HK1231801B - Enhanced interactivity in an amusement park environment using passive tracking elements - Google Patents

Description

Enhanced interactivity in an amusement park environment using passive tracking elements

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/001,551, filed May 21, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of tracking systems, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for enabling tracking of components in various scenarios via a dynamic signal-to-noise ratio tracking system.

Background Art

Tracking systems have been widely used to track the motion, position, orientation, and distance of objects, among other aspects, in a wide variety of contexts. Such existing tracking systems generally include a transmitter that emits electromagnetic energy and a detector configured to detect the electromagnetic energy, sometimes after it has been reflected off the object. It is now recognized that conventional tracking systems have certain shortcomings, and improved tracking systems are desirable for use in a variety of contexts, including amusement park attractions, workplace monitoring, sports, fireworks displays, factory floor management, robotics, security systems, parking and transportation, and others.

Summary of the Invention

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an amusement park system includes: a plurality of retroreflective markers located in a guest attraction area; an emission subsystem configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the plurality of retroreflective markers; a detection subsystem configured to detect retroreflections of electromagnetic radiation from the plurality of retroreflective markers while filtering electromagnetic radiation that is not retroreflected; and a control system communicatively coupled to the detection subsystem and having processing circuitry configured to: monitor retroreflections from the plurality of retroreflective markers; associate the retroreflected electromagnetic radiation to people and automated amusement park machines in the guest attraction area; and track movement of the people and amusement park machines relative to each other in space and time based on changes in the retroreflected electromagnetic radiation detected by the detection subsystem.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for tracking and controlling amusement park equipment includes: using an emission subsystem having one or more emitters to fill a guest attraction area of an amusement park attraction with electromagnetic radiation; using a detection subsystem having one or more optical filters to detect wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation reflected from within the guest attraction area while filtering wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation that are not reflected back from the guest attraction area; and using a control system communicatively coupled to the detection subsystem to track the movement and position of automated amusement park machinery relative to the movement and position of people in space and time based on changes in the reflected electromagnetic radiation.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an amusement park system includes: an emitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation; a camera configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation after it is retroreflected; a plurality of retroreflective markers located within a guest attraction area of the amusement park and configured to retroreflect the electromagnetic radiation; and a control system having processing circuitry configured to receive data from the camera indicating retroreflection of the electromagnetic radiation by the plurality of retroreflective markers. The control system is configured to monitor the retroreflected electromagnetic radiation to track the movement of people and machines within the guest attraction area based solely on changes in the retroreflected electromagnetic radiation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the several views, wherein:

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a tracking system for tracking an object using a dynamic signal-to-noise ratio device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG2 is a schematic diagram of another tracking system for tracking an object using a dynamic signal-to-noise ratio device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

3 is a schematic diagram of the tracking system of FIG. 1 tracking retroreflective markers on a person according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

4 is a schematic representation of analysis performed by the tracking system of FIG. 1 in which the position and movement of a person or object is tracked in space and time, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

5 is a top view of a room with a grid pattern of retroreflective markers for tracking the location of people in the room via the tracking system of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

6 is an elevational view of the tracking system of FIG. 1 tracking a person without tracking movement of the retroreflective marker and without tracking blockage of the retroreflective marker in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

7 is an elevation view of a room having a grid pattern of retroreflective markers disposed on the walls and floor of the room for tracking the positions of people and objects within the room via the tracking system of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a retroreflective marker having different coatings to enable different wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation to be reflected back toward a detector of the tracking system of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

9A-9C depict manners in which an object may be tracked in three spatial dimensions by the tracking system of FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

10 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method of using the tracking system of FIG. 1 to track reflections and control amusement park elements based on the tracked reflections according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

11 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method of using the tracking system of FIG. 1 to track retroreflections to evaluate information related to machines and people, and to control amusement park elements based on the evaluated information, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

