Stuffed animal suit guidance system

Abstract

To provide a stuffed animal suit guidance system capable of guiding a stuffed animal suit to perform appropriate movement, operation, and performance.SOLUTION: There is provided a stuffed animal suit guidance system 1 that guides a stuffed animal suit 10 in which a pilot 2 who supports and operates the stuffed animal suit 10 is disposed, a plurality of monitors 21, 22 are installed at positions where the pilot 2 inside the stuffed animal suit 10 can view them, which includes a stuffed animal suit-mounted camera 30 and an overhead camera 40, which is configured such that the pilot 2 can grasp a current position and movement status of the stuffed animal suit 10 by viewing images E1, E2 from the stuffed animal suit-mounted camera 30 and the overhead camera 40 on the plurality of monitors 21, 22, which includes a communication device 50 that enables communication between a staff member 3 located outside the stuffed animal suit 10 and the pilot 2, and which is configured such that the pilot 2 and / or the staff member 3 operate or perform the stuffed animal suit 10 on the basis of the information E1, E2 from the monitors 21, 22 and information from the communication device 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a costumed suit guidance system that guides a costumed suit to move, act, and perform in an appropriate manner. [Background technology]

[0002] There have been many shows and events using various dinosaur-themed costumes. The person inside these costumes performs predetermined operations to move and operate the costumes and to create a performance for the show or event (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-018164 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the person operating the costume may not be able to see the situation around them or the costume's movements, which can lead to problems in making appropriate movements. This can have a negative impact on the progress and direction of a show or event, causing problems.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a costumed person guidance system that can guide a costumed person to move, act, and perform in an appropriate manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this objective, the present invention provides a costumed guidance system that guides a costumed person to make any movement, in which a pilot who supports and operates the costume is placed at a predetermined operating position inside the costume, and multiple monitors are installed at a position inside the costume that can be seen by the pilot who is placed at the operating position, and the system has a costumed camera that is placed in the costume so as to display the image as seen from the costume and connected to the monitor, and an overhead camera that is placed at a position away from the costume so as to overlook the costume and connected to the monitor, and the pilot is configured to be able to grasp the current position and operating status of the costume by viewing the images from the costumed camera and the overhead camera on the multiple monitors, and the pilot has a communication device that allows communication between the pilot and staff placed outside the costume, and the pilot and / or staff are configured to operate and direct the costume according to the information from the monitor and the information from the communication device.

[0007] Furthermore, in addition to the configuration described above, the present invention is characterized in that the costume guidance system has a plurality of costume-mounted cameras and / or overhead cameras, and the images displayed on the monitor are configured to be switched automatically and / or manually.

[0008] Furthermore, in addition to the configuration described above, the present invention is characterized in that the costume is configured with a four-legged animal motif, and the costume has two pilots, a front leg pilot in charge of controlling the animal's front legs, and a rear leg pilot in charge of controlling the animal's rear legs, positioned at their respective operating positions, and the front leg pilot, the rear leg pilot, and the staff are configured to operate and direct the costume, and has a plurality of monitors for the front leg pilot and a plurality of monitors for the rear leg pilot, and the images displayed on the monitors for the front leg pilot and the monitors for the rear leg pilot are configured to be changeable, as a costume guidance system.

[0009] Furthermore, in addition to the above-described configuration, the present invention is characterized in that the costume-mounted camera is arranged at least on the chest of the costume so as to face forward, providing a costume guidance system.

[0010] In addition to the configuration described above, the present invention is characterized in that the costumed camera, the monitor that displays the image from the costumed camera, and the pilot's eye position are arranged in a straight line.

[0011] Furthermore, in addition to the above-described configuration, the present invention is characterized in that the communication device is a costumed guidance system that is an audio communication device capable of audio communication.

