A French Tech Company Wants To Bring The 4D Film Experience To Your Home

Though it hasn't become quite as widespread as the recent iteration of 3D movies, there has definitely been a rise in 4D entertainment in movie theaters. Whether it's 4DX or D-Box movies, some audiences are interested in experiencing movies with a seat that moves, shakes and vibrates with the action on the big screen. And now a tech company wants to bring that experience into your house.

French company Immersit has a new prototype device (with the same name as the company) that will turn your couch into a 4D ride simulator for movies and video games, and apparently it works pretty well.

Learn more about the Immersit 4D home entertainment system below!

Here's a teaser of their device from the company's official website:

So how does it work? The third-generation prototype, which is coming in August, is made up of four pneumatic, air-pump activated pads that sit under the legs or corners of your couch. Each of the pads can move independently up to four inches off the ground, creating the effect of moving back and forth, side to side or up and down, not to mention vibration as well.

The center of the device receives the "motion code" commands from a laptop or tablet via WiFi to operate the feet in sync with a movie. However, in order to get the best experience, the movie or gave needs to be pre-programmed in order to actively sync up with the Immersit. Otherwise, there's a passive mode that matches movement with the audio soundtrack. With video games, the movement syncs up with the movement and vibration of your controller.

Here's some images of the the device by itself and in action:

If you're worried about the weight the device can handle, the final system will support up to 1,1000 pounds, which is more than enough to hold four people and the couch.

Engadget was able to demo the system, checking out Jurassic Park and Toy Story 2 and playing the Xbox 360 game F1. They said it was surprisingly good, though the writer noted that the maximum amount of motion allowed during the demo was a little too weak. However, Immersit CEO Valentin Fage reassured them that the forthcoming generation of the device would allow for greater range of motion and respond more quickly, so this is something that's only going to get better.

So when can you expect to get your hands on it? Immersit plans to introduce a Kickstarter to the public in September, and while they don't have a price locked down, Fage estimates it'll cost somewhere between $800 and $1200, which isn't bad when you think about it. If you want to know more about the device, check out Engadget's full rundown right here.

The only problem that I can foresee with the Immersit is that most people's couches are designed to withstand constant vibration and movement of this kind. So people may find that their furniture can't handle what the Immersit will dish out. But if this is something that catches on, surely some furniture companies will design couches made to handle this kind of activity.

This probably has much more potential for gaming than cinema, but plenty of people out there would love to make their movie experience at home just a little more exciting. And if the product is reliable and cheap enough, then Immersit could end up being a popular Christmas gift sometime down the road.

Are you interested in 4D entertainment in your home?