Play Mario Kart IRL with HoloLens

There is no question that the Mario Kart franchise of racing games are the best in the world — seriously, don’t even both questioning it. The games are nearly perfect, and the only feature they lack is the physical sensation of actually zipping around a miniature race track. That one limitation is the only thing that has kept go-kart race tracks in business. Thanks to augmented reality technology, you can finally bring them together. Ian Charnas has managed to achieve that with Microsoft HoloLens augmented reality headsets used to play Mario Kart in real life.

One of the primary gameplay mechanics that has been present in every single Mario Kart video game, even going back to the original Super Mario Kart release for the Super Nintendo back in 1992, is the use of power-ups. Players can drive over these power-ups to gain some new capability. Many of these are weapons to attack rivals, but some improve your defensive capabilities or speed. Charnas has managed to integrate those power-ups into this augmented reality Mario Kart experience.

This augmented reality system is designed to be used at the kinds of go-karts tracks that you often find accompanying miniature golf courses and video game arcades. Many of the more modern tracks utilize electric go-karts that can be controlled somewhat by an operator with a central server. For instance, if there is a collision on the track, the operator can shut down all of the go-karts until it’s safe to race again. Charnas' system can take advantage of those existing features to add to the IRL Mario Kart experience. For example, a mushroom-like power-up could increase the speed of your go-kart, while an opponent’s attack could decrease your speed.

All of this works thanks to a combination of the Microsoft HoloLens and Arduino microcontrollers. The Microsoft HoleLens makes virtual objects visible to the players, while the Arduino boards allow those interactions with the virtual to have real-world effects by communicating with the central server. The specific go-kart system that Charnas tested this with utilizes 433 MHz receivers, which are easy enough to work with using an Arduino. Some special “décor” around the track helps the Microsoft HoloLens headsets determine where the player is and how to position power-ups in relation to them. But Charnas hopes to partner with theme parks and other venues to make real-life Mario Kart racing a seamless experience that anyone can enjoy with their friends and family.