Facial activity detection for virtual reality systems and methods

Abstract

In one embodiment, the virtual reality ride system includes a display that presents virtual reality image content to a first passenger, an audio sensor that captures audio data associated with a second passenger, and an image sensor that captures image data associated with the second passenger. The virtual reality ride system also includes at least one processor that is communicatively coupled to the display and configured to: (i) receive the audio data, the image data, or both, (ii) generate a virtual avatar corresponding to the second passenger, the virtual avatar including a set of facial features, (iii) update the set of facial features based on the audio data, the image data, or both, and (iv) direct the display to present virtual reality image content including the virtual avatar and the updated set of facial features.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 296,363, entitled "FACIAL ACTIVITY DETECTION FOR VIRTUAL REALITY SYSTEMS AND METHODS," filed on January 4, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. [Background technology]

[0002] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. As such, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to virtual reality systems, and more particularly to virtual reality (VR) systems that are implemented and / or operate incorporating facial activity detection to facilitate providing a more immersive user experience.

[0004] Amusement parks often include attractions or experiences that use virtual reality systems to entertain and entertain guests of the park. For example, attractions may include a themed environment established using display devices that present media content (e.g., in the form of video, text, still images, motion graphics, or combinations thereof). For some attractions, it may be desirable to display the media content with special visual effects to create a realistic and / or immersive viewing or playing experience for guests. To facilitate providing a more realistic and / or immersive experience, attractions may be implemented and / or operative to present virtual reality content to guests. Summary of the Invention

[0005] A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is provided below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a summary of these specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, the disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be described below.

[0006] In one embodiment, the virtual reality ride system includes a display that presents virtual reality image content to a first passenger, an audio sensor that captures audio data associated with a second passenger, and an image sensor that captures image data associated with the second passenger. The virtual reality ride system also includes at least one processor communicatively coupled to the display and configured to receive the audio data, the image data, or both. The at least one processor is also configured to generate a virtual avatar corresponding to the second passenger, the virtual avatar including a second set of faces. The at least one processor is also configured to update the set of facial features based on the audio data, the image data, or both, and direct the display to present virtual reality image content including the virtual avatar and the updated set of facial features.

[0007] In one embodiment, the virtual reality device includes an audio sensor that captures audio data indicative of a user's speech and an image sensor that captures image data indicative of facial features of the user. The virtual reality device also includes at least one processor communicatively coupled to the audio sensor and the image sensor. The at least one processor is configured to determine a set of facial features based on the image data, determine a set of facial movements associated with the set of facial features based on the audio data, and transmit the set of facial features and the set of facial movements to a second virtual reality device, where the second virtual reality device is configured to display virtual reality image content based on the set of facial features and the set of facial movements.

[0008] In one embodiment, the method includes receiving audio data, image data, or both, generating a virtual avatar based on the image data, the virtual avatar including a set of facial features, and determining a set of facial features associated with the image data. The method also includes comparing the set of facial features to a set of facial gesture profiles, each facial gesture profile of the set of facial gesture profiles including a corresponding set of stored facial features. The method also includes selecting a facial gesture profile of the set of facial gesture profiles based on the comparison, animating the set of facial features based on the selected facial gesture profile, the audio data, or both, and presenting virtual reality image content including the virtual avatar and the set of animated facial features.

[0009] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood from 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]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a virtual reality vehicle system including a virtual reality device according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

[0011] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an example of the virtual reality device of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

[0012] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an example of multiple virtual reality devices of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

[0013] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an exemplary process for operating the virtual reality vehicle system of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] One or more specific embodiments will now be described. In order to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation will be described herein. It will be appreciated that, as with any engineering or design project, the development of any such actual implementation will require numerous implementation-specific decisions to be made in order to achieve the developer's particular goals, which may vary from implementation to implementation, including compliance with system and business related constraints. It will be further appreciated that such a development effort may be complex and time consuming, but will be a routine exercise in design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0015] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the invention, the articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to mean that there are 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" or "one embodiment" of the invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. As used herein, "viseme" refers to the shape and / or configuration of facial features, such as the mouth, lips, and / or tongue, when making a corresponding sound. As used herein, "phoneme" refers to a distinct unit of sound in a spoken language that facilitates the distinction between different spoken words.

[0016] The present disclosure relates generally to virtual reality systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to virtual reality systems incorporating facial activity detection to facilitate providing a more immersive user experience. Amusement parks often include attractions or experiences that use virtual reality systems to provide fun and entertainment to amusement park guests. Attractions can include any type of ride system designed to entertain guests, such as attractions that include ride vehicles along which passengers travel, attractions that include rooms or theaters with fixed or moving seats for passengers to sit in while watching videos, attractions that include paths for guests to travel along, rooms for guests to explore, and the like. In some attractions, it may be desirable to display media content with special visual effects to provide guests with an immersive and / or immersive viewing or playing experience. Additionally, although the disclosed embodiments generally discuss virtual reality systems used for entertainment purposes, the disclosed embodiments may also be applied to virtual reality systems used for any other suitable purposes.

[0017] In some cases, passengers on a virtual reality ride system may experience virtual reality image content that does not resemble their surroundings (e.g., other passengers, weather, scenery, etc.) when the virtual reality image content does not match the passenger's expected view, which may affect (e.g., degrade and / or degrade) the ride experience. For example, when a passenger turns their head toward other passengers on the virtual reality ride system, the passenger may expect to see the other passengers depicted on a virtual reality display (e.g., a head mounted display). However, the virtual reality image content presented on the display may not match the physical features, gestures, facial features, and so forth of the other passengers. Thus, the mismatch between the passenger's expected view and the virtual reality image content may affect the ride experience.

[0018] To facilitate reducing discrepancies between a passenger's expected view and the virtual reality image content, in some cases the virtual reality ride system may generate virtual reality image content based at least in part on characteristics of other passengers and / or guests, and / or based at least in part on characteristics of the physical (e.g., actual and / or real) movement of the ride vehicle and, therefore, the passengers carried by the vehicle.

[0019] As described above, to facilitate reducing the discrepancy between the passenger's expected view and the virtual reality image content, the virtual reality ride system may present virtual reality image content to passengers of the ride vehicle such that the virtual reality image content cooperates with the physical (e.g., real and / or actual) characteristics of the other passengers. For example, to represent other passengers of the virtual reality ride system and / or other guests, the virtual reality ride system may display virtual reality image content that includes similar facial features (e.g., mouth, nose, eyes, etc.), similar facial movements (e.g., mouth open, eyebrows, frown lines, etc.), similar facial gestures (smile, frown, excitement, etc.), and where the visually perceived image occurs at approximately the same time and at approximately the same time. As used herein, a virtual avatar refers to a graphical representation (e.g., a virtual representation) of a character (e.g., a passenger of a virtual reality ride system and / or a guest of an amusement park attraction or experience) in a graphical environment (e.g., a virtual reality environment, a mixed reality environment, an augmented reality environment, and others).

