Enabling variable effects in interaction environments

Abstract

Variable Effect Activation System The system includes one or more sensors that generate data. The data can be evaluated to determine whether the data indicates a valid input to an interaction effect. Valid inputs are evaluated based on lenient or relatively non-strict thresholds, resulting in a wide variety of guest actions being valid inputs. However, many of these guest actions may not be recognized as part of a pre-programmed interaction effect with the interaction environment, but the system nevertheless evaluates characteristics of these inputs and provides an appropriate response, for example, by activating an interaction effect in a manner tailored to the characteristics.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Application No. 63 / 143,214, filed January 29, 2021, and entitled “VARIABLE EFFECRTS ACTIVATION IN AN INTERACTIVATE ENVIRONMENT,” which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. [Background technology]

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to interactive environments, such as play environments and amusement parks. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to enabling effects in interactive environments in a manner that is personalized to the characteristics and / or behavior of guests.

[0003] This section is intended to introduce the reader to aspects of the present technology, which are described and / or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be beneficial in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of aspects of the present disclosure. As such, it should be read and understood in this light, and not as a recognition of prior art.

[0004] Amusement parks and other entertainment destinations include interactive environments that allow guests to interact with attractions through hand-held objects, such as themed props or toys. For example, interactive environments have been designed to use hand-held props or tools that guests use to perform actions such as swinging a sword or throwing a ball. However, the extent of the interactive effect is triggered by a specific interaction pattern in the interactive environment, just as the hand-held tools only produce effects by following pre-programmed interactions with the environment. While such technology provides entertainment for guests, it is now recognized that developments in this technology will allow guests to become more immersed in the interactive experience of a particular attraction, ride, or interactive environment, allowing for more diverse and unpredictable guest experiences. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Certain embodiments falling within the scope of the initially claimed invention are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, but rather, these embodiments are intended only to provide a brief summary of certain disclosed embodiments. Indeed, the disclosure may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below.

[0006] In one embodiment, a variable interaction effect system for controlling activation of an interaction effect includes one or more sensors that generate a signal. The system also includes a system controller configured to receive the signal. The system controller is configured to verify the signal for being a valid input to the interaction effect, determine if the verified signal matches an interaction of at least one preprogrammed interaction effect, determine a score based on one or more metrics of the verified signal, and generate instructions for controlling the interaction effect based on the score and whether the verified signal matches an interaction of the at least one programmed interaction effect. The instructions include a first variable enable instruction if the verified signal matches an interaction of the at least one preprogrammed interaction effect, and a second variable enable instruction if the verified signal does not match any interaction of the preprogrammed interaction effect. A variable portion of the first variable enable instruction, the second variable enable instruction, or both, is set by the score. The system is also configured for an interaction effect controller to enable the interaction effect based on the first variable enable instruction or the second variable enable instruction.

[0007] In one embodiment, a method for enabling an interaction includes receiving data from one or more sensors, the data indicative of valid inputs from an interaction with a guest, evaluating a range of potential inputs for the guest based on the data, determining a score for the valid inputs based on the range of potential inputs and the data, and generating instructions to enable an interaction based on the score, the generated instructions adjusting an enablement level of an interaction effect based on the score.

[0008] In one embodiment, an interaction system for controlling the effectiveness of an interaction effect includes a controller configured to receive input data by one or more sensors in an interactive environment including the interaction effect.

[0009] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood from a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like elements throughout. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a variable interaction effect system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method for enabling an interaction energy effect, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an interaction system including hierarchical evaluation logic, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of an interactive effect according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method for enabling an interaction energy effect, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating enabling an interaction effect, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an interactive effects system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. In order to provide a complete description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation may be described herein. As with any engineering or design project, it is understood that the development of any such actual implementation will require numerous implementation-specific decisions to be made to achieve the developer's particular goals, which may vary from implementation to implementation, including compliance with system and business related constraints. It is further understood that such a development effort may be complex and time consuming, but will be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0012] When describing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to mean that there is one or more of the element. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. In addition, it should be understood that references to "one embodiment," "one embodiment," or "some embodiments" of the present invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the described features.