[0012] Furthermore, in addition to the above-described configuration, the present invention is characterized in that the communication device is a costumed guidance system in which communication information can be displayed in the form of text and / or images. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, the system has multiple cameras and monitors, and communication devices that allow the pilot and staff to communicate, and the pilot and / or staff can use this information to operate and direct the costume, so that the multi-angle view and instructions can guide the costume to move, act, and perform in an appropriate manner.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by switching between images from multiple cameras, it is possible to check a more multi-faceted field of view on a limited monitor, and as a result, it is possible to guide the costumed person to move, act, and perform in a more appropriate manner.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the present invention, even if there are two pilots, each can check the necessary images, and as a result, the costumed character can be guided to move, act, and perform in an appropriate manner.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the costume-mounted camera is installed at least on the chest of the costume facing forward, allowing the pilot to obtain the minimum necessary visual information, and as a result, can guide the costume to move, act, and perform appropriately.

[0017] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the camera installed on the costume, the monitor that displays the image, and the pilot's eyes are arranged in a straight line, so that the pilot can see the outside world through the monitor as if he were looking through the wall of the costume beyond, making it easier to grasp the surrounding situation and to make it easier to move and operate the costume appropriately.

[0018] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by using an audio communication device as a communication device for communication between the pilot and staff, the pilot and staff can be easily connected and information can be easily exchanged, and as a result, the costume can be guided to move, act, and perform in an appropriate manner.

[0019] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the communication device used by the pilot and staff to communicate can display communication information in text and / or images, which allows the pilot and staff to be properly connected and information to be exchanged reliably in situations where it is difficult to hear, when instructions are easier to understand when displayed in text or images, or when instructions need to be left for a while, and as a result, the costumed character can be guided to move, act, and perform in an appropriate manner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a costumed guide system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a monitor that displays images from a costume-mounted camera and an overhead camera in the costumed guidance system according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the costumed guide system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0022] 1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] The costumed guiding system 1 of this embodiment is a system for guiding a costumed suit 10 to perform arbitrary movements, and here, as shown in Fig. 1, includes a dinosaur costume 10 and staff members 3, 4, 5, and 6 for guiding the costumed suit 10 to move, act, and perform appropriate movements. Note that the present invention is not limited to application to a dinosaur costume 10, but may also be applied to costumes that resemble other animals, such as so-called monsters (fictional creatures), ancient creatures such as mammoths, giraffes, rhinoceroses, elephants, lions, and tigers. It may also be applied to costumes that resemble things other than animals (including living and non-living things), such as robots and trees.

[0024] First, the costume 10 will be described using FIG. 1. The costume 10 of this embodiment is based on the motif of a bipedal dinosaur, and is configured so that one pilot 2 is positioned at a predetermined operating position inside the costume 10 to support and operate it. This pilot 2 is responsible for operating the costume 10's walking (movement), arm movements, facial movements (neck movement, opening and closing of the mouth, movement of the eyes, etc.), tail movements, etc. Note that an example of the operating position is a position above the dinosaur's feet, where a person can enter and operate the dinosaur without any problems. Alternatively, a cockpit may be formed so that the pilot 2 is held and supported at the operating position. Here, a description of the internal mechanisms and configuration of the costume 10 for operating the costume 10 will be omitted.

[0025] Furthermore, inside the costume 10, multiple monitors 21, 22 (two monitors arranged side by side in this embodiment) are installed at positions that can be seen by the pilot 2 who is positioned at the operating position. Here, as shown in Fig. 2, a costume-installed camera 30 is arranged on the costume 10 and connected to the monitor 21 so as to display an image E1 seen from the costume 10, and is located on the right side as seen from the pilot 2, and an overhead camera 40 is arranged at a position separated from the costume 10 and connected to the monitor 22 so as to display an image E2 looking down on the costume 10, and is located on the left side as seen from the pilot 2. Note that the arrangement of the monitors 21, 22 is not limited to being arranged side by side, and they may be arranged vertically, diagonally, or otherwise as appropriate, taking into consideration the internal structure of the costume 10, the height of the pilot 2, visibility, etc.

[0026] With such a costume 10, there are cases where the pilot 2 cannot directly see the external situation, but the information on the monitors 21, 22 allows the pilot 2 to simultaneously view the images E1, E2 from the costume-mounted camera 30 and the overhead camera 40 on the multiple monitors 21, 22, and simultaneously grasp the current position and operating status of the costume 10. Note that here, the image E2 from the overhead camera 40 is configured to be sent by video communication indicated by arrow A from a communication device held by the camera staff member 5 operating the overhead camera 40 to the monitor 22 via the communication device 50 of the costume 10.