[0020] To facilitate coordinating the presentation of virtual reality content with the physical characteristics and / or movements of other passengers and / or guests, the virtual reality ride system can include one or more image sensors. For example, a passenger can view a display (e.g., a head mounted display) that includes a passenger-facing camera that is implemented and / or operated to sense (e.g., capture images of) the passenger's physical characteristics, such as facial features, facial movements, facial gestures, limb movements, etc. In this manner, in some embodiments, the virtual reality ride system can coordinate the presentation of virtual reality image content with the passenger's physical characteristics to other passengers and / or guests substantially simultaneously as image data indicative of the physical characteristics is determined (e.g., sensed and / or captured).

[0021] Typically, passengers on a virtual reality ride system may talk to other passengers. In some cases, the avatar of the speaking passenger in the virtual reality image content may not resemble the speaking character if the virtual reality image content does not match the passenger's expected view, which affects (e.g., reduces and / or degrades) the ride experience. To facilitate reducing inconsistencies based on passengers talking to each other, the virtual reality ride system may generate virtual reality image content based at least in part on the captured speech of the passengers and / or guests. For example, the virtual reality ride system may generate and provide audio content corresponding to the passenger's captured speech, and generate and display virtual reality image content including a virtual avatar with similar mouth movements as the speaking passenger, with visually perceived images occurring at approximately the same time and for approximately the same duration.

[0022] To facilitate coordinating the virtual reality image content with passenger and / or guest speech and corresponding facial movements, the virtual reality ride system can include one or more audio sensors (e.g., microphones). For example, a display (e.g., a head mounted display) can include a microphone implemented and / or operated to sense (e.g., capture and / or detect) speech from a corresponding passenger. Additionally and / or alternatively, the virtual reality ride system can analyze the sensed speech to determine text based on the captured speech and / or determine facial movements based on the captured speech and / or determined text. Thus, in some embodiments, the virtual reality ride system can present audio content and / or virtual reality image content in coordination with the passenger's captured speech substantially simultaneously with audio data indicative of the sensed (e.g., captured and / or detected) speech.

[0023] Generally, visual stimuli are perceived by the human visual system. Indeed, at least in some cases, changes in the perceived visual stimuli over time may allow humans to detect motion (e.g., movement). For example, if the perceived visual stimulus can be translated to the left over time, the human can perceive (e.g., determine and / or detect) that he or she is moving to the right relative to the perceived visual stimulus, or vice versa. Additionally or alternatively, when the perceived visual stimulus is translated upward over time, the human can perceive that he or she is moving downward relative to the perceived visual stimulus, or vice versa.

[0024] Human motion may additionally or alternatively be perceived by the human vestibular system (e.g., the inner ear). In other words, at least in some cases, human motion may be perceived not only by the human visual system, but also by the human vestibular system. However, at least in some cases, a mismatch may occur between the motion perceived by the human vestibular system and the motion perceived by the human visual system, causing the human to experience motion sickness.

[0025] In other words, in at least some cases, passengers on a virtual reality ride system may experience motion sickness that affects (e.g., reduces and / or degrades) their ride experience when visually perceived motion does not match motion perceived by the passenger's vestibular system. As described above, a ride vehicle may carry passengers through the ride environment of the virtual reality ride system, and thus, the passenger's motion may depend at least in part on the motion of the ride vehicle. Thus, to help reduce the likelihood of causing motion sickness, the virtual reality ride system may coordinate virtual reality content with the motion of the physical ride vehicle. For example, the virtual reality ride system may display virtual reality image content in which characteristics such as magnitude, time, duration, and / or direction of visually perceived motion are expected to match corresponding characteristics of motion perceived by the passenger's vestibular system.

[0026] To facilitate reducing the likelihood of experiencing motion sickness, the virtual reality ride system may present virtual reality image content to passengers of the ride vehicle such that motion perceived from the virtual reality content is coordinated with the physical (e.g., real and / or actual) motion of the ride vehicle. For example, to compensate for the physical motion of the ride vehicle, the virtual reality ride system may generate and display virtual reality image content in which the visually perceived motion occurs approximately simultaneously, for approximately the same duration, and / or in approximately the same direction as the physical motion of the ride vehicle. Indeed, in some embodiments, the virtual reality ride system may generate motion-cooperative virtual reality content, for example, by adapting (e.g., adjusting) default virtual reality content that corresponds to a default (e.g., stationary and / or planned) motion profile of the ride vehicle.

[0027] To facilitate coordination of the presentation of virtual reality content with the physical movement of the ride vehicle, the virtual reality ride system may include one or more sensors, such as ride vehicle sensors, passenger (e.g., head mounted display) sensors, and / or environmental sensors. For example, the ride vehicle may include one or more vehicle sensors, such as gyroscopes and / or accelerometers, that are implemented and / or operated to sense (e.g., measure and / or determine) characteristics of the movement of the ride vehicle, such as time of movement, duration of movement, direction of movement (e.g., orientation), and / or magnitude of movement (e.g., distance). Thus, in some embodiments, the virtual reality ride system may coordinate the presentation of virtual reality content with the movement of the ride vehicle, at least in part, by presenting the movement coordinated virtual reality content at approximately the same time that sensor data indicative of the occurrence of the movement of the ride vehicle is determined (e.g., sensed and / or measured).

[0028] However, in at least some cases, the generation and / or presentation (e.g., display) of virtual reality content is generally non-instantaneous. In other words, in at least some such cases, reactively generating and / or presenting virtual reality content may result in the presentation of the virtual reality content being delayed relative to the movements of other passengers and / or the corresponding ride vehicle. As merely an illustrative, non-limiting example, due to the non-instantaneous nature, reactively generating and / or presenting virtual reality image content may result in the virtual reality image content being displayed after the movements of other passengers and / or the corresponding ride vehicle have already occurred, which may, at least in some cases, result in a degraded and / or deteriorated passenger experience.