[0013] A guest of an interactive environment can enjoy interacting with the interactive environment by causing observable changes in behavior. In one example, a guest can carry or wear an interactive object (e.g., a sword, a stuffed animal, a baton, a wand, a piece of jewelry, or other props) that can be coupled with the interactive environment to cause an interactive effect (e.g., an interactive special effect) that is part of a themed experience. For example, the interactive prop can activate a prop in the interactive environment. Such an effect is based on detecting the presence of the interactive prop and further tracking its motion to match a recorded motion pattern. The special effect is triggered based on a precise evaluation of the guest's motion pattern by comparing it to the recorded motion pattern. In such an example, the guest is instructed on a motion pattern and attempts to mimic the motion to trigger the effect. In another example, the interactive prop can be a doll that the guest moves in a dance pattern. Completing the dance pattern in the interactive environment triggers a special video in the interactive environment.

[0014] However, some guests have difficulty performing the required actions in a manner recognized by the system and therefore do not fully enjoy the interactive environment. Guests may also prefer to interact with the interactive environment in a more natural way that is dependent on their abilities and preferences. In this embodiment, these effects are activated by interacting with the interactive tool. For example, a very young child may have a favorite stuffed animal and enjoy dancing with it in the interactive environment, but may be disappointed if he or she is unable to accurately imitate the dance patterns presented, and may wish to enjoy dancing with unique actions. In another example, a guest may carry a wand and wish to move it in the interactive environment with their natural senses and cast spells of their own devising with words that they read aloud. The present technology activates variable or dynamic effects in the interactive environment based on the guest's natural actions and / or natural behavior. Rather than allowing only specific actions that strictly match recorded actions to be activated for interactive effects, a wide variety of the guest's natural actions are accepted as valid inputs.

[0015] Thus, the technology allows guest-driven, and in some embodiments guest-defined, interactions with the interactive environment that are executable inputs to activate features of the interactive environment, such as interactive effects. The interactive environment activates effects for guests in a variety of ways, at random inputs, and in some implementations, in a manner that is individual to each guest. Furthermore, because each guest may have different ranges of motion, loudness, speed, and / or dynamics, the system can match the dynamic range of activating a particular effect to the capabilities of an individual guest. Thus, in one embodiment, each guest can utilize the full potential of an interactive effect with their own capabilities.

[0016] The technique reduces the computational burden of the system and the inefficiency of instructing guests to perform specific actions as inputs that can activate features of the interactive environment by validating fixed and / or rigid inputs that may be inappropriate for guests with different abilities or understanding of the environment. Instead, the variable effect activation system allows for activation of interaction effects by a variety of guest actions that are truly interactive endeavors, depending on the guest's location. Furthermore, activation of interaction effects is more flexible and accessible to guests with different needs. A guest may prefer to speak commands, while another may prefer to perform gestures and actions. The system does not require the recording of different interaction effect responses to all possible inputs. Instead, the system can characterize guest behavior (e.g., emotional or relaxed, fast or slow, large or small movements) by evaluation theory and activate interaction effects, for example, by scores. This reduces the computational complexity of the system by allowing interaction effects to be activated by a wide variety of inputs. The disclosed techniques allow interactive effects to be enabled without recording individual enablement commands for each possible input and matching each of the guest's valid inputs to a specific recorded response.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a variable interactive effect system 10 implemented in an interactive environment 12. The interactive environment 12 can be part of an immersive area, such as an amusement park, an entertainment complex, a retail store, etc. The disclosed system and method can include one or more interactive environments 12 in a general or story themed space, as well as different interactive environments 12 in a single themed space. Furthermore, the disclosed system and method can include additional or other interactive environments 12 with different themes, but included in an immersive area, such as a theme park or entertainment complex. With reference to the interactive environment 12, the interactive environment 12 can include a fixed space or a geographically limited area in which the guest 14 can activate an interactive effect 20 within the area and / or a geographically separated remote interactive effect 20. Furthermore, the interactive environment 12 can include different locations geographically separated from one another or distributed throughout the amusement park. The interactive environment 12 can be part of an entertainment attraction, a ride, a virtual / augmented reality experience, a live show, a queue, a food and beverage establishment, etc.

[0018] The system 10 includes a system controller 24 that may be co-located with the interactive environment 12 or a remote or distributed controller communicatively coupled to the interactive environment 12, e.g., via wireless or wired communications. The system controller receives signals from one or more sensors 30 in the interactive environment. As discussed herein, the system 10 can accept a wide variety of guest inputs to activate the interactive effects 20 as sensed by the sensors 30. The sensors 30 may include computer vision sensors (e.g., cameras, etc.), depth cameras, ranging (LIDAR) devices, motion sensors, audio sensors, light or optical sensors, radio frequency (RF) sensors (e.g., a unique identifying RF signal from an object associated with a guest that has a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag), etc.

