How IMAX, Flying Cars, Pyro Drone Shows and More Work | WSJ Tech Behind

Why It Matters

By merging high‑tech immersion with flexible venue design, these advances create new premium revenue sources while highlighting the practical limits of emerging personal‑flight technology.

Key Takeaways

• Immersive LED domes deliver stadium‑level sports experience for $200 tickets.
• Custom 8K cameras and proprietary glass lens capture 180° live feeds.
• Dynamic pricing and suite‑style seating drive revenue across multiple events.
• Pivotal’s ultralight electric VTOL costs $190k but limits range to 20 minutes.
• Tottenham’s retractable field swaps soccer turf for NFL gridiron in 48 hours.

Summary

The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Behind series spotlights three breakthrough experiences: massive LED domes that recreate stadium atmospheres, a personal electric vertical‑takeoff aircraft, and a stadium capable of swapping playing surfaces in hours.

In the dome, a 27‑meter LED sphere paired with five 8K cameras and a custom‑curved glass lens delivers a 180°, low‑latency view that fans are willing to pay $200‑plus for. Dynamic pricing and suite‑style seating turn each event into a premium, revenue‑rich offering. Pivotal’s ultralight electric VTOL, priced at $190,000, uses eight propellers and autonomous software but is limited to a 20‑minute, 20‑mile flight envelope. Tottenham’s Hotspur Stadium employs a three‑piece retractable field, allowing a soccer pitch to become an NFL gridiron within 48 hours.

“It's the next best thing,” a fan remarks about the dome experience, while WSJ columnist Dan Neil notes the VTOL’s “two‑week training” felt like “motion‑sick” but ultimately enjoyable. Pivotal’s engineers claim they are “perfecting a platform that can scale,” and stadium officials say, “The more events we stage, the more money we can put into football.”

These innovations illustrate how immersive venues can capture premium ticket markets, how personal air mobility faces range and regulatory hurdles, and how convertible stadiums unlock year‑round, multi‑sport revenue streams, reshaping entertainment economics.

Original Description

What is the technology that powers IMAX’s immersive movie experience? How does a 348-pound eVTOL aircraft work without requiring a pilot’s license to fly?

From the unique tech that allows you to watch your favorite sports team in a planetarium to one of the world’s leading synthetic diamond labs, WSJ explores the engineering and science behind the technology that enhances our world.

Chapters:

0:00 Best of Tech Behind

0:28 The Cosm dome

6:07 Pivotal’s “flying car”

14:11 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium transformation

23:15 Synthetic diamonds

30:11 Pyro drone shows

39:47 Captchas are getting harder

47:10 IMAX

Tech Behind

'The Tech Behind' explores the amazing engineering, computing, science and algorithms that power our favorite tech.

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