[0029] Thus, to facilitate collaboration in the presentation of virtual reality content, in some embodiments, the virtual reality ride system may predict characteristics such as the movement of the ride vehicle and / or the movement duration, direction, and / or magnitude of the movement of the passengers within the ride vehicle over a prediction horizon (e.g., a future time period). In other words, in such embodiments, the virtual reality ride system may determine a predicted ride vehicle movement profile (e.g., trajectory) over the prediction horizon and / or a predicted passenger movement profile (e.g., facial gestures, movements, and the like) over the prediction horizon. For example, the predicted passenger movement profile may indicate that the corresponding passenger will raise their arm from a first time to a second time (e.g., a future time), smile from a second time to a third time (e.g., a future time), laugh from a third time to a fourth time (e.g., a future time), etc. As another example, a predicted ride vehicle movement profile may indicate that the corresponding ride vehicle will move a first distance (e.g., magnitude) in a first direction from a first time to a second (e.g., subsequent) time, will move a second distance in a second direction from the second time to a third (e.g., subsequent) time, and so forth.

[0030] In this manner, the techniques described in this disclosure can facilitate coordinating virtual reality image content based on passenger physical characteristics, ride vehicles, and / or captured speech, which can, at least in some cases, facilitate improving the ride experience provided by the virtual reality ride system.

[0031] With the above in mind, FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a virtual reality ride system 100 including a virtual reality device 102 (e.g., a head mounted display device), a number of environmental actuators 122, and a number of ride vehicles 124. The virtual reality ride system 100 may be used to provide visual effects on a display 112 during an amusement park attraction and / or experience. In certain embodiments, the virtual reality device 102 may be provided in the form of a head mounted display device, a computing device such as a programmable logic controller (PLC), a personal computer, a laptop, a tablet, a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), a server, or any other suitable computing device. The virtual reality device 102 may control the operation of a number of image sensors 110, a number of audio sensors 114, and the display 112, and may process data received from the image sensors 110, the audio sensors 114, the environmental actuators 122, the vehicle sensors 132, and / or the vehicle actuators 134. The virtual reality device 102 can include an image sensor 110, a display 112, an audio sensor 114, a speaker 116, and an antenna 118. The automation controller 104 can be coupled to the image sensor 110, the audio sensor 114, the display 112, the antenna 118, the environmental actuators 122, and / or the ride vehicle 124 by any suitable technique, such as wireless, optical, coaxial, or other suitable connections, for communicating data and control signals between the automation controller 104, the components of the virtual reality device 102, the environmental actuators 122, and / or the ride vehicle 124.

[0032] The virtual reality device 102 may include a control system having multiple controllers, such as automation controller 104, each having at least one processor 106 and at least one memory 108. The virtual reality device 102 may represent a unified hardware component or an assembly of separate components integrated via a communication coupling (e.g., wired or wireless communication). It should be noted that in some embodiments, the virtual reality device 102 may include additional illustrated components of the virtual reality ride system 100. For example, the virtual reality device 102 may include vehicle sensors 132 and / or a vehicle controller 126 and may be operable to communicate with additional virtual reality devices. With respect to the functional aspects of the virtual reality device 102, the automation controller 104 may use information from the image sensor 110, audio sensor 114, environmental actuators 122, and / or ride vehicle 124 to generate and / or update virtual reality image content and control the operation of the display 112 to present the virtual reality image content. Additionally, the virtual reality device 102 may include communications capabilities (e.g., antenna 118) to facilitate communication with other devices (e.g., external sensors, additional virtual reality devices 102) to provide additional data for use by the virtual reality device 102. For example, the virtual reality device 102 may be operable to communicate with external cameras and / or audio sensors to facilitate capture of image data and / or audio data for an amusement park attraction or experience, guest interaction, and the like.

[0033] In some embodiments, memory 108 may include one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media that store instructions executable by processor 106 (representing one or more processors) and / or data processed by processor 106. For example, memory 108 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), re-writeable non-volatile memory such as flash memory, a hard drive, an optical disk, or the like. Additionally, processor 106 may include one or more general-purpose microprocessors, one or more application specific processors, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or any combination thereof. Additionally, memory 108 may store sensor data and / or information obtained via image sensor 110, audio sensor 114, environmental actuator 122, and / or ride vehicle 124, virtual reality image content data generated, transmitted, and / or displayed via display 112, and / or algorithms utilized by processor 106 to help control operation of components of virtual reality vehicle system 100 based on the sensor data and / or virtual reality image content data. Additionally, processor 106 may process the sensor data and / or information to generate virtual reality image content data for a virtual avatar for display on display 112 or another display of another virtual reality device. In certain embodiments, virtual reality device 102 may include additional elements not shown in FIG. 1 , such as additional data acquisition and processing controls, additional sensors and displays, a user interface, etc.

[0034] The image sensor 110 may be incorporated into the virtual reality device 102 and may be capable of capturing images and / or video of the passenger 120. For example, the virtual reality device 102 may be a head mounted display device worn on the head of the passenger 120, and the image sensor 110 may capture any number of images of the passenger 120. In certain embodiments, the image sensor 110 may capture facial features of the passenger 120 (e.g., eyes, nose, mouth, lips, chin, eyebrows, ears, etc.). The image sensor 110 may generate and / or transmit image data corresponding to the captured images to the automation controller 104. The image sensor 110 may include any number of cameras, such as any number of video cameras, any number of depth cameras capable of determining depth and distance relative to and / or between facial features, any number of infrared cameras, any number of digital cameras, etc. In certain embodiments, the image sensor 110 may process the image data before transmitting it to the automation controller 104. Alternatively, the image sensor 110 may transmit raw image data to the automation controller 104. In some embodiments, the image sensor 110 may be capable of tracking the line of sight of the occupant 120. For example, the image sensor 110 may determine the direction in which the occupant 120 is looking.

[0035] In certain embodiments, the memory 108 can store facial gesture profiles associated with multiple facial gestures. For example, each facial gesture profile can correspond to a different facial gesture, such as smiling, blinking, frowning, yawning, etc. The automation controller 104 can compare the captured image data from the image sensor 110 to the stored facial gesture profiles and determine that the captured image data is similar (e.g., matches, within a similarity threshold) to the stored facial gesture profiles. For example, the automation controller 104 can compare the position, orientation, movement, and / or shape of any number of facial features depicted in the image data and compare to the stored facial gesture profiles. In this manner, the automation controller 104 can determine a stored facial gesture profile that corresponds to the captured image of the occupant 120.

[0036] The display 112 may be capable of depicting image content (e.g., still images, video, visual effects) viewed by one or more passengers 120 of the virtual reality ride system 100 and / or guests of the amusement park attractions and / or experiences. In some embodiments, the display 112 may be a head mounted display and may be placed or attached to the head of the passenger 120, and the display 112 may be placed in front of either one or both eyes of the passenger 120. In certain embodiments, the display 112 may be capable of depicting virtual reality image content including virtual avatars (e.g., avatars) of other passengers of the virtual reality ride system 100 and / or guests of the amusement park attractions and / or experiences. Additionally or alternatively, the virtual reality image content may depict image content related to the amusement park attractions and / or experiences, including one or more virtual avatars. For example, an amusement park ride may appear to be riding a horse through a forest, may appear to be riding a motorcycle moving along a road, or may appear to be in a haunted house.