12 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an amusement park attraction and a control system configured to track attraction equipment relative to other machines or people according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

13 is a top schematic diagram of a room with a grid pattern of retroreflective markers for tracking the positions of people and machines in the room via the tracking system of FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

14 is a top schematic diagram of a room with a grid pattern of retroreflective markers for tracking a person's position relative to a boundary applied to a machine via the tracking system of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

15 is a process flow diagram of a method for controlling the operation of machines in the room of FIG. 13 via feedback from a tracking system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

16 is a top schematic diagram of a machine controlled to move through a crowd based on feedback received from the tracking system of FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

17 is a top schematic diagram of a machine controlled to target a group of people based on feedback received from the tracking system of FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

18 is an illustration of an animated figure having retroreflective markers disposed thereon for use with the tracking system of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

19 is a top view of an amusement park with an unmanned aerial system (UAS) configured to guide an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) through the amusement park using the tracking system of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG20 is a bottom view of a UAV with interactive and position control components according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

21 is a front view of a UAV having the tracking system of FIG. 1 integrated on its body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

22 is a top schematic diagram of a series of amusement park ride vehicles having tags used to communicate embedded data to the tracking system of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

23 is a perspective view of the tracking system of FIG. 1 detecting two orthogonally located three-dimensional positions of an amusement park attraction vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

24 is a perspective view of an amusement park ride vehicle traveling along a constrained path having retroreflective markings thereon to enable the tracking system of FIG. 1 to evaluate the performance of the ride vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

25 is a top view of a portion of the constrained path of FIG. 24 and schematically illustrates blocking and non-blocking of retroreflective indicia on the path by a riding vehicle traveling along the path, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

26 is a top view of an unconstrained path with retroreflective markers located at various points along the path to enable the tracking system of FIG. 1 to perform at least a portion of block control of ride vehicle location in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

27 is an elevational view of an embodiment of the unconstrained path of FIG. 26 in which retroreflective markers on the path and the tracking system of FIG. 1 are utilized to guide a ride vehicle toward a predetermined destination in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

28 is a top view of the path of FIG. 27 and depicts additional details of the manner in which retroreflective markings are positioned to guide a riding vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 29 is a top view of the path of FIG. 27 and depicts additional details of the manner in which retroreflective indicia may be positioned in various layers to guide riding a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

30 is a top view of another embodiment of the path of FIG. 27 and depicts the manner in which retroreflective markings may be positioned to guide a riding vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally, a tracking system can use various inputs obtained from the surrounding environment to track certain objects. The source of the input may depend on, for example, the type of tracking being performed and the capabilities of the tracking system. For example, a tracking system may use sensors placed in the environment to actively generate outputs that are received by a main controller. The controller can then process the generated outputs to determine certain information used for tracking. An example of such tracking may include tracking the movement of an object to which the sensor is affixed. Such systems may also utilize one or more devices used to bathe a certain area with electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, etc., wherein the electromagnetic radiation or magnetic field is used as a reference against which the output of the sensor is compared by the controller. As can be appreciated, such active systems, if implemented to track many objects or even people, can be quite expensive to implement and processor-intensive for the main controller of the tracking system.

Other tracking systems, such as some passive tracking systems, can perform tracking without providing an illumination source, etc. For example, some tracking systems may use one or more cameras to obtain a silhouette or a rough skeletal estimate of an object, person, etc. However, in situations where background lighting may be strong, such as outdoors on a hot, sunny day, the accuracy of such systems may be reduced due to varying degrees of noise received by the passive tracking system's detectors.

