New Disney patent suggests rider emotions could alter attractions in the future

in Disney, Theme Parks

A new Disney patent suggests that emotions and preferences could alter ride experiences in the future. The patent, “Sensing and Managing Vehicle Based on Occupant Awareness,” addresses technology that can respond to emotional cues or established interests of the rider and customize the experience to make it more enjoyable for him/her.

The patent mentions a couple means by which these goals could be accomplished. Vehicles fitted with cameras are suggested as a possibility for reading facial expressions to determine boredom, fear, and glee. Wearable ID devices are also brought up–like MagicBands–most likely to serve as a data resource for preferences listed on individual guest profiles. With technology like this, the patent suggests that the ride experience could be altered to best suit the individual. Actual vehicle paths might be modified. Speed could be increased or decreased. Display scenery could be adapted, and movement like spinning or jerking might be subdued. Indeed, the entire purpose of the attraction could accommodate riders depending on whether they wanted to interact with the attraction or have a more passive experience.

Occupant Awareness Patent

The patent states:

The technology would allow rides to adjust show content appropriate for pre-teens, teenagers or adults; or for thrill-seeking and non thrill-seeking passengers. The control system may also operate the vehicle to address (e.g. even solve in some cases) motion sickness issues for passengers such as by adjusting speed or movement patterns of a vehicle. [Through RFID or some other identifying system] access one or more ride experience goals (or expectations) for the occupant. For example, the occupant may simply desire transportation while in the automated trackless vehicle and, hence, will not be wanting to interact with to be entertained by external display systems. In other cases, though, the occupant may have provided goals/expectations (e.g. by completing a questionnaire on a website or the like) that indicate they want to be educated during the ride, be entertained in a particular manner during the ride, be informed of sales on services or merchandise during the ride, and so on.

The patent goes so far as to also suggest that the air temperature might be adjusted to provide greater comfort levels for individual guests and that the length of the experiences could be flexible in order to suit guests needing to keep to a schedule.

What attractions do you think might benefit from this technology? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Biz Journals

in Disney, Theme Parks

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