DOF Robotics, a global leader in robotic systems, immersive education and amusement technologies, motion simulators, game and content development, and image interpretation software, continues to shape the future of amusement worldwide.
Following its successful IPO on Borsa Istanbul, the company marks a new chapter of innovation and growth, expanding its global presence, investing in R&D, AI, Cyber Security, and delivering cutting-edge simulators and story-driven experiences that redefine immersive amusement.
CEO and co-founder Bakit Baydaliev and president of DOF North America Sam Rhodes speak to blooloop about how DOF Robotics is advancing its vision for expansion, content, and the next generation of guest experiences.
Three key ingredients
At the core of DOF Robotics’ success is a commitment to making the guest experience the top priority.
For Baydaliev, the mission is clear: “That's why our goal has always been to create unique and new attractions, to keep guests happy, and to help operators bring in new visitors.
“But to create that unique attraction, to make the experience extraordinary and truly immersive, you must develop quality equipment, quality special effects, and quality content.”
Bakit Baydaliev (4th from left) and Sam Rhodes (6th from left) celebrate DOF's Brass Ring Award with the team
He believes that these three elements are equally essential for achieving complete immersion.
“When we’re creating our content and our stories, we work with writers to create something that will touch people's hearts. We want to create something unbelievable or unforgettable. Then, when it comes to the equipment, we want to make it thrilling. That’s why we include things like dynamic motion.”
This approach is what helps the company create addictive attractions.
DOF Robotics’ innovative spirit has been consistently recognised worldwide, having been featured in the Deloitte EMEA Technology Fast 500 for 2024 and honoured as the Fastest-Growing Technology Exporter in the Deloitte Turkey Technology Fast 50 for both 2023 and 2024.
The company is also a recipient of several international awards, including four IAAPA Brass Ring Awards, such as the Best New Product distinction for the Hurricane 360 VR.
DOF Robotics reveals new dark ride experience
While DOF Robotics is well-known for products like the multi-award-winning Hurricane 360 VR, which offers the thrill of a roller coaster combined with realistic virtual reality content, the company demonstrated a clear intent at IAAPA Expo 2025 to prove its breadth beyond standard VR offerings.
The headline attraction at the Expo was a brand-new dark ride experience that combines real-time, synchronised motion, high-resolution projection mapping, and intense multisensory effects.
Discussing the vision behind this creation, Rhodes explains that the goal was to showcase the firm’s expanded capabilities:
“For us, it was important to make a statement. We have many people in the company with extensive experience in dark rides, and we already make many motion-based platforms. So, we took our existing technology—things we use every day—and adapted it to fit a dark-ride vehicle."
“We were really excited to bring it to the show.”
This commitment to technical and thematic diversity was also evident in the showcase of the Immersive Tunnel: Mars Odyssey, which offers guests a 270° experience driven by light, sound, and motion.
This latest generation platform transports visitors across the surface of Mars in a futuristic exploration vehicle.
“We have different models, shapes, and sizes, but we designed this one with the science-museum industry in mind. That sector is growing rapidly for us, and we wanted to push further into it.
“This model is more compact and geared toward edutainment and learning. It’s been very successful with science and space museums.”
Keeping ahead of the trends
DOF Robotics allocates nearly 30% of its revenue to Research and Development (R&D) and employs an in-house team of over 40 engineers and designers. This substantial commitment enables the company to quickly adapt to changing market demands and guest behaviours.
Baydaliev reflects on the continuing trend of personalisation in LBE:
“Making experiences more personal, for example, using wristbands, cards, membership systems, means guests can make achievements, play games, answer questions, collect data, and compete. That personalisation makes locations more attractive, more addictive, more engaging.
“Experiences become a journey: entertainment, education, progression. That trend is growing, and personalisation is a big part of it.”
Rhodes highlights another crucial demographic shift shaping product design: the younger visitor:
“You can also see the trend in guest behaviour: the ‘TikTok generation’. They want shorter, quicker, more immersive experiences with more technology. We’ve done extensive research on what guests want, and our products are adapting to where those trends are headed.
“Attractions today aren’t the same as when we were kids.”
This desire for immediate, high-impact entertainment influences venue design. Rhodes adds that the industry is shifting toward family-friendly experiences and swift throughput:
“Today’s guests want indoor, air-conditioned, quick in-and-out experiences. The days of waiting two or three hours in a queue might not last much longer. Their attention span is different now.”
The consequence of this trend, as Rhodes notes, is a necessary focus on continuous engagement: “You have to entertain them all the way through.”
See also: DOF Robotics and the future of LBE attractions
DOF Robotics continues to expand
The successful IPO marked a vital transition for DOF Robotics, allowing faster global expansion and greater investment capacity. Baydaliev recognises the increased emphasis on performance that accompanies being public:
“It’s a major milestone for the company. We always try to do our best for the industry, innovation, new content, and new experiences. After the IPO, that responsibility grows. We want to do even more to meet expectations, satisfy investors, and continue making great experiences.”
The company is currently undertaking a significant operational expansion, establishing new offices and warehouses in key international hubs. This strategic geographical growth is essential for supporting partners worldwide.
In North America, Rhodes sees immense growth potential. “When I joined DOF, our North American footprint wasn’t massive, so there’s still tremendous opportunity. I’ve been in theme parks for more than 35 years, but learning more about FECs and LBEs, especially in the Dallas–Fort Worth area where I am based, has been amazing.
“That region is a central hub. Universal just opened its large family centre there. Many big industry players have headquarters there. LBEs are growing fast. Theme parks are doing well, too, maybe a bit of a slowdown, but at IAAPA this year, the momentum felt strong.