[0037] An audio sensor 114 may also be incorporated into the virtual reality device 102 and capable of capturing speech and / or sound of the passenger 120. For example, the audio sensor 114 may include a microphone, and the audio sensor 114 may be positioned on the virtual reality device 102 adjacent / proximate to the mouth of the passenger 120 wearing the virtual reality device 102. The audio sensor 114 may generate and / or transmit audio data corresponding to the captured speech and / or sound to the automation controller 104. In certain embodiments, the audio sensor 114 may process the audio data before transmitting it to the automation controller 104. Alternatively, the audio sensor 114 may transmit raw audio data to the automation controller 104. In certain embodiments, the virtual reality device 102 may include any number of audio playback components, such as one or more speakers 116, to play audio content associated with the virtual reality experience. For example, the speaker 116 may play audio corresponding to the sound of a horse during a virtual horseback ride, the sound of a motorcycle during a virtual motorcycle ride, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the speaker 116 can play audio content based on audio data received from other virtual reality devices 102. For example, virtual reality devices 102 worn by other passengers of the virtual reality ride system 100 can capture audio data (e.g., speech, sounds, etc.) related to the other passengers via the audio sensors 114 as described herein. The virtual reality devices 102 can transmit the captured audio data to any number of additional virtual reality devices 102 for playback of the captured audio data via audio playback components.

[0038] The automation controller 104 can generate and / or update virtual reality image content based on the audio data. In certain embodiments, the automation controller 104 can determine any number of phonemes associated with the audio data. For example, the automation controller 104 can determine a sequence of phonemes based on the captured speech of the passenger 120 of the virtual reality ride system 100. The sequence of phonemes can include an order of phonemes (e.g., first to last) that corresponds to when the sound was made by the passenger 120. The automation controller 104 can determine a corresponding sequence of visemes based on the sequence of visemes and / or the audio data. In some embodiments, the automation controller 104 can determine facial movements (e.g., mouth position and / or shape) based on the visemes and can modify facial features of a virtual avatar corresponding to the passenger 120 based on the visemes. Thus, the automation controller 104 can generate and / or update virtual reality image content to display facial movements of the virtual avatar corresponding to the captured speech of the passenger 120.

[0039] Additionally or alternatively, the automation controller 104 can analyze the audio data using natural language processing to determine text associated with the corresponding captured speech of the passenger 120. The automation controller 104 can generate and / or update virtual reality image content based on the determined text. For example, the automation controller 104 can generate and / or animate a rigged model of a virtual avatar based on the determined text. The rigged model may include a number of movable features, such as facial features, and the automation controller 104 can animate the movable features based on the captured audio data and / or the determined text.

[0040] The antenna 118 can transmit data to and / or receive data from the additional virtual reality device 102, e.g., via a network or a direct connection. In some embodiments, the antenna 118 can receive image data corresponding to images of the other passengers 120 and / or audio data corresponding to speech and / or sounds of the other passengers 120 from the additional virtual reality device 102. The antenna 118 is communicatively coupled to the automation controller 104 and can transmit data received from the other virtual reality device 102 to the automation controller 104 for processing. Additionally or alternatively, the antenna 118 can receive image data and / or audio data from the automation controller 104 and transmit image data and / or audio data to the additional virtual reality device 102. The antenna 118 can represent any of a variety of communication devices (e.g., wired or wireless transmitters and / or receivers).

[0041] In some embodiments, the virtual reality ride system 100 may be deployed in an amusement park, a theme park, a carnival, a fair, and / or the like. Additionally, in some embodiments, the virtual reality ride system 100 may be a roller coaster ride system, a lazy river ride system, a log flume ride system, a boat ride system, or the like. However, it should be understood that the depicted examples are merely intended to be illustrative and not limiting. For example, in other embodiments, the virtual reality device 102 may be entirely contained within one or more ride vehicles 124. Additionally or alternatively, in other embodiments, any components of the virtual reality device 102 may be remote from the one or more ride vehicles 124 and / or the one or more passengers 120. In any event, the ride vehicles 124 may generally be implemented and / or operative to transport (e.g., support) one or more passengers 120 (e.g., users) through the ride environment of the virtual reality ride system 100. And, the physical (e.g., actual and / or real) movement (e.g., motion) of a passenger 120 in a ride environment may generally depend on the physical movement of the ride vehicle 124 carrying that passenger.

[0042] To facilitate control of the movement of the ride vehicle 124, the ride vehicle may include one or more vehicle actuators 134. For example, the vehicle actuators 134 may include pneumatics, hydraulics, an engine, a motor, and / or brakes to enable control of the speed of travel of the ride vehicle 124. In other embodiments, the vehicle actuators 134 may include a steering wheel and / or rudder to enable control of the direction of travel of the ride vehicle 124. In some embodiments, the ride vehicle 124 may additionally or alternatively include one or more haptic vehicle actuators implemented and / or actuated to present virtual reality haptic content. Additionally or alternatively, one or more environmental actuators 122 may be implemented and / or actuated to move the ride vehicle 124. For example, the environmental actuators 122 may include pneumatics, hydraulics, an engine, a motor, and / or brakes to move the ride vehicle 124 through the ride environment.

[0043] The ride vehicle 124 may also include one or more vehicle sensors 132 that detect (e.g., sense and / or measure) sensor data indicative of any number of movement characteristics of the ride vehicle 124, such as an orientation of the ride vehicle 124, a position of the ride vehicle 124, a movement profile of the ride vehicle 124, a speed of the ride vehicle 124, an acceleration (e.g., acceleration or deceleration) of the ride vehicle 124, etc. For example, the ride vehicle 124 may include an accelerometer and / or a gyroscope to detect the speed, acceleration, and / or orientation of the ride vehicle 124. The one or more vehicle sensors 132 may generate and / or transmit sensor data to the vehicle controller 126 and / or the automation controller 104. For example, the vehicle controller 126 may receive vehicle sensor data and determine a current and / or past orientation of the ride vehicle 124, a current and / or past position of the ride vehicle 124, a current and / or past speed of the ride vehicle 124, a current and / or past acceleration of the ride vehicle 124, current and / or past motion characteristics of the ride vehicle 124, etc. In certain embodiments, the vehicle controller 126 may transmit the motion characteristics associated with the ride vehicle 124 to the automation controller 104. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle controller 126 may generate and / or transmit vehicle sensor data to the automation controller 104, which may process the vehicle sensor data to determine motion characteristics associated with the ride vehicle 124 based on the vehicle sensor data.

