Free-Range Ride Vehicle Control on Uneven Multi-Path Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ride systems fail to accurately simulate real-world vehicle dynamics and do not provide guest control, limiting the immersive experience.
Innovation Solution
A ride system with movable vehicles that traverse uneven terrain, allowing guest control over speed and direction, and featuring a fleet controller that overrides user input for safety and efficiency, using onboard and wayside controllers to manage vehicle positioning and pacing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If guest control is provided to adjust speed and direction, then guest experience and immersion are improved, but safety and operational control become more difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
A fleet controller acts as an intermediary between the guest control system and the vehicle navigation system. The fleet controller receives control inputs from guests, processes them against safety rules and constraints, and translates approved inputs into navigation commands for the vehicle, thereby enabling guest control while maintaining safety oversight
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where the fleet controller monitors vehicle position, speed, and environmental conditions in real-time. This feedback enables the system to dynamically adjust or override guest inputs when safety thresholds are approached, maintaining both guest control capability and operational safety
2Adaptability or versatility
If vehicles traverse uneven terrain with multiple paths, then ride immersion and realism are improved, but navigation complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system dynamically adapts to uneven terrain by continuously adjusting vehicle parameters such as speed, steering angle, and suspension settings based on real-time terrain data. This dynamic adaptation enables traversal of complex terrain without requiring overly complex pre-programmed navigation paths
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle's navigation system automatically selects and adjusts paths based on terrain conditions and ride objectives, reducing the need for manual complex navigation input. The system serves itself by autonomously navigating uneven terrain while responding to guest control inputs within safe operating parameters
3Reliability
If fleet controller overrides user control for safety, then operational safety is improved, but guest autonomy and experience are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fleet controller is pre-configured with safety rules, constraints, and threshold values that define safe operating parameters. Before guest control inputs can affect vehicle operation, they are preliminarily evaluated against these pre-established safety criteria, and only approved inputs are transmitted to the vehicle, preventing unsafe operations before they occur
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial override where the fleet controller intervenes only when safety thresholds are approached or violated. For normal operating conditions within safe parameters, full guest autonomy is maintained. This partial action approach preserves guest autonomy while ensuring safety critical overrides occur only when necessary
Data Source
AI summary
A ride system may include a track including uneven terrain, a plurality of ride vehicles positioned on the track, and a fleet controller (e.g., a wayside controller). The ride vehicles may be adapted to traverse the uneven terrain, such as along a respective chosen path of multiple paths based on respective user control. The user control may be configured to select the chosen path and adjust a speed and a direction of the ride vehicle along the chosen path. The fleet controller may provide an override control of the ride vehicles along the track based on the chosen path, the speed, and the direction of the ride vehicles. The fleet controller may define a default position and pacing for the ride vehicles. The user control may be configured to adjust the position and pacing of an associated ride vehicle from the default position and pacing, respectively.