[0027] In this embodiment, the costume-mounted camera 30, the monitor 21, and the eyes of the pilot 2 are arranged in a straight line. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the shooting direction (forward) of the installed camera 30, the screen angle of the monitor 21, and the line of sight of the pilot 2 are arranged in a straight line. Furthermore, here, the shooting direction (forward) of the installed camera 30, the screen angle of the monitor 21, and the line of sight of the pilot 2 are arranged in a straight line parallel to the ground. By arranging them in this way, the pilot 2 can see the outside situation through the monitor 21 as if he were looking through the wall of the costume beyond (directly in front in this case), making it easier to grasp the surrounding situation and making it easier to move and operate the costume 10 appropriately.

[0028] In this embodiment, the main staff member 3, who is positioned outside the costume 10, and the pilot 2 are provided with a communication device 50 that allows them to communicate, and here an audio communication device such as a walkie-talkie is provided (see arrow B indicating audio communication). In this embodiment, the pilot 2 is configured to communicate only with the main staff member 3 using the communication device 50, and not to communicate directly with the other staff members 4, 5, and 6. This is to prevent the pilot 2 from becoming confused when multiple instructions and information are given to the pilot 2.

[0029] In this way, the pilot 2 is configured to operate the costume in accordance with information from the monitors 21 and 22 and information from the communication device 50. The sub-staff member 4, camera member 5, and sound production member 6 are also configured to move in response to instructions from the main staff member 3 (see arrow B, which indicates audio communication). This allows the camera member 5 to change the position of the overhead camera 40 and change the image angle and field of view. The sound production member 6 is also configured to use sound effects equipment (such as speakers) to create sound and light effects in response to instructions from the main staff member 3 (see arrow C, which indicates audio communication). The sub-staff member 4 is also configured to check the status of the costume 10, and based on that report, the main staff member 3 is configured to instruct the pilot 2 to take appropriate actions and perform appropriate operations (see arrow B, which indicates audio communication).

[0030] In this case, the costume-mounted camera 30 is placed at least on the chest 11 of the dinosaur so as to face forward.

[0031] Furthermore, the costume-mounted camera 30 and the overhead camera 40 do not have to be one each; multiple overhead cameras 40 may be installed in different locations. Also, multiple camera staff 5 may be present, each moving around to ensure a viewing angle that allows for a clear overview. At least one of the overhead cameras 40 (or multiple cameras) may be mounted on an aircraft such as a drone, allowing for shooting while in flight. Also, multiple costume-mounted cameras 30 may be present. For example, in addition to the camera 30 on the chest 11, other cameras may be mounted on the head, nose, back, tail, etc. Furthermore, these cameras may be configured to be manually switchable by the pilot 2 or main staff 3, or may be automatically switched.

[0032] In this case, for example, as shown in Figure 3, an AI-equipped control device 60 may be electrically connected to staff members 3, 4, 5, and 6, a pilot 2, a front camera (camera installed on the costume) 30, an overhead camera 40, and the like, and may automatically switch to the optimal camera combination depending on the status of the costume and the progress of the event. Although not shown, the control device 60 may also be electrically connected to monitors 21 and 22, and may control switching of the display states of the monitors 21 and 22. The control device 60 may also be electrically connected to other devices and equipment and control them as well.

[0033] Furthermore, after grasping the situation, instructions may be issued to the pilot 2 and other staff members. Alternatively, the main staff member 3 may issue instructions through the control device 60. In this case, the main staff member 3 may transmit an overview to the control device 60, and then the control device 60 may issue details and instructions to other staff members, the pilot 2, the cameras 30 and 40, the monitors 21 and 22, the sound equipment, etc. This control device 60 may be mounted on the costume 10, installed externally, or carried by the staff members 3, 4, 5, and 6. Alternatively, the entire performance may be stored in the control device 60, and instructions based on the performance may be issued from the control device 60 to each section.