[0044] The automation controller 104 can generate and / or update virtual reality image content based on the motion characteristics associated with the ride vehicle 124. In certain embodiments, the automation controller 104 can change the orientation and / or position of any number of virtual avatars (e.g., virtual representations) corresponding to any number of passengers of the virtual reality ride system 100 based on the motion characteristics. For example, the automation controller 104 can determine that the ride vehicle 124 is decelerating. Thus, the automation controller 104 can change the orientation of the virtual avatars corresponding to the passengers 120 to show the virtual avatars leaning forward due to the deceleration. Additionally and / or alternatively, the automation controller 104 can generate and / or update facial poses and / or gestures based on the motion characteristics of the ride vehicle 124. In some embodiments, the automation controller 104 can determine predicted facial poses and / or gestures based on the motion characteristics of the ride vehicle 124. For example, the automation controller 104 can predict a surprised face (e.g., raised eyebrows, open mouth) based on the acceleration of the ride vehicle 124 and can modify the facial pose of the virtual avatar accordingly to display a surprised face.

[0045] Additionally or alternatively, the virtual reality device 102 may include one or more sensors that detect (e.g., sense and / or measure) sensor data indicative of any number of motion characteristics of the passenger 120, such as an orientation of the passenger 120, a position of the passenger 120, a pose of the passenger 120, a velocity of the passenger 120, an acceleration of the passenger 120, etc. For example, the virtual reality device 102 may include an accelerometer for detecting the passenger sensor data and may transmit the sensor data to the automation controller 104. The automation controller 104 may receive the passenger sensor data and determine a current and / or past orientation of the passenger 120, a current and / or past position of the passenger 120, a current and / or past posture of the passenger 120, a current and / or past velocity of the passenger 120, a current and / or past acceleration of the passenger 120, etc. Additionally and / or alternatively, the automation controller 104 may generate and / or transmit the passenger sensor data and / or the determined motion characteristics to any number of additional virtual reality devices 102 associated with other passengers of the virtual reality ride system 100. Additionally or alternatively, the virtual reality device 102 may receive passenger sensor data for any number of passengers 120 of the virtual reality ride system 100 .

[0046] The automation controller 104 can generate and / or update virtual reality image content based on the motion characteristics associated with the passenger 120. In certain embodiments, the automation controller 104 can change the orientation and / or position of a virtual avatar corresponding to a passenger of the virtual reality ride system based on the motion characteristics. For example, the automation controller 104 can determine that the passenger is turning his / her head. As such, the automation controller 104 can change the head orientation of the virtual avatar corresponding to the passenger to indicate that the virtual avatar is facing the same direction.

[0047] In certain embodiments, the automation controller 104 and / or the vehicle controller 126 can receive the vehicle sensor data and the passenger sensor data and determine relative movement characteristics of the passenger 120 with respect to the ride vehicle 124. For example, the automation controller and / or the vehicle controller 126 can determine an orientation of the passenger 120 with respect to the vehicle 124, a position of the passenger 120 with respect to the vehicle 124, a velocity of the passenger 120 with respect to the vehicle 124, an acceleration of the passenger 120 with respect to the vehicle 124, and / or vice versa. In some embodiments, the virtual reality device 102 and / or the vehicle controller 126 can transmit the relative movement characteristics to any number of additional virtual reality devices 102 associated with other passengers of the virtual reality ride system 100.

[0048] The automation controller 104 and / or vehicle controller 126 may receive vehicle sensor data indicative of current and / or past movement profiles of the ride vehicle 124 and determine predicted ride vehicle movements predicted to occur during a subsequent period of time. As used herein, a "predicted ride vehicle movement profile" of a ride vehicle 124 describes the movement characteristics of the ride vehicle 124 predicted (e.g., expected) to occur during a period of time. The predicted ride vehicle movement profile may include one or more ride vehicle movement times, one or more ride vehicle movement durations, one or more predicted vehicle vehicle movement directions, one or more predicted vehicle vehicle movement magnitudes, etc. The one or more vehicle vehicle movement times may indicate a predicted start time and / or a predicted stop time of a particular movement of the ride vehicle 124 during a period of time. The one or more vehicle vehicle movement durations may indicate one or more durations during which a particular movement of the ride vehicle 124 is predicted to occur during a period of time. Additionally, the one or more predicted vehicle vehicle travel directions may indicate a direction of travel of the vehicle vehicle 124 during a corresponding vehicle vehicle travel duration during the time period, and the one or more predicted vehicle vehicle travel magnitudes may indicate a corresponding vehicle vehicle travel time and / or a magnitude of travel (e.g., distance) of the vehicle vehicle 124 that is predicted to occur during the corresponding predicted vehicle vehicle travel duration.

[0049] In certain embodiments, the automation controller 104 can generate and / or update virtual reality image content based on a predicted ride vehicle movement profile associated with the ride vehicle 124. In certain embodiments, the automation controller 104 can change the position and / or orientation of any number of virtual avatars corresponding to any number of additional passengers of the virtual reality ride system 100. Additionally and / or alternatively, the automation controller 104 can generate and / or update facial poses and / or facial gestures of any number of virtual avatars based on a predicted ride vehicle movement profile associated with the ride vehicle 124.

[0050] The ride vehicle 124 may include a control system having multiple controllers, such as vehicle controllers 126, each having at least one processor 128 and at least one memory 130. In certain embodiments, the vehicle controller 126 may be provided in the form of a computing device, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC), a personal computer, a laptop, a tablet, a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), a server, or any other suitable computing device. The vehicle controller 126 may control the operation of any number of vehicle sensors 132, any number of vehicle actuators 134, and / or any number of environmental actuators 122, and may process sensor data received from the vehicle sensors 132, the vehicle actuators 134, and / or the environmental actuators 122. The vehicle controller 126 may be coupled to the vehicle sensors 132, the vehicle actuators 134, and / or the environmental actuators 122 by any suitable technique for communicating data and control signals between the vehicle controller 126, the components of the ride vehicle 124, and / or the environmental actuators 122, such as wireless, optical, coaxial, or other suitable connections.

[0051] The vehicle controller 126 may represent a unified hardware component or an assembly of separate components integrated via a communication coupling (e.g., wired or wireless communication). It should be noted that in some embodiments, the vehicle controller 126 may include additional illustrated components of the virtual reality ride system 100. For example, the vehicle controller 126 may include environmental actuators 122 and may be operable to communicate with additional virtual reality devices 102. With respect to the functional aspects of the ride vehicle 124, the vehicle controller 126 may use information from the environmental actuators 122, the vehicle sensors 132, and / or the vehicle actuators 134 to generate and / or transmit vehicle sensor data and / or environmental sensor data to one or more virtual reality devices 102.