[0019] In one embodiment, the sensors 30 capture data of the guest 14 and / or objects 32 associated with the guest in the interactive environment to provide as input data to the system 10. The objects associated with the guest can be a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), VR / AR glasses, or a handheld or wearable prop or tool such as a sword, wand, chip, book, or figurine, or a wearable tool such as clothing, jewelry, bracelet, headgear, or glasses. The sensed sensor data, such as the sensor signal, is sent to the system controller 24, which uses the sensor data to generate variable control instructions to command the interaction effect controller 46 of the interaction effect 20 and activate the function of the interaction effect 20 according to the instructions.

[0020] In one embodiment, the instructions created to activate the interactive effect are variable instructions that differ based on individual guest input data. In one embodiment, the instructions are created for each guest interaction with the interactive effect 20. Figure 2 is a flow diagram of a method 40 for enabling interactive effects that is performed in the system of Figure 1. The method 40 includes accepting various guest input data (block 42) and creating a score based on the various guest input data (block 44). The score in turn activates the interactive effect (block 46).

[0021] The sensor data is received by the system controller 24 and can be in the form of raw data or raw data processed to extract metrics or features. Information detected from the sensor 30 signals can include facial feature data, limb data, movement or gesture data, position data, pressure data, speech or voice data, location data and / or proximity data. Based on this data, a score is generated, for example by tracking the movement of an object associated with the guest. Detected movements above a first speed are associated with a first score, while movements below that speed are associated with a second score. In this way, movements can be evaluated without matching a specific movement pattern. Faster movements are associated with a higher intensity score. Similarly, a louder or higher pitched voice is associated with a higher intensity score than a lower pitched or quieter voice. Speaking rate is evaluated as an indication of stress. The sensor data is evaluated by an intensity metric to generate a score. In one embodiment, the score is measured by rating the intensity on a scale of, for example, 0 to 1.

[0022] The generated score is based on input data, including both the various guest input data and other data sensed by the sensor 30. In one embodiment, information identifying the guest, for example based on facial recognition or an identification signal of a device associated with the guest, is used as part of the activation. Such information includes an analysis of the guest's age and preferences, which are part of the decision process used to adjust the intensity score and / or select an appropriate interaction effect activation mode from a stored library.

[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a variable interaction effect system 10 receiving input from a guest 14 to activate an interaction effect 20. In one embodiment, the system 10 provides an input prompt (block 40) to the guest 14 indicating that an interaction feature or effect of the interactive environment is available and prompting the guest 14 to initiate an action as an input to the system 10. Such an input prompt may be provided by a media of the interactive environment or by a guest device, such as a mobile device, a wearable device, or an object associated with the guest. However, in one embodiment, the system 10 executes by an input prompt. The guest input may be a guest movement or action (e.g., gesture, body interaction with the environment), a guest uttered phrase, or a combination thereof. The system 10 includes one or more sensors 30 that monitor the interactive environment to recognize guest input. The sensor 30 may be a sensor fixed to the interactive environment and / or a sensor carried by the guest, e.g., a device associated with the guest. The sensor 30 may begin detecting the guest's input by detecting the proximity of the guest 14 at an appropriate location in the interactive environment and / or begin active monitoring to activate multiple input prompts. The input requests provided by system 10 include general guidelines for input (eg, "Throw the ball!") without specific commands that correspond to particular gestures.

[0024] The sensor 30 data indicates that the guest input is a variable execution instruction logic 50. As shown, logic 50 includes multiple layers. A verification layer 52 (e.g., the first layer to pass) evaluates the sensor signal to determine whether the signal can be considered an input that can enable an interaction effect. Thus, verification layer 52 distinguishes between detected random, uninterrupted guest actions (walking in the space, talking to other members of the group) and actions that are intended to be interactive. However, verification layer 52 sets a relatively loose input threshold for interactions that are falsely detected as positive, rather than filtering out or generating false positive negatives in intended interactions. Verification includes evaluating whether guest 14 remains stationary or stays within a particular range of space for at least a threshold time window (e.g., a minimum of 10 seconds). The input request may include a relatively simple phrase (e.g., "start spell") or gesture (palms together) that, when detected, indicates that the subsequent guest action is intended to be an input into the interactive environment. Thus, in one embodiment, sensors 30 include cameras and microphones that are relatively highly responsive in detecting such inputs. Any subsequent inputs are validated by validation layer 52. Validation may incorporate a machine learning mechanism to distinguish between intended valid inputs and the actions of other guests, adjusting thresholds based on feedback. Validation layer 52 provides a binary output, valid or not valid, and passes only valid inputs to other layers of logic 50.