In view of the foregoing, it is now recognized that conventional tracking systems have certain shortcomings, and improved tracking systems are desired for use in a variety of contexts, including amusement park attractions, workplace surveillance, sports and security systems, and others. For example, it is now recognized that improved tracking systems can be utilized to enhance operations in various amusement park environments and other entertainment attractions.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a dynamic signal-to-noise ratio tracking system uses emitted electromagnetic radiation and (in some embodiments) retroreflection to enable detection of markers and/or objects within the tracking system's field of view. The disclosed tracking system may include: an emitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within the field of view; a sensing device configured to detect electromagnetic radiation retroreflected from objects within the field of view; and a controller configured to perform various processing and analysis routines, including interpreting signals from the sensing device and controlling automated equipment based on the detected positions of objects or markers. The disclosed tracking system can also be configured to track multiple different objects simultaneously (using the same emission and detection characteristics). In some embodiments, the tracking system tracks the position of retroreflective markers placed on an object to estimate the object's position. As used herein, a retroreflective marker is a reflective marker designed to retroreflect electromagnetic radiation approximately in the direction from which the electromagnetic radiation was emitted. More specifically, retroreflective markers used in accordance with the present disclosure, when illuminated, reflect electromagnetic radiation back within a narrow cone toward the emission source. In contrast, certain other reflective materials (such as luminescent materials) can experience diffuse reflection, in which electromagnetic radiation is reflected in many directions. Still further, mirrors that also reflect electromagnetic radiation generally do not experience retroreflection. Instead, mirrors experience specular reflection, in which electromagnetic radiation (e.g., light such as infrared, ultraviolet, visible, or radio waves) incident on the mirror is reflected (away from the source) at equal but opposite angles.

Retroreflective materials used in accordance with the embodiments described below are readily available from a variety of commercial sources. One example includes retroreflective tape, which can be adapted for many different objects (e.g., environmental features, items of clothing, toys). Due to the manner in which retroreflection occurs when such markers are used in combination with the detector 16 used in accordance with the present disclosure, the retroreflective markers cannot be washed out by sunlight or even in the presence of other emitters emitting electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths that overlap with the wavelength of interest. Consequently, the disclosed tracking system can be more reliable than existing optical tracking systems, particularly in outdoor environments and in the presence of other sources of electromagnetic radiation.

While the present disclosure is applicable to many different scenarios, the presently disclosed embodiments are directed, among other things, to various aspects related to tracking objects and people within an amusement park, and in some cases controlling amusement park equipment (e.g., automated equipment), based on information obtained from such a dynamic signal-to-noise ratio tracking system. Indeed, it is presently recognized that by utilizing the disclosed tracking system, reliable and efficient amusement park operations can be performed even in the presence of many moving objects, guests, employees, sounds, lights, etc. within the amusement park, which may otherwise create high levels of noise for other tracking systems, particularly other optical tracking systems that do not utilize retroreflective markers in the manner disclosed herein.

In certain aspects of the present disclosure, an amusement park's control system (e.g., a control system associated with a specific area of the amusement park, such as a ride) can use information obtained by a dynamic signal-to-noise ratio tracking system to monitor and evaluate information about people, machines, vehicles (e.g., guest vehicles, service vehicles), and the like in the area to provide information that may be useful in more efficient operation of the amusement park's operations. For example, this information can be used to determine whether certain automated processes can be triggered or otherwise allowed to proceed. The information evaluated about the vehicles in the amusement park can include, for example, the location, movement, size, or other information about automated machines, ride vehicles, and the like within certain areas of the amusement park. By way of non-limiting example, information can be evaluated to track people and machines to provide enhanced interactivity between people and machines, to track and control unmanned aerial vehicles, to track and control ride vehicles and any show effects associated with the ride vehicles, and the like.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure may be better understood with reference to FIG1 , which generally illustrates how a dynamic signal-to-noise ratio tracking system 10 (hereinafter referred to as “tracking system 10”) may be integrated with an amusement park ride 12 according to the present embodiment. As illustrated, tracking system 10 includes an emitter 14 (which may be all or part of a transmission subsystem having one or more transmitting devices and associated control circuitry) configured to transmit one or more wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation (e.g., light, such as infrared, ultraviolet, visible light, or radio waves, etc.) in a general direction. Tracking system 10 also includes a detector 16 (which may be all or part of a detection subsystem having one or more sensors, cameras, etc., and associated control circuitry) configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation reflected as a result of the transmission, as described in greater detail below.