[0052] In some embodiments, memory 130 may include one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media that store instructions executable by processor 128 (representing one or more processors) and / or data processed by processor 128. For example, memory 130 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), re-writeable non-volatile memory such as flash memory, a hard drive, an optical disk, or the like. Additionally, processor 128 may include one or more general-purpose microprocessors, one or more application specific processors, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or any combination thereof. Additionally, memory 130 may store vehicle sensor data and / or environmental sensor data obtained via environmental actuators 122, vehicle sensors 132, and / or vehicle actuators 134, and / or algorithms utilized by processor 128 to aid in controlling operation of components of ride vehicle 124 based on vehicle sensor data and / or environmental sensor data. Additionally, the processor 128 may process vehicle sensor data and / or environmental sensor data. In certain embodiments, the ride vehicle 124 may include additional elements not shown in FIG. 1, such as additional data acquisition and processing controls, additional sensors and displays, user interfaces, etc.

[0053] In certain embodiments, the virtual reality system 100 may include any number of virtual reality devices 102. For example, each passenger 120 may be equipped with a corresponding virtual reality device 102. Each virtual reality device 102 may capture image data and / or audio data related to the corresponding passenger 120. For example, the image sensor 110 may be oriented or pointed toward the face of the corresponding passenger 120 and may capture image data related to facial features and / or facial movements of the corresponding passenger 120. Additionally and / or alternatively, the audio sensor 114 may capture audio data corresponding to speech and / or sounds made by the corresponding passenger 120.

[0054] In some embodiments, image data and / or audio data may be captured before passenger 120 enters ride vehicle 124 and / or before the ride begins. For example, passenger 120 may enter a designated area, such as a photo booth, and any number of cameras may capture images and / or video of passenger 120. In certain embodiments, the cameras may be positioned and / or operated to capture images and / or video of passenger 120 at different angles, at different distances, and with different lighting. Additionally or alternatively, the cameras may be operated to capture images of different parts of passenger 120 (e.g., head, face, arms, hands, etc.). In some embodiments, electronic displays may provide instructions or prompt passenger 120 to assume various poses, such as standing, sitting, walking, etc., and the cameras may capture images and / or video of the various poses. The electronic display may also prompt the passenger 120 to make different facial gestures, facial movements, or facial poses, such as smiling, frowning, raising an eyebrow, shouting, shaking or nodding the head, as the camera captures images and / or video of the passenger 120.

[0055] Any number of virtual reality devices 102 can receive image data corresponding to images and / or footage captured from a camera within a designated area. For example, the automation controller 104 can receive the image data and generate and / or update a virtual avatar based on the image data. For example, the automation controller 104 can analyze and / or process the image data to determine physical characteristics of the passengers 120, such as height, hair color, eye color, location of facial features, etc. The automation controller 104 can generate and / or update a virtual avatar based on the determined physical characteristics. Additionally or alternatively, the image data may be processed and / or analyzed remotely from the virtual reality devices 102, and the automation controller 104 can receive the processed image data and / or physical characteristics associated with any number of the passengers 120. In certain embodiments, the automation controller 104 can compare the image data to stored facial gesture profiles and generate and / or update a virtual avatar based on a selected facial gesture profile. Each stored facial gesture profile can include a set of facial features and corresponding emotions and / or gestures. For example, the image data may show the passenger smiling with upturned lips, showing teeth, and / or raising eyebrows. Thus, the automation controller 104 may compare the facial features to stored facial gesture profiles and select a smiling facial gesture profile. Thus, the automation controller 104 may generate and / or update a virtual avatar based on the selected facial gesture profile to depict the virtual avatar smiling.

[0056] In certain embodiments, the virtual avatar may include a rigged model of the corresponding passenger. As used herein, rigging refers to a technique of skeletal animation for representing a character model (e.g., a rigged model) using a set of interconnected digital features (e.g., bones). The rigged model may include facial features, head, arms, hands, fingers, and other movable features. The automation controller 104 may update the rigged model based on the physical features of the corresponding passenger. Additionally or alternatively, the automation controller 104 may update the orientation, facial gestures, facial movements, facial poses, etc. based on image data captured by the image sensor 110 of the corresponding passenger's physical (e.g., real or actual) orientation, facial gestures, facial movements, facial poses, etc. For example, a first passenger with a first virtual reality device may turn his head to look at a second passenger with a second virtual reality device. The second virtual reality device may capture image data of the second passenger and process and / or transmit this image data to the first virtual reality device. Thus, the first virtual reality device can receive image data corresponding to the second passenger and generate and / or update virtual reality image content for display to the first passenger. For example, the first virtual reality device can generate and / or update a virtual avatar corresponding to the second passenger.

[0057] With the above in mind, FIG. 2 illustrates an example embodiment of the virtual reality device 102 of FIG. 1. The virtual reality device 102 may incorporate an image sensor 110 and an audio sensor 114. The image sensor 110 may capture any number of images and / or video of the passenger 120. For example, the image sensor 110 may capture images and / or video of the passenger 120's face, body, fingers, hands, and / or limbs. The image sensor 110 may capture a viewing area 202 selected by a controller, such as the automation controller 104. For example, the automation controller 104 may generate and send control signals to the image sensor 110 to image the viewing area 202 based on movement detected by the image sensor 110. In certain embodiments, the viewing area 202 may include the passenger 120's face and / or facial features (e.g., eyes, nose, mouth, etc.). The image sensor 110 may generate and / or send image data related to the viewing area 202 to the automation controller 104 for processing. In certain embodiments, the automation controller 104 can determine physical characteristics (e.g., size, position, color, etc.) associated with the passenger 120 based on the image data. For example, the automation controller 104 can receive the image data and determine the contours, texture, and / or features of the passenger's face. For example, the automation controller 104 can determine the position of the passenger's eyes on the passenger's face, the passenger's hair color, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the automation controller 104 can generate virtual reality image content based on the image data. For example, the automation controller 104 can generate and / or update a virtual avatar based on the determined physical characteristics.

[0058] The audio sensor 114 can capture speech 204 and / or sounds made by the passenger 120. The audio sensor 114 can generate audio data based on the captured speech 204 and / or sounds, and can transmit the audio data to the automation controller 104. In certain embodiments, the automation controller 104 can receive the audio data and determine text (e.g., words, phrases, sentences, etc.) spoken by the passenger 120. For example, the automation controller 104 can process the audio data using a natural language processing algorithm to generate text data. The automation controller 104 can generate virtual reality image content based on the audio data and / or text data. For example, the automation controller 104 can generate and / or update a virtual avatar based on the audio data and / or text data. The automation controller 104 can determine and / or generate phonemes based on the audio data, and can determine and / or generate visemes based on the audio data and / or phonemes. Additionally or alternatively, the automation controller 104 can generate text associated with the captured speech 204 based on the audio data. For example, the automation controller 104 can use natural language processing to determine text associated with the captured speech and can generate a viseme based on the determined text. The automation controller 104 can transmit the audio data, phonemes, text, and / or viseme to any number of additional virtual reality devices to generate and / or update virtual reality image content corresponding to the passenger 120 based on the captured speech 204 of the passenger 120.