[0025] Valid input data is evaluated in one or more additional layers of logic 50. It should be understood that the depicted embodiment is one example of an arrangement of logic 50, with other implementations including more or fewer layers. In one embodiment, matching layer 54 matches to determine whether the input matches a preprogrammed interaction of interactive effect 20. The matching may include exact matching to identify preprogrammed phrases, gestures (e.g., patterned wand movements), input type (speech vs. gestures or general gestures), or approximate matches of input where the input type is not exact. Matching layer 54 provides an output indicative of a match or no match. Additionally, if there is a match, matching layer 54 provides information indicative of the particular match to logic 50.

[0026] This logic may include layers that evaluate one or more metrics or characteristics of the guest 14 based on the sensor data. One example is an intensity check layer 56. Intensity is evaluated by independent or relative measurements of the guest's vocal volume, vocal pitch, facial expressions, gesture magnitude, and / or speed of movement.

[0027] Thus, logic 50 produces the following output: Valid Input No match Strength score: 0.8 Based on this output, a create instruction (block 62) creates an instruction to enable interaction effect 20 (block 60). Based on an intensity score of 0.8, an interaction effect is enabled with a mode associated with high intensity. In another example, logic 50 creates an output for a matched interaction (e.g., a guest jump identified as a match with a distinctive pattern by breaking a light beam in camera data or an optical sensor) that includes the following instruction: Valid Input Jump Input Match Strength score: 0.5

[0028] Based on an intensity score of 0.5, the mode associated with the medium intensity is enabled for the interaction effect. The variability between high and medium intensity depends on the nature of the interaction effect 20, but may include variations in low intensity, variations in the special effect material selected for emission, variations in the selection and speed of the media played, variations in different prop movements or prop movement speeds, etc., among the high and medium intensity responses. Additionally, conflicts between matches and mismatches may enable different modes of the interaction effect, for example, by selecting an instruction to enable a particular selected mode. In this manner, logic 50 generates a variety of scores for enabling interaction effect 20 for different guest inputs.

[0029] If multiple guest inputs indicating intensity are valid (e.g., shouting a word or a rapid gesture), logic 50 selects the highest intensity score or the average of all valid intensities from the valid set of sensor data to generate an intensity score. Additional information is provided to logic 50 as part of the instruction generation. While the depicted embodiment includes matching layer 54, it should be understood that logic 50 omits matching layer 54 and generates the instruction based on the verified output and intensity checks.

[0030] For valid inputs, the system 10 performs at least a standard activation of the interaction effect 20 if the input data is difficult to evaluate or interpret, for example, because the sensors do not provide enough data to estimate the intensity. Thus, any valid interaction will generate some type of response from the interaction effect 20 to increase the guest's enjoyment.

[0031] 4 illustrates an embodiment of the system 10 in which a guest 14 interacts with an interactive effect 20 through an object 32 associated with the guest. In one embodiment, the guest-associated object includes a marker 80, such as a retroreflective marker, that facilitates identification of the guest-associated object 32 by the sensor 30. In another embodiment, the guest-associated object 32 communicates location information or object identification data, including orientation data, through an RFID tag or a combination thereof.

[0032] A sensor or sensors 30 detect the movement of the object associated with the guest, shown here as a throwing motion. Based on the detected trajectory 86 and speed, system controller 24 can instruct interaction effects controller 36 to adjust the displayed media 90 to display elements that match the speed and trajectory of the object 32 associated with the user. Additionally, a strength test can be evaluated based on characteristics of the guest's motion, such as the total distance 92 traveled by the throwing motion.

[0033] The system 10 can measure the intensity or other characteristics of the input in a manner that is tailored to the capabilities of a particular guest. That is, a similar action that is intense for one guest may be less intense for a guest who is familiar with the story. Thus, the system 10 adjusts the threshold based on the guest's capabilities and experience to provide additional challenges to returning guests on future visits. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method 100 of activating an interaction effect operated by the system of FIG. 1. The method 100 includes receiving various guest input data (block 102) and estimating a range of possible inputs for each guest (block 104). For example, if the input is by pressing a button and the intensity is measured in terms of pressure, an adult guest will apply more pressure than a child guest. Thus, similar pressure values ​​measured from a child and an adult will be represented by different intensity outcomes. The system 10 estimates a range of inputs for each guest based on the guest characteristics and evaluates the input data based on the estimated range of inputs to generate a score. The score, in turn, activates an interaction effect (block 108).

