Systems and Methods for a Multi-Degree of Freedom Ride Vehicle

This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/394,694, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A MULTI-DEGREE OF FREEDOM RIDE VEHICLE,” filed on Aug. 5, 2021, which claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/218,657, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A MULTI-DEGREE OF FREEDOM RIDE VEHICLE,” filed Jul. 6, 2021, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

The present disclosure relates generally to amusement park-style rides, and more specifically to systems and methods for ride vehicle motion control in amusement park-style rides via a multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) motion base system.

Amusement park-style rides may include ride vehicles that carry passengers along a ride path, for example, defined by a track. Over the course of the ride, the vehicle ride path may include a number of features, including tunnels, turns, ups, downs, loops, and so forth. The direction of travel of the ride vehicle may be defined by the vehicle ride path, as rollers of the ride vehicle may contact the tracks or other features defining the vehicle ride path. An amusement park-style ride may also include a motion base (e.g., a Stewart platform) that may cause movement of a ride vehicle or cabin in various directions (e.g., six or more degrees-of-freedom). A motion base may be employed with visual effects to increase immersion in the experience and enhance riders' perception of motion. Some amusement park-style rides may include a combination of ride path interactions and motion base interactions. It is now recognized that improvements to ride system interaction systems and methods are desirable to provide better and more immersive ride experiences.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the originally claimed subject matter are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter, but rather these embodiments are intended only to provide a brief summary of possible forms of the subject matter. Indeed, the subject matter may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below.

In an embodiment, a ride vehicle includes a chassis, a cabin, and a motion base disposed between the chassis and the cabin and configured to control six or more degree-of-freedom (DOF) motion of the cabin relative to the chassis. The motion base includes a turntable configured to rotate and a plurality of actuators configured to rotate, extend, or retract.

In an embodiment, a method to control six or more degrees-of-freedom (DOF) motion of a ride vehicle includes receiving, via a processor of a control system, sensor data from an internal sensor assembly and an external sensor assembly associated with the ride vehicle. The method includes determining, via the processor, internal parameters and external parameters of the ride vehicle based on the sensor data. The method includes instructing, via the processor, a motion base of the ride vehicle to actuate and control the six or more DOF motion of the ride vehicle as it travels along a ride path based on the internal parameters and the external parameters, wherein the motion base is disposed between a cabin of the ride vehicle and a chassis of the ride vehicle, and wherein the motion base comprises a turntable and a plurality of actuators.

In an embodiment, a ride system includes a ride vehicle and an external sensor assembly disposed along a ride path and configured to measure external parameters. The ride vehicle includes an internal sensor assembly configured to measure internal parameters, a chassis, a cabin, and a motion base disposed between the chassis and the cabin, such that the motion base includes a turntable and a plurality of actuators. The ride vehicle also includes a controller that instructs (i) the turntable to rotate and (ii) the plurality of actuators to rotate, extend, or retract, to control six or more degree-of-freedom (DOF) motion of the cabin relative to the chassis, such that the controller is configured to instruct the turntable and the plurality of actuators based on the external parameters, the internal parameters, or both.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. To facilitate illustration, certain features are amplified or reduced in size, such that aspects of the illustrated embodiments may not be drawn to scale. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

While the following discussion is generally provided in the context of amusement park-style rides that may include a ride vehicle that includes a motion base configured to achieve six degrees-of-freedom (DOF) motion, it should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to such entertainment contexts. Indeed, the provision of examples and explanations in such an entertainment application is to facilitate explanation by providing instances of real-world implementations and applications. As such, it should be appreciated that the embodiments disclosed herein may be useful in other contexts, such as transportation systems (e.g., train systems, building and floor connecting systems), space exploration systems, and/or other industrial, commercial, and/or recreational human transportation systems, to name a few.

Amusement park-style rides may include a separate motion base that is separate from the ride vehicle. The separate motion base may move along a respective motion base ride path, which may intersect the vehicle ride path, or may be positioned at a fixed location along the ride path and operable to engage the ride vehicle. In these approaches, the ride vehicle may disconnect from the vehicle ride path, couple to the separate motion base, and then be transported via the separate motion base through a series of movements (e.g., pre-programmed movements) and/or along the motion base ride path.

