Amusement Ride Path Inspection Vehicle Using Marker-Guided Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inspection of amusement park attraction paths is tedious, time-consuming, costly, and inefficient, often requiring multiple personnel and suspending operations, and is limited by environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
An inspection vehicle equipped with sensors and a controller to capture imagery and compare it with target data, determining path conditions and outputting control signals for maintenance, allowing continuous operation without suspending entertainment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual inspection methods are used to inspect the path, then inspection can be performed, but it is tedious, time-consuming, costly, and requires suspending operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection with an automated inspection vehicle that uses sensors (cameras, LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors) to detect and assess path conditions. The vehicle autonomously travels along the path, captures data, and transmits it to a control system for analysis, eliminating the need for human inspectors to physically examine the path manually.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection vehicle is designed to autonomously perform the entire inspection process without human intervention during operation. It self-navigates along the path using bogies that engage with the path structure, self-captures imagery and sensor data, and self-transmits information to the control system for automated analysis and reporting.
2Measurement precision
If manual inspection is performed, then path conditions can be assessed, but operations must be suspended and multiple personnel are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces multiple human inspectors with a single automated inspection vehicle equipped with multiple sensors including cameras, LIDAR, and ultrasonic sensors. These sensors capture comprehensive data about path conditions, structural integrity, and environmental factors, providing precise measurements without requiring human personnel to physically inspect each section.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection vehicle is designed as a multi-functional system that can detect various path conditions using different sensor types. It can assess structural integrity, identify surface defects, measure environmental conditions, and monitor path geometry all through a single integrated platform, making the inspection process more efficient and versatile.
3Reliability
If traditional inspection methods are used, then path inspection can be performed, but it is limited by environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces human sensory limitations with electronic sensors that are not affected by environmental conditions. Cameras capture imagery in various lighting conditions, LIDAR provides accurate distance measurements independent of visibility, and ultrasonic sensors detect structural anomalies regardless of ambient noise levels, enabling reliable inspection in diverse environmental settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection vehicle acts as an intermediary between the path and the control system, shielding the inspection process from environmental limitations. The vehicle's enclosed sensor platform protects sensitive equipment from weather conditions, while automated data transmission through communication modules ensures reliable data transfer regardless of environmental interference.
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
Accurately assesses path conditions, enabling efficient and continuous inspection without disrupting guest experience, improving path maintenance and system operation.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor configured to capture imagery of the path
Data Source
AI summary
An inspection vehicle for an attraction system of an amusement park includes one or more bogies configured to engage with a path of the attraction system, a sensor configured to capture imagery of the path, and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor. The controller is configured to receive data indicative of a detected marker, determine a path section at which the inspection vehicle is located based on the detected marker, determine target imagery associated with the path section, receive captured imagery from the sensor, and output a control signal in response to determining a difference between captured imagery received from the sensor and the target imagery is equal to or greater than a threshold value.