- Before he died, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen worked on a simulation machine called the Holodome, which turned his passions into virtual experiences.
- The commercial version of that machine debuted this week at TED 2019 in Vancouver, Canada.
- The Holodome features three mind-bending simulations: a climb atop Mount Everest, a peek inside paintings by Monet, and a journey into the center of a black hole.
- Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.
The annual TED conference in Vancouver, Canada, is known for its thought-provoking talks, but it has also become a platform to showoff futuristic technologies.
This year's attendees can walk through "pollution pods" that mimic the air quality in cities, visit robots that regulate breathing, and talk to machines that determine how "funny" you are.
For the past few days, the more daring attendees have lined up outside the Holodome, a simulation machine developed by Vulcan, a private company started by late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
The device offers three virtual experiences: a climb atop Mount Everest, a peek inside paintings by Claude Monet, and a frightening journey into the center of a black hole. All three concepts were influenced by Allen's own interests.
Vulcan's director of business development, Cooper Moo, said the commercial version of the Holodome has been in development for close to five years and is premiering for the first time at TED. Vulcan is now looking for partners to help scale the project.
Though Allen was never able to view the final product, the timing of the machine's debut is still fortuitous. A week earlier, scientists published the first-ever image of a black hole.
"We got stupidly lucky," said Moo, who noted the images in the simulation closely resemble the one released to the world on April 10.
Take a look at how the Holodome is bringing Allen's vision to life.
SEE ALSO: The extraordinary life of Microsoft's billionaire cofounder Paul Allen, who died at the age of 65
Entering the Holodome feels a bit ominous, but the simulation itself is more transcendental than frightening.
Star Trek fans might be familiar with the machine's namesake, the holodeck — a fictional room that simulates different environments.
Images are projected across all 360 degrees of the dome.
The structure contains four projectors and 16 speakers, along with fiber acoustics that allow you to feel the vibrations when a star explodes.
The black hole simulation, narrated by actress Viola Davis, begins with a burst of blue light.
Given that scientists still have a lot to learn about black holes, the team at Vulcan refers to the simulation as"a poetic journey" as opposed to a technical recreation.
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