While traveling on the vehicle ride path, passengers may be able to observe the separate motion base positioned along the ride path or traveling along the motion base ride path and thus are able to anticipate a change in motion (e.g., from the vehicle ride path to the motion base ride path), thereby reducing the overall thrill and excitement experienced by the passengers. Further, movements may be predictable for repeat riders. That is, approaches employing motion bases may be devoid of the thrill associated with unexpected motion that may defy the perception and expectations of passengers. Moreover, approaches employing separate tracks for the ride vehicle and the motion base may require a larger amusement park space to accommodate the additional track and features. Accordingly, while it may be desirable to employ a separate motion base in association with a ride vehicle, certain motion-based amusement park-style rides may fail to provide a level of thrill and excitement that defies the perception and anticipated motion of passengers.

With the forgoing in mind, present embodiments include systems and methods for controlling motion of a ride vehicle operating within a ride system. For example, ride systems, such as an amusement park-style ride, may include one or more ride vehicles that carry passengers along a ride path, for example, defined by a track. Over the course of the ride, the ride path may include a number of features, including tunnels, turns, ups, downs, loops, and so forth. The direction of travel of the ride vehicle may be defined by the ride path, for example, as rollers of the ride vehicle may be in constant contact with the tracks defining the ride path. The ride vehicle may also incorporate a motion base that travels along the ride path. It may be desirable to control ride vehicle motion along six degrees-of-freedom (DOF), using the motion base in conjunction with the ride path, based on “internal data” and “external data,” for example, to enhance thrill along the ride path.

As used herein, “internal data” may refer to sensor data (e.g., real-time sensor data) that may be communicated to a control system and used to determine internal parameters (e.g., real-time internal parameters) associated with the ride vehicle. The internal sensor assembly may be mounted on or within the ride vehicle or may be mounted external to the ride vehicle. The internal sensor assembly may determine and/or measure internal parameters based on the internal data. Internal data may include sensor signals processed to determine a position, orientation, velocity (e.g., linear and/or rotational), acceleration (e.g., linear and/or rotational), jerk (e.g., linear and/or rotational), and/or other suitable internal parameters, associated with the ride vehicle.

As used herein, “external data” may refer to sensor data (e.g., real-time sensor data) that may be communicated to a control system and used to determine external parameters (e.g., real-time external parameters) associated with the ride vehicle. The external sensor assembly may be mounted external to the ride vehicle or may be mounted within or onboard the ride vehicle. The external sensor assembly may determine and/or measure external parameters based on the external data. The external data may include sensor signals processed to determine motion of a show element (e.g., an animated figure, an off board character, and the like), lighting parameters, speech parameters, wind parameters (e.g., velocity of wind), terrain texture, time stamp(s), and/or any suitable environmental parameters (e.g., humidity levels, rain conditions, air moisture, and so forth).

In either case, the internal data and/or the external data may change based on inputs (such that the inputs may be considered internal data) received from a passenger or based on a trajectory associated with a ride system in which the ride vehicle operates. For example, a ride vehicle may include an accelerator pedal that a passenger may depress to increase or decrease a speed of the ride vehicle. In this manner, a velocity (e.g., internal parameter) of the ride vehicle may change (e.g., based on internal data). As another example, a ride system may include a user input device, such as a plurality of targets (e.g., disposed along a ride path) that a user may engage (e.g., by way of a pointer device) to alter the lighting (e.g., external data) of the ride path. In this manner, lighting parameters (e.g., based on external data) associated with the ride vehicle may change. As used herein, “sensor data” may refer to both “internal data” and “external data.”

A control system may receive the internal data and/or the external data to determine internal parameters and/or external parameters used to compute or determine a state of the ride system or ride vehicle. As used herein a “state” may refer to a set of variables that are used to describe a model (e.g., a mathematical model) indicative of a dynamical system. In the context of control systems, a state may be used to describe enough about a system (e.g., a cabin of the ride vehicle) to determine future behavior (e.g., physical positioning relative to time) in the absence of any external forces affecting the system. To that end, a control algorithm may be applied to a “current state” to achieve a future “target state.” Example control algorithms include a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, proportional-derivative (PD) controller, linear-quadratic regulator, and/or any other suitable control technique that may employ real-time (or near real-time) feedback loops to achieve target states.