[0059] With the above in mind, FIG. 3 illustrates an example embodiment of the virtual reality system 100 of FIG. 1 including a first virtual reality device 102A worn by a first passenger 120A and a second virtual reality device 102B worn by a second passenger 120B. The first virtual reality device 102A can capture sensor data, audio data, and / or image data associated with the first passenger 120A as described herein. In some embodiments, the first virtual reality device 102A can transmit sensor data, audio data, and / or image data associated with the first passenger 120A to the second virtual reality device 102B. The second virtual reality device 102B can receive the sensor data, audio data, and / or image data and can generate and / or update virtual reality image content displayed to the second passenger 120B. For example, the first passenger 120A can turn his head toward the second passenger 120B. The second virtual reality device 102B can generate and / or update a virtual avatar corresponding to the first passenger 120A based on the sensor data indicating that the first passenger 120A has turned his head. In this manner, the second passenger 120B can see a virtual avatar corresponding to the first passenger 120A's head turning.

[0060] Additionally and / or alternatively, the second virtual reality device 102B can generate and / or update virtual reality image content based on image data captured by the first virtual reality device 102A. In certain embodiments, the image sensor 110 of the first virtual reality device 102A can capture images indicative of facial movements, facial gestures, facial poses, etc. made by the first passenger 120A. In some embodiments, the first virtual reality device 102A can transmit image data corresponding to the captured images to the second virtual reality device 102B. The second virtual reality device 102B can generate and / or update a virtual avatar corresponding to the first passenger 120A based on the image data. For example, the first passenger 120A may smile, blink, move his / her eyes. In this manner, the second virtual reality device 102B can generate and / or update a virtual avatar corresponding to the first passenger 120A based on image data indicative of the facial movements of the first passenger 120A. In this manner, the second passenger 120B may see a virtual avatar corresponding to the first passenger 120A blinking, smiling, moving its eyes, etc.

[0061] In some embodiments, the second virtual reality device 102B can generate and / or update virtual reality image content based on audio data captured by the first virtual reality device 102A. For example, the audio sensor 114 of the first virtual reality device 102A can capture audio indicative of speech made by the first passenger 120A. In certain embodiments, the first virtual reality device 102A can transmit audio data corresponding to the captured speech to the second virtual reality device 102B. The second virtual reality device 102B can generate and / or update a virtual avatar corresponding to the first passenger 120A based on the audio data. For example, the second virtual reality device 102B can perform natural language processing on the audio data to determine text corresponding to the audio data. In some embodiments, the second virtual reality device 102B can generate a sequence of phonemes and / or a sequence of visemes based on the audio data, the determined text, or a combination thereof. Thus, the second virtual reality device 102B can generate and / or update facial movements of a virtual avatar corresponding to the first passenger 120A based on the sequence of the beseems. Additionally or alternatively, the second virtual reality device 102B can include one or more speakers for playing audio data captured by the first virtual reality device 102A. Thus, the second virtual reality device 102B can display facial movements of the virtual avatar based on the audio data such that the virtual avatar appears to be speaking during the playback of the audio data. In the illustrated embodiment, the first virtual reality device 102A includes an automation controller 104, a processor 106, and a memory 108. Additionally or alternatively, the first virtual reality device 102A can include any number of components, such as an image sensor 110, a display 112, an audio sensor 114, a speaker 116, an antenna 118, etc. The second virtual reality device 102B can include the same and / or similar components as the first virtual reality device 102A.

[0062] With the above in mind, FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of a process 400 for operating the virtual reality ride system 100 of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. While the process is described as being performed by the automation controller 104, it should be understood that the process 400 can be performed by any suitable device, such as the processor 106, the ride controller 126, and others capable of controlling and / or communicating with components of the virtual reality ride system. Additionally, while the process 400 is described using steps in a particular order, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the described steps may be performed in an order different from that illustrated, and that certain described steps may be skipped or not performed entirely. In some embodiments, the process 400 can be implemented by executing instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as the memory 108, using any suitable processing circuitry, such as the processor 106.

[0063] In process 400, a virtual reality device, such as the virtual reality device 102 of FIG. 1, can receive audio data, image data, passenger sensor data, vehicle sensor data, or any combination thereof. For example, in block 402, the automation controller 104 can receive audio data captured by one or more audio sensors 114 of a separate virtual reality device, image data captured by one or more image sensors 110 of a separate virtual reality device, passenger sensor data captured by one or more passenger sensors, and / or vehicle sensor data captured by one or more vehicle sensors 132. Additionally or alternatively, the virtual reality device 102 can receive environmental sensor data related to the ride environment.

[0064] In block 404, the automation controller 104 can generate and / or update virtual reality image content based on the image data. For example, the automation controller 104 can determine physical characteristics (e.g., hair color, facial movements, facial gestures, etc.) of other passengers in the virtual reality ride system 100 and update and / or animate virtual avatars corresponding to the other passengers. Additionally or alternatively, the automation controller 104 can generate and / or update facial features of the virtual avatars based on the image data. For example, the automation controller 104 can generate and / or update the position and / or size of facial features (e.g., mouth, nose, eyes, etc.) based on the image data.

[0065] At block 406, the automation controller may generate text data based on the audio data. For example, the automation controller 104 may execute a natural language processing algorithm to determine text associated with the captured speech of another passenger of the virtual reality ride system. In certain embodiments, the automation controller 104 may determine a sequence of phonemes and / or a sequence of visemes associated with the captured speech. Additionally or alternatively, the automation controller 104 may process the audio data. For example, the automation controller 104 may filter the audio data to remove background noise, enhance audio characteristics (e.g., volume) of the audio data, modify voice characteristics (e.g., pitch, tone, timbre, etc.) associated with the captured speech, etc. In some embodiments, the automation controller 104 may generate new audio data and / or update audio data based on a theme of the virtual reality ride system 100. For example, the virtual reality ride system 100 may include an electronics or robotics theme and the automation controller 104 may generate new audio data and / or modify the audio data to generate a more robotic sounding speech based on the captured speech.