To control the operation of emitters 14 and detectors 16 (the emission subsystem and the detection subsystem) and to perform various signal processing routines resulting from the emission, reflection, and detection processes, tracking system 10 also includes a control unit 18 communicatively coupled to emitters 14 and detectors 16. Control unit 18 may thus include one or more processors 20 and one or more memories 22, which may generally be referred to herein as "processing circuitry." By way of specific but non-limiting example, processor(s) 20 may include one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more general-purpose processors, or any combination thereof. Additionally, memory(s) 22 may include volatile memory (such as random access memory (RAM)) and/or non-volatile memory (such as read-only memory (ROM)), an optical drive, a hard drive, or a solid-state drive. In certain embodiments, control unit 18 may form at least part of a control system configured to coordinate the operation of various amusement park features, including device 12. As described below, such an integrated system may be referred to as an amusement park attraction and control system.

The tracking system 10 is specifically configured to detect the position of illuminated components, such as retroreflective markers 24 having appropriately correlated retroreflective material, relative to a grid, pattern, emission source, fixed or moving environmental elements, and the like. In certain embodiments, the tracking system 10 is designed to utilize relative positioning to identify whether a correlation exists between one or more such illuminated components and a specific action to be performed by the amusement park equipment 12, such as triggering a show effect, dispatching a ride vehicle, closing a door, synchronizing a security camera with movement, and the like. More generally, the action may include control of machine movement, image formation or adaptation, and the like.

As illustrated, retroreflective markers 24 may be located on an object 26, which may correspond to any number of static or dynamic features. For example, object 26 may represent boundary features of an amusement park attraction, such as a floor, wall, door, or the like, or may represent an item that may be worn by a guest, amusement park employee, or the like. Indeed, as explained below, within the area of an amusement park attraction, there may be many such retroreflective markers 24, and tracking system 10 may detect reflections from some or all of the markers 24 and may perform various analyses based on this detection.

Referring now to the operation of tracking system 10, emitter 14 operates to emit electromagnetic radiation (represented for illustrative purposes by an expanded electromagnetic radiation beam 28, or electromagnetic radiation beam 28) to selectively illuminate, bathe, or fill detection area 30 with electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation beam 28 is intended to generally represent any form of electromagnetic radiation that may be used in accordance with the present embodiments, such as various forms of light (e.g., infrared, visible, UV) and/or other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., radio waves, etc.). However, it is currently recognized that in certain embodiments, it may be desirable to use certain bands of the electromagnetic spectrum depending on various factors. For example, in one embodiment, it may be desirable to use forms of electromagnetic radiation that are invisible to the human eye or outside the audible range of human hearing so that the electromagnetic radiation used for tracking does not distract guests from their experience. Furthermore, it is currently recognized that certain forms of electromagnetic radiation, such as certain wavelengths of light (e.g., infrared), may be more desirable than others, depending on the particular environment (e.g., whether the environment is "dark" or whether people are expected to pass through the path of the beam). Again, detection area 30 may correspond to all or a portion of an amusement park attraction area, such as a stage show, a ride vehicle loading area, a waiting area outside an entrance to a ride or show, or the like.

In some embodiments, electromagnetic radiation beam 28 may represent multiple light beams (beams of electromagnetic radiation) emitted from different sources (all parts of the emission subsystem). Furthermore, in some embodiments, emitter 14 is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation beam 28 at a frequency that corresponds to the material of retroreflective marker 24 (e.g., reflective by the retroreflective elements of marker 24). For example, retroreflective marker 24 may comprise a coating of retroreflective material disposed on the body of object 26 or a piece of solid material coupled to the body of object 26. By way of more specific, but non-limiting example, the retroreflective material may comprise spherical and/or prismatic reflective elements incorporated into the reflective material to enable retroreflection. Again, in some embodiments, there may be many such retroreflective markers 24, and they may be arranged in a specific pattern stored in memory 22 to enable further processing, analysis, and control routines to be performed by control unit 18 (e.g., a control system).

