added to the game to create 'a digital replica of NI'. The company is also working with businesses which want to add their premises to the game via sponsorships. 'All the houses are kind of default for privacy and protection, but the landmarks are all there,' Emma continued. 'So you can fly down to the local bar. You can't go in it just yet; I just hope soon you'll be able to. 'There are a lot of things you can actually do in terms of the sustainable tourism side. They were putting that gondola in [the Mournes] because they wanted people to be able to go up there for accessibility. [But this] is a new way for people to kind of see it without putting infrastructure into the current place.' Another aspect of the game is its reflection of real-time weather conditions and the time of day in NI. Emma explained: 'We use a whole bunch of things to connect it to the real world. If it's snowing outside, it's snowing in the game... It correlates the date, time and the weather and stuff like that.' Local legends and folklore from across the island have also been incorporated into to the experience: 'You can transport through the fairy tree if you want to nip down to Belfast but don't want to fly the whole way there. 'We've also added in the blue light of Slieve Binnian, so you fly over the moor and you might see the blue light...' A trial event will be held at Annalong Community Centre on November 29 for those who want to experience the game.