[0066] At block 408, the automation controller 104 can generate and / or update virtual reality image content based on the text data and / or audio data. In some embodiments, the automation controller 104 can adjust facial features of the virtual avatar based on the text data and / or audio data. For example, the automation controller 104 can adjust and / or animate facial features of the virtual avatar based on a sequence of beseems. Thus, the virtual reality image content can depict movement of the facial features of the virtual avatar corresponding to the captured speech.

[0067] At block 410, the virtual reality device 102 can display the virtual reality image content, including the virtual avatar. In certain embodiments, the automation controller 104 can direct the display 112 to display the virtual reality image content and / or direct one or more speakers to play audio data. In this manner, passengers of the virtual reality ride system 100 can hear a playback of the captured speech and can see facial movements of the virtual avatar corresponding to the captured speech, providing a more realistic and / or immersive experience.

[0068] While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art, and it is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes which fall within the true spirit of the disclosure.

[0069] The approaches 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, when any claim appended to the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as "means for "performing" a "function"" or "steps for "performing" a "function," such elements are to be construed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claim containing elements designated in any other manner, such elements are not to be construed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(f). [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 104 Automation Controller 106 processors 108 Memory 110 Image Sensor 112 Display 114 Audio Sensor 116 Speaker 118 Antenna 120 passengers 122 Environmental Actuator 124 Vehicles 126 Vehicle Controller 128 processors 130 Memory 132 Vehicle Sensors 134 Vehicle actuator

Claims

1. 1. A virtual reality ride system, comprising: a first virtual reality device; the first virtual reality device: a first display configured to present virtual reality image content to the first passenger; an audio sensor configured to capture audio data associated with the first passenger; an image sensor configured to capture image data related to the first passenger; at least one processor; Equipped with the at least one processor: receiving the audio data, the image data, or both; generating a virtual avatar corresponding to the first passenger, the virtual avatar including a set of facial features; animating the set of facial features based on the audio data, the image data, or both; transmitting the virtual avatar and the set of animated facial features to a second virtual reality device; It is configured as follows: the second virtual reality device comprising a second display configured to present the virtual avatar and the set of animated facial features to a second passenger; Virtual reality ride system.

2. the at least one processor: generating a facial gesture based on the image data as part of the set of animated facial features; 10. The virtual reality ride system of claim 1, configured to:

3. the at least one processor: determining a sequence of visemes based on the audio data; animating the set of facial features based on the viseme; 10. The virtual reality ride system of claim 1, configured to:

4. The virtual reality ride system of claim 1 , comprising a ride vehicle sensor configured to capture vehicle sensor data indicative of motion characteristics of the ride vehicle.

5. the at least one processor: receiving the vehicle sensor data; determining a predicted movement profile associated with the ride vehicle; modifying the virtual avatar based on the predicted movement profile; 5. The virtual reality ride system of claim 4, configured to:

6. The virtual reality vehicle system of claim 5 , wherein modifying the virtual avatar based on the predicted movement profile includes modifying the set of facial features based on the predicted movement profile.

7. The virtual reality ride system of claim 1 , comprising a passenger sensor configured to capture sensor data indicative of a set of travel characteristics associated with the second passenger.

8. 8. The virtual reality ride system of claim 7, wherein the set of movement characteristics includes an orientation of the second passenger, a position of the second passenger, a velocity of the second passenger, an acceleration of the second passenger, or any combination thereof.

9. The at least one processor receiving the sensor data; updating the virtual avatar based on the sensor data; 8. The virtual reality ride system of claim 7, configured to:

10. The at least one processor modifying the pose of the virtual avatar based on the sensor data; modifying the set of facial features based on the sensor data; transmitting the virtual avatar and the modified set of facial features to the second virtual reality device; It is configured as follows: the second display is configured to present the virtual avatar and the modified set of facial features to the second passenger.

10. The virtual reality ride system of claim 9.

11. the at least one processor is configured to modify a pose of the virtual avatar based on the sensor data.

10. The virtual reality ride system of claim 9.

12. the at least one processor is configured to transmit the virtual avatar after the change to the pose to the second virtual reality device, and the second display is configured to present the virtual avatar in the pose.

12. The virtual reality ride system of claim 11.

13. the at least one processor is configured to modify the set of facial features based on the sensor data; 10. The virtual reality ride system of claim 9.

14. the at least one processor is configured to transmit the modified set of facial features to the second virtual reality device, and the second display is configured to present the modified set of facial features on the second virtual reality device.

14. The virtual reality ride system of claim 13.

15. 1. A virtual reality device, comprising: an audio sensor configured to capture audio data indicative of a user's speech; an image sensor configured to capture image data indicative of facial features of the user; at least one processor communicatively coupled to the audio sensor and the image sensor; Equipped with the at least one processor: determining a set of facial features based on the image data; determining a set of facial movements associated with the set of facial features based on the audio data; transmitting the set of facial features and the set of facial movements to a second virtual reality device; It is structured as follows: The second virtual reality device is configured to display virtual reality image content based on the set of facial features and the set of facial movements.

16. a display configured to display virtual reality image content to the user; the at least one processor: receiving second audio data, second image data, or both from the second virtual reality device; generating a model of the second user based on the second image data; animating the model based on the second audio data; directing the display to present the virtual reality image content including the animated model; 16. The virtual reality device of claim 15, configured to:

17. The virtual reality device of claim 16 , comprising an audio playback device configured to play the second audio data.

18. the at least one processor: receiving user sensor data associated with the second user; animating the model based on the user sensor data; 17. The virtual reality device of claim 16, configured to:

19. At least one processor receiving vehicle sensor data associated with the ride vehicle; animating the model based on the vehicle sensor data; 17. The virtual reality device of claim 16, configured to:

20. the at least one processor: determining text data associated with the second audio data; determining a set of visemes associated with the text data; animating the model based on the set of visemes; 17. The virtual reality device of claim 16, configured to:

21. The virtual reality device of claim 16 , wherein the second audio data corresponds to speech of the second user.

22. The virtual reality device of claim 21 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to modify a set of facial features of the model based on the speech.

23. 1. A method comprising: receiving audio data, image data, or both; generating a virtual avatar based on the image data, the virtual avatar including a set of facial features; determining a set of facial features associated with the image data; comparing the set of facial features to a set of facial gesture profiles, each facial gesture profile in the set of facial gesture profiles including a corresponding set of stored facial features; selecting a facial gesture profile from the set of facial gesture profiles based on the comparison; animating the set of facial features based on the selected facial gesture profile, the audio data, or both; presenting virtual reality image content including the virtual avatar and the set of animated facial features; A method comprising:

24. receiving a set of vehicle sensor data indicative of a movement profile associated with the vehicle; animating the virtual avatar based on the movement profile; 24. The method of claim 23, comprising:

Images