In accordance with certain embodiments of systems and methods disclosed herein, the ride vehicle may include a motion base that moves with (e.g., is fixed to) the ride vehicle to achieve the six DOF motion discussed herein. Further, present embodiments may coordinate movement along the ride path and operation of the motion base to achieve desired motion profiles. For example, movement along the ride path may be accounted for in movement of the motion base to achieve results that are surprising or thrilling for passengers. Further, sensor data may also be taken into account for generating such motion profiles using the motion base in combination with the movement along the ride path.

In accordance with certain embodiments of systems and methods disclosed herein, the motion base may be positioned between a chassis of the ride vehicle and a cabin that houses or encloses (e.g., fully or partially encloses) one or more ride passengers of the ride vehicle. The motion base may include a turntable and/or actuators that are communicatively coupled to a control system that may instruct the turntable and/or the plurality of actuators to actuate based on the external parameters and/or the internal parameters. In this manner, a control system may instruct the turntable and/or the actuators to actuate, thereby controlling a positon, velocity, and/or acceleration of the cabin relative to the chassis along or about each of three orthogonal axis, as discussed below. Accordingly, actuation of the turntable and/or actuators may provide a wide range of control (e.g., along six DOF) of a cabin of a ride vehicle, for example, to reduce, eliminate, or enhance certain forces applied to a cabin housing ride passengers, thereby enhancing thrill by defying expectations of ride passengers.

To help illustrate,is a block diagram of an embodiment of various components of an amusement park, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The amusement parkmay include a ride system, which may include a ride paththat receives and guides a ride vehicle, for example, by engaging with tires or rollers of the ride vehicle, and facilitates movement of the ride vehicle(e.g., through an attraction). In this manner, the ride pathmay define a trajectory and direction of travel that may include turns, inclines, declines, ups, downs, banks, loops, and the like. In an embodiment, the ride vehiclemay be passively driven or actively driven via a pneumatic system, a motor system, a tire drive system, a roller system, fins coupled to an electromagnetic drive system, a catapult system, and the like. For example, the ride vehiclemay include any suitable drive mechanisms and/or motion enabling features, such as actively-driven or passively-driven tires, tracks, or actuatable components. In an embodiment, the ride pathmay include any suitable surface.

The ride pathmay receive more than one ride vehicle. The ride vehiclesmay be separate from one another, such that each ride vehicleis independently controlled, as discussed below with respect to, or the ride vehiclesmay be coupled to one another via any suitable linkage, such that motion of the ride vehiclesis coupled or linked. For example, the front portion of one ride vehiclemay be coupled to a rear portion of another ride vehicle. Each ride vehiclein these and other configurations may hold one or more passengers, for example, in a cabin. The cabinmay partially or fully enclose or house one or more passengers.

The ride vehiclemay include a motion base, which may include one or more actuators, turntables, or any suitable experience-enhancing motion-based device configured to execute thrill-enhancing motion of the cabinhousing the passenger relative to a chassisof the ride vehicle. In an embodiment, the motion baseis fixed to (e.g., non-removable from) the ride vehicleduring operation of the ride vehicle. The motion basemay be positioned between the cabinand the chassis. For example, the actuators, the turntable, or both, of the motion basemay be rotatably or movably coupled to the chassis, the cabin, or both. In this manner, actuation of the actuatorsand the turntablemay control six DOF of the cabinrelative to the chassisor ride pathto provide a wider range of control than available using traditional ride vehicle devices. Thus, a state of the cabin(e.g., the motion of the cabinrelative to the ride path) may be different than a state of the chassis(e.g., the motion of the chassisrelative to the ride path). It should be understood that the motion basemay include any suitable motion enhancing feature, such as a haptic device configured to cause the cabinto vibrate to any suitable frequency.

In an embodiment, the motion basemay be removable from the ride vehicle. For example, off board equipment may couple to the motion baseto remove the motion basefrom ride vehicle. The off board equipment may be driven by tire drives, linear synchronization motors (LSMs), linear induction motors (LIMs), and the like, on a respective off board ride path separate from or the same as the ride pathto supply power to the off board equipment to transport the decoupled motion basefrom the ride vehicle. In an embodiment, the motion basemay include a locking mechanism to couple and decouple to the ride vehicle. When the motion baseis decoupled from the ride vehicle, the cabinmay be fixed to the chassis.

The chassismay support a power source, a motor, a pneumatic driving system, an electrical system, the cabin, and the like. The power sourcemay include any suitable powering device, such as a battery (e.g., 200 kWh battery), a bus bar slip device, a flywheel generator, ultra-capacitors, or any combination thereof. In an embodiment, the power sourcemay include an inductive charge device (e.g., split transformer) that generates charge through an air gap.

