Decouable VR Headset Screen for Amusement Park Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional virtual reality amusement attractions face challenges in sanitizing headgear systems, leading to decreased throughput and increased operational costs due to the difficulty in cleaning and sanitizing headsets between user experiences.
Innovation Solution
A decouable head-mounted display system where the viewing screen is detachable from the headgear piece, allowing for remote cleaning and sanitization, with a tether providing power and data, and using magnets or mechanical fasteners for secure attachment, enabling quicker turnaround and reduced cleaning time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional VR headset with permanently housed screen and elastic headband is used, then the virtual reality experience is provided, but the sanitization time increases and throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The VR headset is divided into separable components: a reusable headgear piece and a removable viewing screen assembly. This segmentation allows the viewing screen to be detached for efficient sanitization while the headgear piece can be quickly prepared for the next user, thereby maintaining experience quality while improving throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The viewing screen is extracted from the permanent enclosure and made removable from the headgear piece. This extraction enables the screen to be taken out for dedicated sanitization processes without requiring disassembly of the entire headset, reducing sanitization time and increasing attraction throughput.
2Productivity
If additional VR headset sets are purchased to increase throughput, then the sanitization bottleneck is resolved, but the cost per user and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the headset into reusable headgear and removable screens, the system allows rapid turnover of headgear pieces while screens are sanitized remotely. This eliminates the need for multiple complete headset sets, reducing equipment investment and operational costs while maintaining high throughput.
3Device complexity
If the viewing screen is permanently housed in the headgear enclosure, then the structure is simple, but the cleaning and sanitization process becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The viewing screen is separated from the headgear enclosure as a removable component. This segmentation maintains structural simplicity while enabling easy removal for sanitization, making the cleaning process straightforward and time-efficient without requiring complex disassembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The viewing screen is extracted from the permanent housing and designed to be easily removed from the headgear piece. This extraction simplifies the sanitization process by allowing direct access to the screen surface for cleaning, eliminating the need to disassemble the entire headset structure.
4Ease of operation
If elastic headband is used to affix headgear to patron's head, then the attachment is functional, but the reattachment time after sanitization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The headgear system is segmented into the headgear piece and viewing screen assembly that can be quickly reconnected. This segmentation allows the headgear piece to be prepared independently while the screen is sanitized, enabling rapid reattachment and reducing reset time between users.
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
The system increases hourly capacity by reducing sanitization time and lowering operational costs through efficient cleaning and sanitization processes, allowing for more rapid reuse of headgear pieces.
Implementation Method 1
The viewing screen is detachably coupled to the headgear piece using magnets or mechanical fasteners
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing virtual reality imagery to a rider of an amusement attraction, the system having a headgear piece for securing a viewing screen to a head of the rider. The rider rides upon an actuated motion base that moves the viewing screen behind the user until a lap bar is secured over the user's lap.