Autonomous Ride Vehicles for On-Demand Park Dispatch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Amusement parks face challenges in efficiently transporting guests and materials within closed environments, as traditional shuttle systems require waiting and do not accommodate overnight accommodations or efficient handling of personal belongings, and existing autonomous vehicle systems lack flexibility and integration with themed experiences.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous vehicle transportation system that includes themed ride vehicles capable of navigating within predetermined or adaptive paths, interacting with scenery, and handling guest requests for transportation and personal belongings, using onboard sensors and controllers to manage capacity, route optimization, and dynamic path adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional shuttle systems are used for transportation within the park, then guests can be transported between locations, but guests must wait for the next shuttle and the system lacks flexibility for overnight accommodations and personal belongings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic autonomous vehicles that can autonomously navigate park pathways and dynamically adjust their routes and schedules based on real-time guest requests, eliminating fixed shuttle schedules and waiting times while providing on-demand transportation service
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous vehicles operate independently without requiring operators, automatically navigating to pickup locations, transporting guests, and returning for additional requests, thereby eliminating the need for scheduled shuttles and reducing wait times through continuous autonomous operation
2Adaptability or versatility
If guests have overnight accommodations outside park boundaries, then guests have more accommodation options, but this discourages back-and-forth trips to drop off unneeded items
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicles enable guests to independently transport personal belongings between off-site accommodations and the park by providing on-demand door-to-door transportation service, eliminating the need for scheduled shuttles and making frequent trips convenient
3Reliability
If autonomous vehicles operate on predetermined paths, then navigation is simplified and more reliable, but the system lacks flexibility for dynamic route adjustments and guest requests
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicles use dynamic path planning algorithms that continuously adjust routes based on real-time conditions, guest requests, and park events, while maintaining reliable navigation through sensor fusion and obstacle detection systems
4Adaptability or versatility
If themed ride vehicles are used for transportation, then guest experience is enhanced, but the vehicles must be separated from the ride environment during loading
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the autonomous transportation function from the ride experience function, with autonomous vehicles handling guest transport and traditional ride systems handling the attraction experience, thereby integrating themed experiences without complicating the transportation system
Data Source
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AI summary
An amusement park attraction system includes a plurality of autonomous vehicles (26) configured to accommodate one or more guests (12) and located in an attraction dispatch area (120). An individual autonomous vehicle (26) includes a vehicle controller (70) including a memory (72) storing instructions and a processor (74) configured to execute the instructions, the instructions configured to cause the vehicle controller (70) to receive an indication that the individual autonomous vehicle (26) is loaded at capacity within the dispatch area (120) and drive autonomous operation of the individual autonomous vehicle (26) from the dispatch area (120) to enter the ride path (130).