The chassismay support the load of the various components of the ride vehicleand the ride passengers. Furthermore, the chassismay support the motion base(e.g., the actuatorsand the turntable), which may be positioned between the chassisand the cabin. In an embodiment, the turntablemay be rigidly coupled to the cabin, such that rotation of the turntable, in response to control instructions, results in a similar rotation of the cabinrelative to the chassisto further enhance the ride experience. For example, the turntablemay allow the cabinto rotate relative to the chassisabout a yaw axis, as discussed below.

The chassismay support the actuators, which may be positioned between the chassisand the cabin. In an embodiment, the actuatorsmay be integral to (e.g., positioned and fixed onto) the turntable. For example, a first end of the actuatorsmay couple to the turntable, while a second end of the actuators may couple to (e.g., an underside of) the cabin. The actuatorsmay allow the cabinto rotate about or translate/displace along a roll axis, a pitch axis, and/or a yaw axis, in accordance with the control instructions, as discussed below. For example, the actuatorsmay include linear actuators, rotary actuators, hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators, electric actuators, thermal and/or magnetic actuators, supercoiled polymer actuators, or any suitable devices configured to displace to control motion (e.g., of the cabinrelative to the chassisor ride path). Furthermore, the motion basemay enable the cabinto move relative to the chassisin any suitable direction. To this end, the motion basemay enable the cabinto rotate about or vibrate along a yaw axis, a pitch axis, or a roll axis. In this manner, the motion basemay enable six DOF motion of the cabinrelative to the chassis.

Furthermore, the ride vehiclemay include one or more internal sensor assembliesconfigured to determine and/or measure internal data to determine internal parameters of the ride vehicle. The internal sensor assemblymay be positioned and fixed on board the ride vehicleor may be positioned external to the ride vehicle. The internal sensor assemblymay be communicatively coupled to a control system, as discussed in detail below. The internal data may include data (e.g., sensor signals) indicative of a position, orientation, velocity (e.g., linear and/or rotational), acceleration (e.g., linear and/or rotational), jerk (e.g., linear and/or rotational), and so forth, associated with the ride vehicle.

For example, the internal sensor assemblymay include an infrared sensor or any suitable sensor used to determine a position, velocity, and acceleration of the ride vehiclealong or about the roll axis, the pitch axis, or the yaw axis, as discussed below. The sensor assemblymay include an orientation sensor, such as a gyroscope and/or accelerometer, configured to provide feedback for use in determining motion of any portion of the ride vehicle(e.g., the cabin), such as linear motion along and rotation motion about three orthogonal axes of the ride vehicle.

The ride vehiclemay include roller assemblies, which may include one or more rollers that engage with the tracks defining the ride path. For example, the roller assembliesmay include running rollers or actively-driven rollers to drive and/or guide motion of the ride vehiclealong the ride path, up-stop rollers that couple to the underside of the tracks, side friction rollers that couple to the side of the tracks, or any combination thereof.

Furthermore, the ride systemmay include one or more external sensor assembliesconfigured to determine and/or measure external data to determine external parameters of the ride vehicle. Although illustrated external to the ride vehiclein, in an embodiment, the external sensor assemblymay be positioned and fixed onboard the ride vehicle. In an embodiment, the external sensor assemblymay be positioned external to the ride vehicle. The external sensor assemblymay be communicatively coupled to a control system, as discussed in detail below. The external data may include an indication of motion of a show element (e.g., an animated figure, an off board character, and the like), lighting parameters, speech parameters, environmental parameters (e.g., humidity levels, rain conditions, air moisture, and so forth), wind parameters (e.g., velocity of wind), terrain texture, a time stamp, and so forth.

For example, the external sensor assemblymay include any suitable sensor to determine the external parameters and/or determine any inputs from a passenger or ride system personnel. The external sensor assemblymay include a light sensor configured to measure and/or determine any suitable lighting properties (e.g., brightness, grayscale, hue, and light energy). The external sensor assemblymay include a microphone or other sound detection device to measure and/or determine speech patterns or sounds. The external sensor assemblymay include haptic sensors configured to measure vibrations or pressures, for example, associated with a terrain on which a ride vehiclemay operate. The external sensor assemblymay include a timing device to measure and/or determine a timing or duration of the operation of the ride vehicle(e.g., measured from start to finish of the operation of the ride vehicle).

