Pneumatic Soft Robot Control for Safe Life-Like Guest Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional amusement park interactive components often appear mechanical and limited in their ability to provide life-like interactions due to pre-programmed movements and mechanical forces, lacking the dynamic and comfortable engagement that pneumatic robotic systems can offer.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a pneumatic robotic system featuring inflatable masses actuated by pressurized fluid, controlled by sensors and fluid control devices, and managed by a controller to adjust inflation and maintain interaction forces within predetermined ranges, allowing for dynamic and life-like interactions with guests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional mechanical devices are used to actuate interactive components, then the structure is simple and easy to control, but the movement appears linear and mechanical, reducing life-like interaction quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pneumatic actuators with inflatable masses to replace traditional mechanical actuators. The inflatable masses can be dynamically adjusted in volume and pressure to achieve variable stiffness and compliance, enabling life-like and adaptive interactions while maintaining relatively simple system architecture through fluid-based actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes physical parameters of the inflatable masses, including volume, pressure, and stiffness, to adapt interaction characteristics in real-time. This allows the attraction feature to transition between different interaction modes (e.g., soft vs. firm contact) without mechanical reconfiguration, enhancing interaction naturalness.
2Strength
If traditional mechanical components are used for physical interaction, then the structure is robust, but mechanical forces from collisions can cause damage to objects
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable masses can dynamically adjust their stiffness and compliance by changing internal pressure. During potential collision scenarios, the system can soften the inflatable mass to reduce impact forces, preventing damage to objects while maintaining structural integrity of the attraction feature itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The pneumatic system provides inherent cushioning capability through the compressible nature of the inflatable masses. This allows the system to absorb and mitigate collision forces before they can cause damage, protecting both the attraction feature and external objects from harmful mechanical impacts.
3Device complexity
If pre-programmed movements are used in interactive components, then the control system is simple, but the interaction appears mechanical and lacks spontaneity
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that provide real-time feedback on the state of inflatable masses and interaction forces. The controller uses this feedback to dynamically adjust inflation levels and movement characteristics, enabling spontaneous and adaptive responses to guest interactions rather than relying solely on pre-programmed sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The pneumatic system with feedback control enables the attraction feature to self-regulate its interaction characteristics. The controller automatically adjusts inflation parameters based on sensor data, allowing the system to adapt to interaction conditions without complex external control programming, thereby achieving spontaneity with moderate system complexity.
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
Enhances user experience by providing more fluid and life-like movements, enabling comfortable and spontaneous interactions, including physical contact, while maintaining control over interaction forces to prevent damage.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid actuator having an inflatable mass, the inflatable mass being fluidly connected to a source of pressurized fluid to enable inflation of the inflatable mass
Implementation Method 2
one or more sensors are configured to monitor state properties of the fluid actuator
Implementation Method 3
the controller is configured to controllably inflate the inflatable mass based at least on feedback from the one or more sensors to cause the fluid actuator to impact an object, and the controller is configured to control the inflation of the inflatable mass to adjust one or more parameters of the fluid actuator to maintain a force exerted by the fluid actuator on the object to within a predetermined range
Data Source
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AI summary
An amusement park attraction includes an attraction feature. The attraction feature includes a fluid actuator having an inflatable mass, the inflatable mass being fluidly connected to a source of pressurized fluid to enable inflation of the inflatable mass. Fluid control devices are configured to adjust inflation of the inflatable mass, and sensors are configured to monitor state properties of the fluid actuator. A controller is communicatively coupled to the fluid control devices and the sensors. The controller is configured to controllably inflate the inflatable mass based at least on feedback from the sensors to cause the fluid actuator to impact an object. The controller is configured to control the inflation of the inflatable mass to adjust parameters of the fluid actuator to maintain a force exerted by the fluid actuator on the object to within a predetermined range.