VR Avatar Control for Haunted Attraction Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
The themed attraction industry, particularly haunted attractions, faces challenges in maintaining social distancing and reducing viral transmission risks due to the need for multiple scare actors to interact closely with guests, while also providing immersive experiences that traditional animatronics or virtual solutions cannot match in terms of human interaction and scare effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The use of networked computer technology enables a single actor to control multiple avatars in a virtual or augmented reality environment, allowing them to interact with guests across different locations within a maze-like setting, using VR or AR headsets and motion capture technology to create immersive and dynamic interactions, including scare scenarios, while minimizing physical contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple scare actors are used to interact closely with guests in haunted attractions, then the scare effectiveness and human interaction quality are improved, but the risk of viral transmission increases due to close contact requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses virtual reality avatars as copies of scare actors to interact with guests. Instead of multiple physical actors, a single actor can control multiple digital representations that appear to be separate entities, maintaining scare effectiveness while eliminating the need for physical close contact between multiple actors and guests
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual reality system acts as an intermediary between the scare actor and the guests. The actor interacts with the virtual environment and avatars, which then interact with guests, creating a buffer that allows effective scare interactions without direct physical contact that would transmit viruses
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional animatronics are used instead of human actors, then viral transmission risk is reduced, but the human interaction quality and scare effectiveness decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of human actors through VR avatars that can express emotions, move, and interact in ways that traditional animatronics cannot. These digital representations maintain the authenticity of human interaction while eliminating physical contact risks
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical animatronics with software-based virtual reality avatars. Instead of complex mechanical systems with limited expressiveness, the system uses programmable digital characters controlled by human actors, achieving both safety and high-quality human interaction
3Productivity
If a single actor controls multiple avatars in virtual reality, then personnel requirements are reduced and safety is improved, but the complexity of the technology infrastructure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual reality platform serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the control interface for the actor, the rendering engine for multiple avatars, the communication bridge to guests, and the tracking system for motion capture. This consolidation of multiple functions into a single system manages complexity while achieving high personnel efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods according to present principles allow haptic forces and effects to be effectively combined and employed in virtual worlds and interactions, in order to allow the enjoyment of the same in various circumstances.