[0034] Furthermore, with regard to interactions with the main staff 3, the main staff 3 may be composed of an AI robot, and the robot may make decisions and issue instructions to the pilot 2.

[0035] Furthermore, the control device 60 does not have to be provided in the costume 10, but may be located elsewhere and connected to other staff members, pilots, etc. via communication.

[0036] Furthermore, the communication devices between the staff members 3, 4, 5, and 6 and the pilot 2 are not limited to voice communication devices, but may be text communication devices such as chat. Furthermore, this text communication information may be displayed in real time (or may be displayed later) on the monitor 21 and / or the monitor 22. Furthermore, a separate display device may be provided to display the text communication information. In this case, information may be displayed as an image or video together with or instead of the text.

[0037] In this embodiment, the main staff member 3 is composed of one person, but this is not limited to this, and there may be a pattern in which there are two or more main staff members 3. For example, a main staff member 3 (command main staff member) is assigned to act as the command tower for the entire production, and the command main staff member 3 issues instructions to the production main staff member 3 for the camera and production and the operation main staff member 3 who issues instructions to the pilot 2, and instructions are then issued through each main staff member 3 to other staff members 4, 5, and 6 and the pilot 2. Also, there may be multiple main staff members 3 depending on the movement status of the mascot 10 and the production status, and one main staff member 3 may take over from another main staff member 3 when the mascot reaches a predetermined position or when the mascot begins a predetermined production. Also, in other situations, there may be a pattern in which the main staff member 3 is composed of multiple people.

[0038] As described above, according to this embodiment, there are multiple cameras 30, 40, monitors 21, 22, and a communication device 50 that allows the pilot 2 and staff 3 to communicate, and the pilot 2 and / or staff 3 can operate and direct the costume 10 based on this information, so that the costume 10 can be guided to move, act, and perform appropriate movements and actions using a multi-angle view and instructions.

[0039] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by switching between images from multiple cameras 30, 40, a more multi-angled view can be confirmed using the limited monitors 21, 22, and as a result, the costume 10 can be guided to move, act, and perform in a more appropriate manner.

[0040] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the costume-mounted camera 30 is installed at least on the chest 11 of the costume (here, a dinosaur) so as to face forward, thereby enabling the pilot 2 to obtain the minimum necessary visual information, and as a result, to guide the costume 10 to move, act, and perform appropriately.

[0041] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the camera 30 installed on the costume, the monitor 21 that displays the image from the camera, and the eyes of the pilot 2 are arranged in a straight line, so that the pilot 2 can see the outside world through the monitor 21 as if he were looking through the wall of the costume 10 beyond, making it easier to grasp the surrounding situation and to make it easier to move and operate the costume 10 appropriately.

[0042] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the communication device 50 through which the pilot 2 and the staff 3 communicate is an audio communication device, which allows the pilot 2 and the staff 3 to easily connect and exchange information, and as a result, the costumed 10 can be guided to move, act, and perform in an appropriate manner.

[0043] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the communication device 50 through which the pilot 2 and the staff 3 communicate can display communication information in text and / or images, so that the pilot 2 and the staff 3 can be appropriately connected and information can be exchanged reliably in situations where it is difficult to hear, when instructions are easier to understand when displayed in text or images, or when instructions need to be left for a while, and as a result, the costumed suit 10 can be guided to move, act, and perform in an appropriate manner.

[0044] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can also be applied to other configurations and other usage situations.

[0045] For example, in the above embodiment, the case of guiding and directing a costume 10 with a bipedal dinosaur motif as shown in Fig. 1 has been described, but the present system is not limited to this and may be applied to guiding and directing a costume with a motif of another dinosaur. For example, the present system may be applied to a costume with a motif of a four-legged dinosaur such as a stegosaurus.

[0046] In this case, the costume may have two pilots, one in charge of controlling the dinosaur's front legs and the other in charge of controlling the dinosaur's back legs, located in their respective operating positions. Furthermore, the costume may be configured so that the pilot in charge of the front legs, the pilot in charge of the back legs, and staff operate and direct the costume.

