Mr. Spock would likely call it the next logical move for Vulcan's tourism sector.

The small Alberta town - about halfway between Calgary and Lethbridge - is using gaming technology to boldly go where its tourism attractions haven't gone before: Into the realm of virtual reality.

The Vulcan Space Adventure, a $250,000 out-of-this-world escapade, transports game players into the Star Trek universe.

The space-age technology, provided by Sunnyvale, Calif.-based GestureTek Inc., is a key component of the Vulcan Space Adventure.

Photo courtesy of Vulcan Tourism
The bridge in the Vulcan Space Adventure virtual reality game offers 'Starflight' trainees a taste of space combat with alien invaders by using the GestureTek computer interface (the horseshoe-shaped object).

"It's virtual reality gaming," says Jennifer Young, GestureTek's marketing manager. "They've used our GestPoint system to interface with a game that was developed by a third party. With GestPoint, the movement is all done through using natural gestures. You don't have to hold any controllers."

GestPoint works by using advanced real-time computer vision techniques to isolate and track your hand, converting simple hand gestures into a direct mouse control in a variety of environments.

In Vulcan's application, players - also known as Starflight trainees - face a large holographic screen from which they receive instructions. They fight off alien invaders by moving their hand to point and shoot their weapons.

GestureTek's patented multi-camera technology with holographic images, light and sound effects and even a transporter enables the creation of what is described as an exhilarating virtual-reality experience that literally puts visitors squarely into the black boots worn by Starfleet officers on the 60s cult TV series Star Trek.

According to Young, the GestureTek technology has been thrilling users around the world since well before the 2002 Tom Cruise movie Minority Report popularized the concept of gesture control.

The town of Vulcan boasts one of only two such GestureTek installations in Canada - the other being in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. It also marks the first opportunity for Western Canada to see and experience this technology in action, says Vulcan tourism co-ordinator Dayna Dickens.

And while Vulcan is already on the worldwide tourism map because of its Star Trek connection and Star Trek-related attractions, the new addition is expected to boost other local tourism draws.

Other cosmic tourism attractions in Vulcan include space murals and alien signage that grace the walls and street corners of the town, and a space-themed waterpark.

"It's a great chance to showcase the area, that's for sure. I see it as a hook that brings people through the door and once they're here, we can promote everything else there is to do in the area," says Dickens.

Tourism is important to Vulcan, says Mayor David Mitchell. "Tourism brings 15,000 to 20,000 people a year specifically to visit the community. It's not a tremendous amount of people (for some areas), but for our town, it is. It's about 10 times our population."

Photo courtesy of Vulcan Tourism
The new $250,000 VSA attraction will welcome Star Trek fans through its gates in the Vulcan Tourism and Trek Station.

The Vulcan Space Adventure was funded by the town of 1,900 with matching funds from the Alberta Lottery Fund. Mitchell also says Star Trek-related tourism brings its own economic spinoffs. "People look around and some have decided to make (Vulcan) their home. It has definitely put us on the map."

Vulcan has capitalized on its Star Trek connection since the early 1990s. Named in 1915 after the Roman god of fire by Canadian Pacific Railways engineers from Winnipeg, the community has staged Star Trek-oriented conventions since 1993.

In 1995, it unveiled a five- ton, 31-foot long, nine-foot tall starship that is mounted at the town's main entrance, and has been christened FX6-1995 - FX6 is the Vulcan airport identifier.

In 1998, the town opened the Vulcan tourism and Trek station.

Built in the shape of a space station, it has become the home for the region's tourism information centre and includes a gift shop full of Star Trek merchandise.

Westwind Design and Display Ltd. has also played a role in the new sci-fi adventure. The Calgary company, which fabricates and designs custom displays, built and managed the set design and oversaw the project.

They contracted out work to the game designer, a video producer and an audio-visual firm, as well as purchasing the GestPoint system to incorporate into the end product.

"The sets took five to six months to build," says Westwind exhibit designer April Breitkreuz. "The lighting is pretty elaborate. You start (as a game player) in a training room, go though an orientation video that tells you how the game operates and how to play it, then a set of sliding automatic doors cue up and lets you onto the bridge - making the same swoosh type sound as they do on the TV series."

Due to copyright concerns, Westwind had to ensure that the Vulcan Space Adventure was at least 20 per cent different than the TV series it is based on, which explains why players are referred to as Starflight, instead of Starfleet, personnel.

It's also why there is a Capt. Krok, not a Capt. Kirk. But Star Trek fans shouldn't be too concerned, says Breitkreuz, as they did try to stay true to the Star Trek spirit.

The latest star in Vulcan's space tourism universe will officially launch June 8 at the first day of Galaxyfest-Spock Days, Vulcan's annual weekend-long Star Trek convention.

(Laura Severs can be reached at laura@businessedge.ca)