RFID Attraction Control for Real-Time Crowd and Maintenance Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Amusement parks face challenges in managing crowd control and wait times, leading to negative experiences for guests and increased maintenance needs due to higher guest traffic, which can deter repeat visits.
Innovation Solution
A crowd management system utilizing local and remote controllers, guest-associated devices, and sensors to monitor crowd metrics and distribute guests to reduce congestion and manage interactive equipment maintenance, including dynamic activation/deactivation of attractions and incentives for guest redistribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If additional attractions are added to increase park capacity, then the ability to handle more guests is improved, but wait times and crowd density do not decrease due to corresponding increase in attendance
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts attraction availability and guest routing based on real-time crowd metrics. Attractions are dynamically opened or closed, and guests are dynamically redirected to different attractions based on current crowd conditions, allowing the park to adapt to varying attendance levels and optimize wait times
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors crowd metrics such as queue lengths, wait times, and attraction utilization, then uses this feedback to make real-time adjustments to attraction operations and guest routing. This closed-loop control enables the system to respond to changing crowd patterns and maintain optimal performance
2Ease of operation
If crowd control measures are implemented to reduce wait times, then guest experience is improved, but system complexity increases due to need for real-time monitoring and dynamic control
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables attractions to self-regulate by automatically adjusting their operational status based on crowd metrics. The control system autonomously makes decisions about which attractions to open or close and how to route guests, reducing the need for manual intervention and simplifying operations despite the underlying complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The control system performs multiple functions including monitoring crowd metrics, determining optimal attraction configurations, routing guests, and coordinating maintenance operations. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single integrated system, the patent manages complexity while achieving comprehensive crowd control
3Productivity
If higher guest traffic is accommodated to increase revenue, then park capacity utilization is improved, but equipment maintenance requirements increase due to more frequent usage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary maintenance actions by proactively closing attractions for maintenance before equipment failures occur. By monitoring usage metrics and predicting when maintenance will be needed, the system schedules maintenance during periods of lower utilization, preventing reliability issues while maintaining high overall productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters of attractions based on real-time conditions, including adjusting usage intensity, modifying operational schedules, and temporarily closing attractions for maintenance. These parameter adjustments allow the system to balance high utilization with equipment reliability by preventing excessive wear and tear
Data Source
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AI summary
An attraction (148), comprising: a plurality of interactive equipment elements (147), wherein an individual interactive equipment element (147) of the plurality of interactive equipment elements (147) is configured to: detect an interaction between the guest device and the individual interactive equipment element (147); and read, via an RFID reader, an identification of a guest device in proximity to the individual interactive equipment element (147) during the interaction; and a controller (102) configured to: generate activation instructions to change an activity status of at least one of the plurality of interactive equipment elements (147) in response to the interaction between the guest device and the individual interactive equipment element (147).