Interactive amusement ride

Abstract

An amusement ride comprises at least one sensing system adapted to control motion of the amusement ride responsive to a non-tactile input from at least one rider. The non-tactile input comprises body motion of at least one rider. The body movement may be of the rider's arms, such as flapping of the rider's arms. The amusement ride includes at least one vehicle adapted to receive the rider. The vehicle may be a gondola suspended from an overhead rotatable retaining member and the motion of the amusement ride may be raising and lowering the gondola responsive to the rider's body motion.

1 . An amusement ride comprising at least one sensing system adapted to control motion of the amusement ride responsive to a non-tactile input from at least one rider. 
     
     
         2 . The amusement ride as in  claim 1 , wherein said non-tactile input comprises body motion of said at least one rider. 
     
     
         3 . The amusement ride as in  claim 2 , wherein said body motion comprises movement of said at least one rider's arms. 
     
     
         4 . The amusement ride as in  claim 3 , wherein a velocity of said motion of said amusement ride is related to a velocity and/or frequency of said movement of said at least one rider's arms. 
     
     
         5 . The amusement ride as in  claim 3 , wherein said movement of said at least one rider's arms comprises flapping. 
     
     
         6 . The amusement ride as in  claim 5 , wherein a velocity of said motion of said amusement ride is related to a frequency of said flapping. 
     
     
         7 . The amusement ride as in  claim 1 , wherein said sensing system communicates with a controller that controls said motion of said amusement ride. 
     
     
         8 . The amusement ride as in  claim 1 , wherein said amusement ride comprises at least one vehicle adapted to receive said at least one said rider and wherein said motion of said amusement ride comprises raising and lowering of said vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The amusement ride as in  claim 8 , wherein said vehicle is a gondola suspended from an overhead retaining member by at least three cables. 
     
     
         10 . The amusement ride as in  claim 9 , wherein said amusement ride includes a winch associated with each said gondola and wherein each said winch is adapted to raise and lower said associated gondola in response to input from said sensing system. 
     
     
         11 . The amusement ride as in  claim 10 , wherein said wherein said body motion comprises flapping of said at least one rider's arms. 
     
     
         12 . The amusement ride as in  claim 9 , wherein said overhead retaining member is rotatable about a vertical base or rotatable along with said vertical base. 
     
     
         13 . The amusement ride as in  claim 9 , wherein said overhead retaining member is rotatable about a vertical base and pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis. 
     
     
         14 . The amusement ride as in  claim 13 , wherein said overhead retaining member is in a pivoted position not parallel to the horizontal and each said gondola travels in a non-horizontal path 
     
     
         15 . The amusement ride as in  claim 10 , wherein each said winch is affixed to said overhead retaining member. 
     
     
         16 . The amusement ride as in  claim 10 , wherein each said winch is disposed below said overhead retaining member and connected to a pulley system that includes at least one wheel disposed on said overhead retaining member, each said winch coupled to a rotatable vertical base. 
     
     
         17 . The amusement ride as in  claim 1 , wherein said sensing system comprises at least a camera mounted on or over a gondola adapted to receive said at least one said rider, said camera adapted to detect image data based on said non-tactile input. 
     
     
         18 . The amusement ride as in  claim 17 , wherein said camera comprises a stereo camera, said non-tactile input comprises movement of a body part of said at least one rider and said camera is adapted to provide detection information to a process controller, said detection information comprising at least motion of a plurality of points on said at least one rider's arms based on said detected image data, said plurality of points on said at least one rider's arms comprise at least said rider's wrist and elbow. 
     
     
         19 . The amusement ride as in  claim 1 , wherein said non-tactile input comprises movement of said at least one rider's legs. 
     
     
         20 . The amusement ride as in  claim 1 , wherein said non-tactile input comprises rotation of arms of said at least one rider. 
     
     
         21 . The amusement ride as in  claim 1 , wherein said sensing system comprises at least a laser sensor or a lidar sensor. 
     
     
         22 . An amusement ride comprising at least one sensing system not involving physical touching that interprets bodily movements of a rider to control motion of the amusement ride. 
     
     
         23 . A method for controlling an amusement ride, said method comprising:
 a sensing system detecting movement of a body part of at least one rider in a vehicle of said amusement ride;   said sensing system communicating with a controller of a control system; and   said controller controlling motion of said amusement ride based upon said detected movement of said body part, as sensed by said sensing system.   
     
     
         24 . The method as in  claim 23 , wherein said sensing system includes an optical sensor. 
     
     
         25 . The method as in  claim 23 , wherein said sensing system receives non-haptic input. 
     
     
         26 . The method as in  claim 23 , wherein said vehicle comprises a gondola and said controller controlling motion of said amusement ride comprises at least one of raising and lowering said gondola. 
     
     
         27 . The method as in  claim 26 , wherein said raising and lowering said gondola is controlled by a winch, responsive to said controller. 
     
     
         28 . The method as in  claim 23 , wherein a velocity of said motion of said amusement ride is related to a velocity and/or a frequency of said movement of said body part, and wherein said movement of said body part comprises flapping of arms of said at least one rider. 
     
     
         29 . The method as in  claim 28  wherein a velocity of said motion is related to a frequency of said flapping. 
     
     
         30 . The method as in  claim 23 , wherein said sensing system communicating with a controller of said control system comprises said sensing system delivering image data based on said detected motion, to said controller.