[0034] FIG. 6 is an example of activation of different interactive effects for guests of different abilities. The interactive effect 20 provides an input request such as “show us your rain dance or sing a rain song!” and allows various forms of input to activate the effect 20. Some guests choose to shout or sing, while others choose to dance. The intensity or other quality of the dance is evaluated, such as by tracking the speed of the movements with the camera sensor 30. The intensity score of the first adult guest 14a is adjusted or scaled such that a jump of similar magnitude (e.g., measured by height 120a, 120b and foot movement 122a, 122b) is evaluated as indicating a greater effort and intensity as the child guest 14b. Thus, the interactive effect 20b is activated with a greater intensity (higher intensity rain effect) compared to the interactive rain effect 20a activated by the adult guest 14a.

[0035] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the variable interaction effects system 10 (see FIG. 1). The system 10 includes a system controller 24 (see FIG. 1) having a memory 150, a processor 152, This may include multiple microprocessors, one or more "general purpose" microprocessors, one or more special purpose microprocessors, and / or one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or some combination thereof. For example, the processor 152 may include one or more reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processors. The memory 150 may include non-temporary storage such as random access memory (RAM) and / or temporary storage such as read only memory (ROM). The memory 150 stores information such as control software (e.g., control algorithms). This communication is conveyed from the system controller 24 to the interaction effects controller 36. The system controller 24 communicates with one or more sensors 30 with the interaction effects controller 36 through a communication component 154, and control instructions and parameters through inputs / outputs.

[0036] Based on input from sensors 30, and in certain embodiments with information stored in the guest's profile, the data is processed by system 10 to generate instructions that control interactive effects controller 36. The interactive effects controller includes certain functionality discussed in connection with system controller 24, such as memory, processor, communications, and input / output components.

[0037] The instructions cause the interaction effect controller 36 to control the interaction effect 20 according to the available activation modes and instructions. The generated instructions activate the active functionality of the interaction effect 20 in a particular manner based on the guest input. As discussed herein, such activation is variable, and different guest inputs result in different activations. Hence, the interaction effects are unpredictable and more enjoyable.

[0038] The depicted functions of the interaction effect controller 36 may exist alone or in combination and are shown as examples. In one example, the interaction effect controller 36 controls one or more light sources. For example, the generated advanced intensity score may cause the light source control 170 to increase the amount of light of the light source of the interaction effect, change the color of the light of the interaction effect, or activate more active or other light sources. In another example, the display controller 172 may display a particular selected media based on the command. In another example, the actuator 174 may actuate an actionable function of the interaction effect in various ways based on the generated command. Certain guest inputs may cause the robot to become active and move quickly, while other guest inputs may cause the robot to move slowly. Additional examples include a variable control audio controller 176 and / or a variable control object emission controller 178 that controls the emission speed, material selection, and volume of the emitted special effect material (e.g., water, fog, snow, confetti).

[0039] While only certain features of the disclosure have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and variations of those techniques will occur. It is therefore to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and variations that fall within the spirit of the disclosure. It is to be appreciated that any of the techniques illustrated and described with respect to the above figures may be combined in any suitable manner.

[0040] The techniques presented and claimed herein refer to and apply substantial objects and specific embodiments of a practical nature that clearly improve the technical field of the present invention, and are therefore not abstract, intangible, or theoretical in nature. Moreover, if any claim appended to the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as "means for [performing] [function]" or "step for [performing] [function]," such elements shall be construed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claim that contains elements designated in any other manner, such elements shall not be construed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Claims

1. 1. A variable interaction effect system for controlling activation of an interaction effect, comprising: one or more sensors configured to generate a signal; configured to receive the signal; verifying that the signal is a valid input for the interaction effect; determining whether the verified signal is consistent with at least one pre-programmed interaction of the interaction effect; determining a strength score for the verified signal based on evaluating information in the verified signal on one or more strength metrics after determining whether the verified signal matches the at least one pre-programmed interaction, thereby generating the strength score for the verified signal; generating instructions for controlling the interaction effect based on the intensity score and based on whether the verified signal matches the at least one pre-programmed interaction of the interaction effect, the instructions including: first variable activation instructions configured to cause a first level of activation of the interaction effect associated with the intensity score when the verified signal matches the at least one pre-programmed interaction of the interaction effect; and second variable activation instructions configured to cause a second level of activation of the interaction effect associated with the intensity score when the verified signal does not match any pre-programmed interaction of the interaction effect, wherein the first level of activation of the interaction effect is of a different intensity than the second level of activation of the interaction effect; a system controller configured to execute an interaction effect controller configured to enable the interaction effect based on the first variable enable command and the second variable enable command; A variable interaction effects system, including:

2. The variable interaction effect system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include an image sensor, a radio frequency line sensor, an optical sensor, or any combination thereof.