The retroreflective marker 24 can reflect a majority of the electromagnetic radiation (e.g., infrared light, ultraviolet light, visible wavelengths, or radio waves, etc.) incident from the electromagnetic radiation beam 28 back toward the detector 16 within a relatively well-defined cone having a central axis at an angle substantially the same as the angle of incidence. This reflection facilitates identification by the system 10 of the position of the retroreflective marker 24 and its correlation with various information (e.g., pattern, possible positions) stored in the memory 22. This position information (obtained based on the reflected electromagnetic radiation) can then be used by the control unit 18 to perform various analysis routines and/or control routines, such as to determine whether to trigger or otherwise control the amusement park equipment 12.

Specifically, in operation, the detector 16 of the system 10 can be configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation beam 28 reflected from the retroreflective marker 24 and provide data associated with the detection to the control unit 18 via the communication link 31 for processing. The detector 16 can be operated to specifically identify the marker 24 based on certain specific wavelengths of the emitted and reflected electromagnetic radiation and thereby avoid the problem of false detection. For example, the detector 16 can be specifically configured to detect certain wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation (e.g., corresponding to the wavelengths emitted by the emitter 14) by using physical electromagnetic radiation filters, signal filters, etc. In addition, the detector 16 can utilize a specific arrangement of optical detection features and electromagnetic radiation filters to substantially only capture the retroreflected electromagnetic radiation.

For example, detector 16 can be configured to detect wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation retroreflected by retroreflective marker 24, while filtering wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation not retroreflected by marker 24 (including those wavelengths of interest). Thus, detector 16 can be configured to specifically detect (e.g., capture) retroreflected electromagnetic radiation while not detecting (e.g., capturing) non-retroreflected electromagnetic radiation. In one embodiment, detector 16 can utilize the directionality associated with retroreflection to perform this selective filtering. Thus, while detector 16 receives electromagnetic radiation from various sources (including spurious reflected electromagnetic radiation as well as ambient electromagnetic radiation), detector 16 is specifically configured to filter out all or substantially all spurious reflected signals while retaining all or substantially all desired signals. Consequently, the signal-to-noise ratio of the signals processed by detector 16 and control unit 18 is effectively very high, regardless of the signal-to-noise ratio present in the electromagnetic wavelength band of interest outside of detector 16.

For example, detector 16 can receive both retroreflected electromagnetic radiation (e.g., from retroreflective marker 24) and ambient electromagnetic radiation from within an area (e.g., a guest attraction area). The ambient electromagnetic radiation can be filtered, while the retroreflected electromagnetic radiation (which is directional) can be unfiltered (e.g., can bypass the filter). Thus, in some embodiments, the "image" generated by detector 16 can include a substantially dark (e.g., black or blanked) background signal, with substantially only the retroreflected electromagnetic radiation providing contrast.

According to certain embodiments, the retroreflected electromagnetic radiation may include different wavelengths that are distinguishable from one another. In one embodiment, the filters of detector 16 may have optical properties and be located within the detector such that the optical detection device of detector 16 receives substantially only the electromagnetic wavelengths retroreflected by retroreflective marker 24 (or other retroreflective elements), as well as any desired background wavelengths (which may provide background or other landscape information). To generate a signal from the received electromagnetic radiation, detector 16 may, by way of example, be a camera having multiple electromagnetic radiation capturing features (e.g., a charge-coupled device (CCD) and/or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor corresponding to pixels). In one exemplary embodiment, detector 16 may be an amp® High Dynamic Range (HDR) camera system available from Contrast Optical Design and Engineering, Inc. of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Because the retroreflection caused by the retroreflective marker 24 causes a cone of reflected electromagnetic radiation to be incident on the detector 16, the control unit 18 can further correlate the center of the cone (where the reflected electromagnetic radiation is most intense) with the point source of the reflection. Based on this correlation, the control unit 18 can identify and track the location of this point source, or can identify and monitor the pattern of reflection caused by many such retroreflective markers 24.

