The Future of Interactive Play at Sea

Perched atop the Norwegian Aqua, Glow Court is more than just a first-of-its-kind installation—it's a bold rethinking of how public spaces can engage, entertain, and transform. Part sports court, part live-action gaming system, Glow Court debuted in April as an interactive LED sports court. 

Developed by Manchester-based Conductr, a design studio and tech lab creating 360-degree attraction experiences, Glow Court supports multi-user input with no wearable devices or additional technology required.

The innovators behind Glow Court reveal to IAAPA News the challenges, breakthroughs, and lessons they’ve learned while building one of the world’s first outdoor interactive LED play spaces. 

Creating a Prototype 

“Nothing like Glow Court existed, so we built it from scratch,” reveals Peter Cliff, CEO and co-founder of Conductr. “The court adapts instantly—from passive sports like basketball and pickleball to fully interactive games and even immersive art and dance party experiences at night. It’s a multi-use digital venue, not just a court.”

The innovation lies not just in the LED flooring, but in the tech ecosystem beneath it. The surface features capacitive touch sensors that detect pressure points, accommodating up to 15 guests at a time. Designers developed the Glow Court to be an outdoor court at sea. The redundant LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system is engineered to compensate for exposure to the elements and extreme temperatures—a crucial feature for maintaining uptime at sea. Cliff notes, “If extreme heat affects the touch sensors, we can instantly switch to LiDAR to maintain 100% uptime. That’s mission-critical for us.”

Inside the Innovation and Engineering

Considering the specialized needs outdoors at sea, Patrick McNulty, owner and principal at Bourne Group, a consultant in the engineering and installation of the Glow Court, notes “With the corrosive environment at sea—salt, acid from smokestacks, extreme weather—you need specialized alloys, coatings, and real experience to pull something like this off.” Describing the challenges of creating something that had never been done, McNulty shares, “Ships aren’t flat. We engineered a self-leveling structure on-site to ensure the LED tiles could be installed perfectly flat. That was the biggest engineering challenge, and we nailed it.”

As for the rigorous process that went into ensuring the LED panel court would last, Cliff details, “We tested the panels in ovens, sprayed them with salt water, froze them, and put them through vibration tests. It had to survive real-world cruise conditions—and it does.” 

NCL’s Big Payoff

Functioning without the need for an operator, Alex Tavernini, senior director of guest experience and innovation at NCL, takes delight in the system's full self-service capabilities. “It’s free for all guests, and requires no special crew training, no bottlenecks. Guests book, play, repeat—it’s seamless.” 

Recognizing the challenges and rewards of creating Glow Court, Cliff contends, “Be bold. Don’t rest on your laurels. If you push boundaries and it pays off, the guest response is magic.”