The amusement parkmay include a control systemthat is communicatively coupled (e.g., via wired or wireless features, such as transceivers) to the ride vehicle, the internal sensor assembly, the external sensor assembly, and/or the features associated with the ride system. In an embodiment, the amusement parkmay include more than one control system. For example, the amusement parkmay include one control systemassociated with the ride vehicle, another control systemassociated with the ride path, a base station control system, and the like. Further, the control systemsmay be communicatively coupled to one another (e.g., via respective transceiver or wired connections). In an embodiment, the control systemmay be part of (e.g., physically located on or within) the ride systemor specific aspects of the ride system(e.g., the ride vehicle).

The control systemmay control various aspects of the amusement park. For example, in some portions of the ride path, the control systemmay control or adjust the direction of travel, velocity, and acceleration of the ride vehicle. The control systemmay receive sensor data (e.g., from the internal sensor assemblyand the external sensor assembly) to determine internal parameters and external parameters used to determine a current state of the ride vehicle. The control system may apply a control algorithm (e.g., as described with respect to) to components of the ride vehicleand ride systemto achieve a target state of the cabinand/or ride vehicle. For example, the control systemmay apply a control algorithm and send respective control signals (e.g., instructions) to the actuatorsand/or the turntableto actuate the motion basebased on the internal parameters, the external parameters, or both to achieve a target state of the ride vehicle(e.g., different from the current state of the ride vehicle).

The control systemmay include memory circuitryand processing circuitry, such as a microprocessor. The control systemmay also include one or more storage devicesand/or other suitable components. The processing circuitrymay be used to execute software, such as software stored on the memory circuitry, to control the ride vehicle(s)and any components associated with the ride vehicle(e.g., the cabin, the motion base, the actuators, and/or the turntable). Moreover, the processing circuitrymay include multiple microprocessors, one or more “general-purpose” microprocessors, one or more special-purpose microprocessors, and/or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or some combination thereof. For example, the processing circuitrymay include one or more reduced instruction set (RISC) processors.

The memory circuitrymay include a volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM), and/or a nonvolatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM). The memory circuitrymay store a variety of information and may be used for various purposes. For example, the memory circuitrymay store processor-executable instructions (e.g., firmware or software) for the processing circuitryto execute, such as instructions for controlling components of the ride system. The instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, may cause the processing circuitryto control motion of the cabinby actuating the actuators, the turntable, or any suitable component to drive motion of the cabinrelative to the chassisto subject the passengers to thrill-enhancing motions that may further enhance the overall ride experience by subjecting the passenger to unexpected forces or reducing forces expected by the passengers. For example, the instructions may cause the processing circuitryto instruct the actuatorsto displace and/or accelerate a point on the cabin when the ride vehicle conducts a turn to reduce or eliminate gravitational forces (G-forces) associated with conducting the turn.

The storage device(s)(e.g., nonvolatile storage) may include ROM, flash memory, a hard drive, or any other suitable optical, magnetic, or solid-state storage medium, or a combination thereof. The storage device(s)may store ride system data (e.g., passenger information, data associated with the amusement park, data associated with a ride path trajectory), instructions (e.g., software or firmware for controlling the cabin, the motion base, the actuators, the turntable, and/or the ride vehicle), and/or any other suitable information.

The ride systemmay additionally or alternatively include a ride environment, which may include multiple and differing combinations of environments. The ride environmentmay correspond to the type of ride (e.g., dark ride, water coaster, roller coaster, virtual reality [V/R] experience, or any combination thereof) and/or associated characteristics (e.g., theming) of the type of ride. For example, the ride environmentmay include aspects of the ride systemthat add to the overall theming and/or experience associated with the ride system. The internal sensor assemblyand/or the external sensor assemblymay measure and communicate to the control systeminternal and/or external parameters associated with the ride environment.

The ride systemmay additionally or alternatively include a motion-based environment, in which the passengers are transported or moved by the ride system. For example, the motion-based environmentmay include a flat ride(e.g., a ride that moves passengers substantially within a plane that is generally aligned with the ground, such as by the ride vehicletraveling along the ride path). In an embodiment, the flat ridemay include turns, the effects of which may be distorted by the motion base, for example, by reducing or enhancing the G-forces the cabinmay be subject to by the ride vehicleturning. Additionally or alternatively, the motion-based environmentmay include a gravity ride(e.g., a ride system where motion of the ride vehiclehas at least a component along the gravity vector, such as when the ride vehiclerides up a hilled path or down a hilled path). Additionally or alternatively, the motion-based environmentmay include a vertical ride(e.g., a ride that displaces passengers in a vertical plane).