For example, once the control unit 18 receives data from the detector 16, it can use the known visible boundaries or established orientation of the detector 16 to identify the location (e.g., coordinates) corresponding to the detected retroreflective marker 24. When multiple fixed retroreflective markers 24 are present, the control unit 18 can store the known locations (e.g., positions) of the retroreflective markers 24 to enable reflection pattern monitoring. By monitoring the reflection patterns, the control unit 18 can identify the obstruction (blocking) of certain retroreflective markers 24 by various moving objects, guests, employees, etc. It should also be noted that the basis for these comparisons can be updated based on, for example, how long a particular retroreflective marker 24 has been located and used in its position. For example, the stored reflection pattern associated with one of the markers 24 can be periodically updated during a calibration phase, which includes a period of time during which no objects or people are expected to pass by the marker 24. This recalibration can be performed periodically so that a marker that has been used for an extended period of time and has lost its retroreflective capability is not mistakenly identified for detected blockage events.

In other embodiments, in addition to or as an alternative to tracking one or more of the retroreflective markers 24, the tracking system 10 can be configured to detect and track various other objects located within the detection area 30. Such objects 32 may include, among other things, ride vehicles, people (e.g., guests, employees), and other mobile amusement park equipment. For example, the detector 16 of the system 10 can be configured to detect an electromagnetic radiation beam 28 that bounces off an object 32 (absent the retroreflective marker 24) and provide data associated with this detection to the control unit 18. That is, the detector 16 can detect the object 32 based solely on diffuse or specular reflection of electromagnetic energy from the object 32. In some embodiments, the object 32 may be coated with a specific coating that reflects the electromagnetic radiation beam 28 in a detectable and predetermined manner. Thus, once the control unit 18 receives the data from the detector 16, the control unit 18 can determine that the coating associated with the object 32 reflected the electromagnetic radiation and can also determine the source of the reflection to identify the location of the object 32.

Regardless of whether the retroreflective marker 24 is stationary or moving, the process of emitting the electromagnetic radiation beam 28, sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation from the retroreflective marker 24 (or an object 32 that has no or substantially no retroreflective material), and determining the position of the retroreflective marker 24 or object 32 can be performed multiple times within a short period of time by the control unit 18. This process can be performed at different intervals, where the process is initiated at a predetermined point in time, or it can be performed substantially continuously, such that it is reinitiated substantially immediately after the process is completed. In embodiments where the retroreflective marker 24 is stationary and the control unit 18 performs retroreflective pattern monitoring to identify marker obstructions, the process can be performed at each interval to obtain a single retroreflective pattern at each interval. This can be considered to represent a single frame having a reflected pattern corresponding to the patterns of obstructed and unobstructed retroreflective markers 24.

Alternatively, such a procedure may be performed continuously in nature to facilitate identification of the path and/or track through which the retroreflective marker 24 has moved. A marker 24 moving within the detection zone 30 will be detected within a specific time frame or simply in a continuous series. Here, a pattern of reflections will be generated and identified over a certain period of time.

According to the embodiment described above, the detector 16 and the control unit 18 can operate over various different time frames according to the tracking to be performed and the expected movement of the tracked object through space and time. As an example, the detector 16 and the control unit 18 can be combined to operate to complete all logical processes (e.g., update analysis and control signals, process signals) within the time interval between the capture events of the detector 16. Such processing speed can make it possible to achieve substantially real-time tracking, monitoring and control where applicable. By way of non-limiting example, the detector capture event can be between about 1/60 second and about 1/30 second, thus generating between 30 frames and 60 frames per second. The detector 16 and the control unit 18 can operate to receive, update and process signals between the capture of each frame. However, any interval between the capture events can be utilized according to certain embodiments.