“Major parks are still looking for new products. The North American region is growing quickly and represents a great opportunity for DOF.”
Providing a better service
The US expansion translates directly into improved client service and operational comfort:
“We now have our Dallas facility and a new one in Amsterdam. The goal is to service clients faster and more easily, so they don’t feel like they’re dealing with someone on the other side of the world.
“We now have 24-hour tech support in the US and a huge warehouse full of parts. No more waiting for overseas shipments. Clients are more comfortable knowing parts and service are right in their backyard.”
Furthermore, DOF Robotics sees opportunities in non-traditional LBE spaces. In particular, Rhodes points to the maritime sector. “We see a massive opportunity in cruise ships and destination ports. We’ve already launched products with a major cruise line, so some of our attractions are already at sea.
“There’s a lot of potential at ports and destinations to make our products part of the cruise experience.”
The integration of AIQ, the company’s AI-powered photo system, aboard MSC Cruises serves as a testament to this strategic focus.
The importance of IP
A key part of DOF’s strategy is its own creative division, which emphasises content design and digital storytelling. The integration of proprietary hardware with internally developed Intellectual Property (IP) is considered essential.
Baydaliev emphasises the value of choosing the right partners and content:
“The synergy between IPs and our work helps create valuable experiences. Choosing the right IP is important. It has to match your vision, your mission, and what you can deliver to create good experiences.”
In-house content creation provides a distinct technical advantage, ensuring that the software fully exploits the hardware's capabilities.
“Because we do so much in-house content creation, and we know our products’ capabilities, we can enhance content to suit motion systems,” adds Rhodes.
“Not every content creator knows how many degrees the vehicle can move, so they won’t write that into their story. We know our products, so it makes sense for us to create content that fully uses the hardware.”
Something for everyone
DOF Robotics’ latest attractions demonstrate a wide range of thematic flexibility. Upcoming releases include cinematic, high-speed adventures like Phantom City, which transports guests through collapsing bridges, underwater chases, and zero-gravity zones in 8K 3D.
The studio also focuses heavily on licensed family content, such as The Smurfs: Gargamel Tower (a family-friendly rescue quest designed for VR and flat-screen devices) and Angry Birds Fury Road (an arcade game developed in an exclusive partnership with Rovio Entertainment).
For high-intensity thrills, there is Dog Fight (an aviation battle simulation that places guests in fighter jet cockpits) and Guardian Challenge (an adrenaline-filled mission combining disaster response and planetary defence).
Baydaliev notes that IP-based attractions are popular because “People always want to be with their heroes, to have the opportunity to spend time with them or play with them, and to feel like they are being invited into the worlds they know and love from TV or film.”
This fusion is a win-win for all parties. “The end users, the visitors, are happy to be closer to the worlds they love. The operators are happy because these big names bring more people through the doors. And the IP owner gets to reach out to its audience and connect with them in new ways and keep that story going between big film or TV releases.”
Neo Planet
The ultimate expression of DOF Robotics’ integrated capabilities, combining technology development, content creation, and operational experience, is the newly announced destination concept, Neo Planet.
“It’s a new concept delivering extraordinary, unusual experiences across the globe,” says Baydaliev. “‘Neo Planet’ means new worlds, new experiences, unusual effects. It contains many elements suitable for all ages, from physical experiences onward.”
Rhodes explains how the name embodies the flexibility and innovation at its core:
“The content and experiences can be changed digitally and regularly, so guests always get something fresh.”
This holistic approach, which allows for dynamic, evolving content, leverages DOF Robotics' unique position as a comprehensive supplier. Baydaliev adds: “We’re one of the rare companies that can provide all components of a good attraction; a one-stop shop. Special effects, content, everything.”
See also: DOF Robotics reveals $20m NeoCappadocia investment
Crucially, the design of Neo Planet is informed by years of operational insight, ensuring maximum efficiency and guest satisfaction.
“This is key when running these facilities,” says Rhodes. “Not everyone thinks like operators. We do. We design with throughput, loading, and guest flow in mind.”
Baydaliev adds that remaining close to the guest experience drives constant improvement: “Operating also makes you create better things, because you know what operation really means. You hear feedback, and that helps shape new trends.”
The company has already demonstrated success with large-scale concepts, such as the Mission Space digital theme park.
DOF Robotics announced during the trade show that it has appointed Tankut Tonger, with 20+ years' experience at Merlin Entertainments and Vialand, as general manager of Neo Planet. He's responsible for overseeing the project's creation, including operations, investment, and growth strategies.
A new chapter for DOF Robotics
At IAAPA Expo 2025, DOF Robotics demonstrated that it is actively redefining its identity within the global LBE market. The core message conveyed by the team was a shift away from being recognised solely for virtual reality.
“Everyone knows DOF for Hurricane VR,” says Rhodes. “This year at IAAPA Expo, the goal was to break the mould and to show we’re not just a VR company. We wanted people to walk in and realise, “They have this, they have that”—Mars Odyssey, the dark-ride vehicles, and more. Most of our booth this year wasn't VR.
“Seeing people’s reactions to our booth was amazing. And we’re really proud of our Brass Ring; our team put so much effort into it.”
With the boost from the IPO, ongoing investment in R&D, and strategic global expansion, DOF Robotics is positioned not just as a technology supplier but as a comprehensive partner shaping the future of location-based entertainment.
The convergence of custom technology, adaptable content, and a strong operational mindset, encapsulated by the Neo Planet vision, indicates the company is gaining momentum to lead the next era of immersive experiences.
Bakit Baydaliev (4th from left) and Sam Rhodes (6th from left) celebrate DOF's Brass Ring Award with the team
Robbie Jones