Belgian BattleKart poised to conquer the global market

In 2015, Sébastien Millecam of Mouscron conceived and patented his idea of using real electric karts to race immersively down a virtual track without physical obstacles. Today, a decade after its inception, his concept is making waves internationally.

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't heard of Mario Kart, the racing game from Japan's Nintendo. But what Belgium is doing might be even more impressive. In a dimly lit hall, numerous projectors fixed to the ceiling cast sharply defined and detailed circuits and game modes onto the floor. The speed is adjusted according to the game mode, game stage, and track surface in each instance. Sensors and on-board electronics within the karts constantly interact with the projected track and with the other karts. In short, it's all connected. Without a single physical obstacle.

During typical use, the anti-collision system largely protects drivers from collisions. Therefore, a helmet isn't necessary; just a seatbelt is sufficient. While recklessness isn't encouraged, the aim isn't to have drivers falling asleep either. Though the sheer intensity and spectacle of the experience, with opportunities to rack up bonus points, fire bombs or missiles at opponents, drop oil slicks in their path, and many other engaging tricks, makes dozing off very unlikely. The goal is to obstruct those opponents as you accelerate towards the finish line, with the swiftness of an arrow from a bow.

Currently at 30 locations, with a projected 80 in the US by the close of 2025, the company's ambition is to have 2,000 race tracks globally!