3. The variable interaction effect system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more intensity metrics include voice intensity, gesture velocity, or gesture trajectory.

4. 10. The variable interactive effect system of claim 1, wherein verifying the signal includes detecting that a guest is stationary and within a predetermined distance of the interactive effect.

5. 5. The variable interaction effect system of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect a movement of an object associated with a guest, and wherein the verifying the signal further comprises detecting that the movement is non-random.

6. 5. The variable interaction effect system of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect an audio signal of the guest, and verifying the signal further comprises detecting a particular word or phrase in the audio signal.

7. 7. The variable interaction effect system of claim 6, wherein the second variable enabling command is generated when an additional detected word in the verified signal does not match any of the pre-programmed interactions of the interaction effect.

8. 2. The variable interaction effect system of claim 1, wherein the second variable activation instructions include selecting an activation mode for the interaction effect and adjusting a level of activation for the interaction effect based on the strength score.

9. 2. The variable interaction effect system of claim 1, wherein the first variable activation instruction includes selecting a mode from a set of available activation modes for the interaction effect based on the match of the at least one pre-programmed interaction, and adjusting a level of activation of the interaction effect based on the strength score.

10. 1. A method of enabling an interaction effect, comprising: receiving data from one or more sensors, the data indicating valid input from the guest to the interaction effect, the data including a sensed value of the valid input from the one or more sensors; estimating a range of likely inputs for the guest based at least in part on the data; determining an intensity score associated with the detected value within an intensity scale for the valid input based on the estimated range of possible inputs; generating instructions for enabling the interaction effect based on the intensity score, the generated instructions adjusting an activation level of the interaction effect based on the intensity score; A method comprising:

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data includes audio volume or intensity data, and the estimated likely input range includes an estimated volume range for the guest.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data includes speed data and the estimated range of likely inputs includes a range of estimated speeds of the guest.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data includes motion data of the guest or an object associated with the guest, and the estimated range of possible inputs includes an estimated range of motion of the guest's motion.

14. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the activation level of the interaction effect comprises adjusting a speed, volume, and / or intensity of the interaction effect to match the intensity score, and the activation level is scaled to a range of the intensity score.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein adjusting the activation level of the interaction effect comprises enabling media associated with the intensity score.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein adjusting the activation level of the interaction effect comprises matching a light intensity of a light source to the intensity score.

17. 1. A method comprising: receiving second data from the one or more sensors, the data indicating a second valid input to the interaction effect from a second guest; estimating a second range of possible inputs for the second guest based at least in part on the second data; and determining a second intensity score within the intensity scale for the second valid input based on the estimated second range of possible inputs and the second data; generating second instructions to activate the interaction effect based on the second intensity score, the generated second instructions adjusting the activation level of the interaction effect based on the second intensity score; The method of claim 10, comprising:

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data includes guest identification information, guest age, guest profile settings, and combinations thereof.

19. 1. A variable interaction effect system for controlling activation of an interaction effect, comprising: a system controller configured to receive input data from one or more sensors of an interactive environment including an interactive effect; verifying that the input data is a valid input for an interaction effect; determining that the input data does not match an interaction effect with a pre-programmed interaction; evaluating the input data according to one or more strength metrics to generate a strength score associated with the input data; generating instructions configured to activate the interaction effect based on the strength score, wherein a greater activation score causes selection of a first activation level associated with a greater activation strength of the interaction effect, whereas a lower strength score causes selection of a second activation level associated with a lower activation strength of the interaction effect; a system controller configured to execute an interaction effect controller configured to activate the interaction effect according to a selected activation level based on the instruction; A variable interaction effects system, including:

20. 20. The variable interaction effect system of claim 19, wherein the dynamic range of the interaction effect is scaled to the range of the intensity scores.

21. 20. The variable interaction effect system of claim 19, wherein the one or more intensity metrics include at least a speed of a guest's movement, a trajectory of a guest's movement, or an intensity characteristic of a guest's audio data.

22. 22. The variable interaction effects system of claim 21, wherein the intensity characteristics of the guest's voice data include volume and speaking rate.

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