The ride systemmay additionally or alternatively include what may be referred to as a fixed base environmentor motionless environment, in which the passengers are not substantially transported or displaced by the ride system. In this case, the term “motionless” refers to a substantial lack of motion and not necessarily a complete absence of motion. For example, the fixed base environmentmay include a virtual reality (V/R) feature(e.g., the passenger may sit in a seat in the cabinthat vibrates based on control signals received by the actuatorsor turntable, or remains stationary while wearing a virtual reality (V/R) headset displaying a V/R environment or experience) and/or a different kind of simulation. In an embodiment, the ride vehiclemay come to a stop along the ride path, such that the ride experience may include aspects of the fixed base environmentfor a portion of the duration of the ride experience. While the fixed base environmentmay not substantially displace the passenger, V/R and/or simulation effects may modify the perception of the passenger, which may be enhanced and contrasted by motion-based distortion provided by the motion base. To that end, it should be understood the ride systemmay include both motion-based and fixed base environmentsand, which make the motion basea desirable feature, at least for enhancing the ride experience by enabling six DOF control of a structure (e.g., cabin) partially or fully enclosing a ride passenger.

is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the ride system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The ride systemmay include multiple ride vehiclescoupled together via a linkage to join passengersriding in corresponding ride vehiclesin a common ride experience. In an embodiment, the ride vehiclesmay be decoupled from one another, and may move independently of one another instead of together, for example, along respective and/or separate ride paths. In another embodiment, the ride vehiclesmay move as sets. The ride vehiclesmay each include a motion basethat includes the actuatorsand the turntable.

The control systemmay receive sensor data (e.g., internal data from the internal sensor assemblyand external data from the external sensor assembly) to determine internal parameters and/or external parameters based on the sensor data. The control system may determine a target state of the ride vehicle. Based on the internal and/or external parameters, the control systemmay instruct the actuatorsand the turntableto actuate to cause the cabin to achieve a target state. In one embodiment, the ride pathmay include one or more turns, such that the ride vehicleconducting the turn would typically result in a centripetal force (e.g., G-forces) being exerted on the cabin. The initiation of the turn may be detected by the control system(e.g., by way of sensor data from the sensor assemblies,), which may instruct the turntableand actuatorsto actuate in such a manner that the centripetal force associated with executing the turn is eliminated, for example, by an opposite force of an equal magnitude on the cabin. Similarly, forces associated with other ride vehicle trajectories, such as rising up hilled tracks, lowering from hilled tracks, vibrations associated with bumpy tracks, and so forth, may be reduced or enhanced by way of the control systeminstructing the motion base, the actuators, the turntable, or any other component of the ride vehicleor ride systemto accelerate in such a manner that an opposite force of equal magnitude is applied to the cabin. Thus, present embodiments may allow users (e.g., the passengers) to define aspects of the ride experience (e.g., intense or mild movement) while utilizing the same fixed ride pathas different users that have a different ride experience. In an embodiment, users may dynamically change the nature of the ride experience during the ride experience. For example, if G-forces seem too high, a passenger may request lower G-forces (e.g., by way of interacting with any suitable user input device, such as a screen, a button, microphone, and the like) while on the ride and continuing along the same fixed ride path.

is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a ride vehicleoperating in the ride systemof, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. To facilitate discussion,includes a coordinate systemincluding a roll axis, a pitch axis, and a yaw axis, such that rollmay be defined as rotation about the roll axis, pitchmay be defined as rotation about the pitch axis, and yawmay be defined as rotation about the yaw axis. The yaw axismay be oriented along a gravity vector. The roll axis, the pitch axis, and the yaw axisare orthogonal to one another.

In an embodiment, the ride vehicleincludes the cabinsupported by the chassis. The ride vehiclemay include a roller assemblyconfigured to contact the ride pathto control motion of the ride vehiclealong the ride path. As discussed above, the ride vehiclemay include a motion baseconfigured to control six DOF motion of the cabinrelative to the chassis. The motion basemay be positioned between the cabinand the chassis. The motion basemay include the actuatorsand the turntable, and be communicatively coupled to the control system.