[0047] In this case, the system may have multiple monitors for the pilot in charge of the front legs and multiple monitors for the pilot in charge of the rear legs, and the images displayed on the monitors for the pilot in charge of the front legs and the monitors for the pilot in charge of the rear legs may be configured to be changeable automatically and / or manually.

[0048] This means that even if there are two pilots, each can view the necessary footage, and as a result, they can guide the costume to move, act, and perform the appropriate movements.

[0049] In the above-described embodiment, the pilot 2 is only able to communicate with the main staff member 3, and is not allowed to communicate directly with the other staff members 4, 5, and 6, to avoid confusing the pilot 2 with multiple instructions and information. However, this is not limited to this, and depending on the situation, the pilot 2 may be able to communicate directly with multiple staff members 3, 4, 5, and 6. Furthermore, multiple people, including the staff members themselves, may be able to communicate simultaneously, not just between the pilot 2 and the staff members 3, 4, 5, and 6. In this case, visual information such as text, images, and video may also be able to be shared simultaneously, in addition to audio.

[0050] Furthermore, the various cameras used in the above-described embodiment, including the forward camera 30 and the overhead camera 40, may be ordinary cameras for capturing images (video cameras), or may be cameras with appropriately improved functionality, such as action cameras, 360-degree omnidirectional cameras, and stereoscopic cameras.

[0051] Furthermore, the images displayed on the monitors 21 and 22 may be displayed in a stereoscopic manner using, for example, VR goggles or by projection. Any suitable device may be used as long as it allows the pilot 2 to more easily move, operate, and direct the costume 10.

[0052] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the present invention is not limited to application to dinosaurs, but may also be applied to the performance and movements of imaginary creatures such as monsters, other animals, and other non-animal costumes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1. Costume Guidance System 2 Pilot 3 Main staff (staff) 4 Sub-staff (Staff) 5. Camera staff (staff) 6. Sound Production Staff (Staff) 10 Mascot Costume 11 Chest 21 1st monitor (monitor) 22 Second monitor (monitor) 30 Front camera (camera installed in costume) 40 Bird's-eye view camera 50 Voice communication device (communication device) 60 Control device E1 Front image E2 Bird's-eye view A. Video communication B. Voice communication C. Acoustic communication

Claims

1. A costume guidance system that guides a costume to perform arbitrary movements, A pilot who supports and operates the costume is placed at a predetermined operating position inside the costume, a plurality of monitors are installed at positions visible to the pilot positioned at the operation position inside the costume; A costume-mounted camera is placed on the costume and connected to the monitor so as to display an image seen from the costume; An overhead camera that is positioned at a position separated from the costume so as to overlook the costume and is connected to the monitor; It has The pilot is configured to be able to grasp the current position and operating status of the costume by visually checking the images of the costume-mounted camera and the overhead camera on the multiple monitors, The costume has a communication device that allows the pilot to communicate with staff members located outside the costume, A costumed guiding system characterized in that the pilot and / or staff are configured to operate and direct the costumed mascot in accordance with information from the monitor and information from the communication device.

2. A plurality of the costume-mounted cameras and / or the overhead cameras are arranged, 2. The costumed guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the image displayed on the monitor is configured to be switched automatically and / or manually.

3. The costume is made up of a motif of a four-legged animal, The costume has two pilots, a front leg pilot in charge of controlling the front legs of the animal and a rear leg pilot in charge of controlling the rear legs of the animal, arranged at respective operating positions; The pilot in charge of the front legs, the pilot in charge of the rear legs, and the staff are configured to operate and direct the costume, a plurality of said monitors for said front foot pilot and a plurality of said monitors for said rear foot pilot; 2. The costumed guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the images displayed on the monitor for the pilot in charge of the front legs and the monitor for the pilot in charge of the rear legs are changeable.

4. 2. The costumed guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the costumed camera is arranged at least on the chest of the costume so as to face forward.

5. The costumed guidance system according to claim 1, characterized in that the costumed camera, the monitor displaying the image of the costumed camera, and the pilot's eye position are arranged in a straight line.

6. The costumed guiding system according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is an audio communication device capable of audio communication.

7. 2. The costumed guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is capable of displaying communication information in the form of text and / or images.

Images