Anti-reflective Camera Housing for Amusement Park Attractions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Amusement park camera systems face interference from external elements like light, which hinders their functionality in tracking guest motion and providing enhanced experiences such as skeletal tracking, VR/AR features, and ride simulations.
Innovation Solution
An anti-reflective camera housing system with an inner volume defined by light-impenetrable panels and an opening that faces the desired direction to capture light while blocking external light interference, featuring a gasket for sealing against the window surface to prevent reflection and enhance camera operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the camera is positioned on the amusement park attraction to capture guest motion, then the camera can provide enhanced features like skeletal tracking and VR/AR experiences, but external light elements interfere with camera operation and functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a camera housing as an intermediary structure between the camera and the external light environment. The housing includes light-blocking panels and reflective surfaces that mediate the interaction between extraneous light and the camera, allowing the camera to function properly while maintaining its position on the attraction for capturing guest motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera housing applies different surface properties to different parts: internal surfaces are made reflective to redirect light away from the lens, while external surfaces facing light sources are made light-blocking or absorptive. This local differentiation of surface qualities allows the housing to selectively manage light from different directions, blocking harmful extraneous light while permitting necessary illumination for guest capture.
2Reliability
If the camera housing blocks extraneous light to improve image capture, then camera operation is enhanced, but the housing structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The camera housing is divided into multiple functional panels, each with specific light-management properties. The housing includes separate light-blocking panels, reflective panels, and opening portions that can be independently configured. This segmentation allows each panel to perform its specific light-control function efficiently, achieving reliable camera operation through modular, manageable components rather than a monolithic complex structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The anti-reflective camera housing system effectively captures image data of guests while blocking extraneous light, improving the operation of camera systems in amusement parks and enabling enhanced features like skeletal tracking and immersive experiences.
Implementation Method 1
an anti-reflective housing including an inner volume formed by a plurality of light-impenetrable panels and an opening surrounded by a front edge of the housing that enables the camera to capture light from a desired direction while blocking extraneous light
Implementation Method 2
a gasket disposed along a front edge of the housing, where the gasket is configured to facilitate a light-blocking engagement between the housing and the window
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an amusement park attraction installation including a camera disposed on a side of a window, where the camera includes a lens and is configured to capture image data indicative of movement of a guest on an opposite side of the window. The amusement park attraction installation also includes a light source positioned on the side of the window and a camera housing disposed at least partially about the camera, where the camera housing has an inner volume and an opening surrounded by an edge of the camera housing, the lens is disposed within the inner volume, and the edge of the camera housing is in abutment with a surface of the window.