The motion basemay include any suitable number of actuatorsand or turntables. The motion basemay include six actuatorsarranged as a hexapod, the motion basemay include eight actuatorsarranged as an octapod, or the like. For example, as illustrated, the actuatorsmay be actuatably coupled to the underside of the cabinand the top portion of the turntableor the chassis. In an embodiment, the at least one actuatormay include a first end coupled to an end of the top portion of the turntableor the chassisand a second end coupled to an end of the underside of the cabin, such that the end of the top portion of the turntableor the chassisis opposite the end of the underside of the cabin.

The ride systemmay include the internal sensor assemblyconfigured to determine and/or measure internal data indicative of internal parameters of the ride vehicle. The ride systemmay include the external sensor assemblyconfigured to determine and/or measure external data indicative of external parameters of the ride vehicle. For example, the internal parameters of the ride vehiclemay include a cabin heightand a chassis height. As used herein, “cabin height”may refer to a difference in distance between a target point (e.g., the top, the center of mass, and the like) on the chassisrelative to a target point (e.g., the bottom, the center of mass, and the like) on the cabin. As used herein, “chassis height”may refer to a position of the chassis relative to a ground level. The control systemmay be communicatively coupled to the internal sensor assemblyand the external sensor assembly. The control systemmay control motion of the ride vehicleand motion basebased at least on the cabin heightand/or the chassis height.

The actuators, the turntable, or both, of the motion basemay be rotatably or movably coupled to the chassis, the cabin, or both. In this manner, actuation of the actuatorsand the turntablemay control six DOF of the cabinrelative to the chassisto provide a wider range of control than available using traditional ride vehicles. For example, the control systemmay instruct the actuatorsto displace (e.g., vertically displace along the length of the actuator, rotate about a contact point, or both) to control motion of the cabinrelative to the chassis. For example, the control systemmay cause the actuatorsto be displaced such that the cabinmoves relative to the chassisabout or along the roll axis, the pitch axis, and/or the yaw axis. Actuation of the actuatorsand/or the turntablemay be based on internal parameters such as the cabin heightand/or the chassis heightor external parameters such as a ride passenger's interaction with features along the ride path.

is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a ride vehicleoperating in the ride systemof, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The embodiment illustrated indiffers from the embodiment inin that the ride vehicleofincludes vertically oriented actuators, for example, which may be positioned at or near the corners of the cabin. In addition,includes a stabilizing member, such as a ball-joint, that couples a central portionof the cabinto the chassis. The central portionmay be positioned on an underside (i.e., the side of the cabinfacing the ride pathand/or the chassis) of the cabin, such that the stabilizing membermay couple the chassisto a central portionon the underside of the cabin. In the context of the stabilizing memberbeing a ball-joint, the ball-joint may reduce the stress exerted on the vertically oriented actuators.

In an embodiment, the stabilizing memberis rotatably coupled to the cabin(e.g., central portion) and rigidly coupled to the chassis, such that the control systemmay instruct the actuatorsto control motion of the cabinrelative to the chassisalong or about the roll axis, and/or along or about the pitch axis. In an embodiment, yaw rotation() about the yaw axismay be restricted based on the coupling between the cabinand the chassisby way of the stabilizing member. It should be understood that any suitable actuatable devices may be added or removed from the motion basefor any suitable design-based purpose. For example, in an embodiment, the turntablemay be omitted from the motion base, for example to save space and reduce the weight of the ride vehicle, such that yaw rotationabout the yaw axismay be restricted. Accordingly, in an embodiment, control of the motion basemay be along less than 6 DOF.

is flow diagram of a processfor controlling a ride vehicle() and a motion base() of the ride vehicleoperating in the ride system(), in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The processmay be implemented by the ride system. In a non-limiting embodiment, processor-based circuitry (e.g., the processorof) of the control system() may facilitate implementing the process. In an embodiment, the processmay be implemented independently by each ride vehicleof a plurality of ride vehicles. With the forgoing in mind, the control systemmay receive (process block) sensor data, such as the internal data, the external data, or both, described above. The control systemmay process the sensor data to (process block) determine internal parameters and/or external parameters based on the sensor data. The control systemmay determine (process block) a target state of the ride vehicle. The control systemmay instruct (process block) the actuators() and/or the turntableto actuate based on the internal parameters and/or the external parameters to achieve the target state.