Once the retroreflected particular pattern has been detected, a determination may be made by the control unit 18 as to whether the pattern correlates with a stored pattern that is recognized by the control unit 18 and corresponds to a particular action to be performed by the amusement park ride 12. For example, the control unit 18 may perform a comparison of the position, path, or trajectory of the retroreflective marker 24 with the stored position, path, or trajectory to determine an appropriate control action for the ride 12. Additionally or alternatively, as described in more detail below, the control unit 18 may determine whether the particular pattern obtained at a particular point in time correlates with a stored pattern associated with a particular action to be performed by the amusement park ride 12. Still further, the control unit 18 may determine whether a set of particular patterns obtained at a particular point in time correlates with a stored pattern variation associated with a particular action to be performed by the amusement park ride 12.

While the control unit 18 can cause certain actions to be automatically performed within the amusement park in the manner described above, it should be noted that similar analyses to those mentioned above can also be applied to prevent certain actions (e.g., where the amusement park equipment 12 blocks an action or is blocked from performing an action). For example, in situations where a ride vehicle can be automatically dispatched, the control unit 18 can stop the automatic dispatch based on tracking changes in the retroreflective marker 24, or the dispatch can even be blocked by the ride operator before additional measures are taken (e.g., additional confirmation that the ride vehicle is packed for departure). Such controls can also be applied to other amusement park equipment. For example, due to intervention by the control unit 18 as a result of certain pattern determinations as described herein, fire effects, fireworks, or similar show effects can be prevented from being triggered, can be stopped, or can be reduced in intensity.

Having generally described the configuration of system 10, it should be noted that the arrangement of emitter 14, detector 16, control unit 18, and other features may vary based on application-specific considerations and the manner in which control unit 18 performs evaluations based on electromagnetic radiation from retroreflective marker 24. In the embodiment of tracking system 10 shown in FIG1 , emitter 14 and sensor or detector 16 are integral features such that the operational plane associated with detector 16 essentially overlaps with the operational plane associated with emitter 14. That is, detector 16 is located in substantially the same location as emitter 14, which may be desirable due to the retroreflectivity of marker 24. However, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to this configuration. For example, as described above, retroreflection may be associated with a cone of reflection where the highest intensity is in the middle of the cone of reflection. Thus, detector 16 may be located in an area where the cone of reflection of a retroreflective marker is not as intense as its center, but still detectable by detector 16.

By way of non-limiting example, in some embodiments, the emitter 14 and the detector 16 can be coaxial. However, the detector 16 (e.g., an infrared camera) can be located at a different location relative to the emitter 14, which can include an infrared light bulb, one or more diode emitters, or a similar source. As illustrated in FIG2 , the emitter 14 and the detector 16 are separate and located at different locations on an environmental feature 40 (e.g., a wall or ceiling) in the entertainment attraction area. Specifically, the emitter 14 of FIG2 is located outside a window 42 of a storefront containing the other components of the system 10. The detector 16 of FIG2 is located away from the emitter 14, but is still oriented to detect electromagnetic radiation reflected from the retroreflective marker 24 and originating from the emitter 14.

For illustrative purposes, arrows 44 and 46 represent a light beam (a beam of electromagnetic radiation) being emitted from the emitter 14 (arrow 44) into the detection area 30, being retroreflected by the retroreflective marker 24 on the object 26 (arrow 46), and being detected by the detector 16. The light beam represented by arrow 44 is only one of many electromagnetic radiation emissions (light beams) from the emitter 14 that fill or otherwise selectively illuminate the detection area 30. It should be noted that other embodiments may utilize different arrangements and implementations of the components of the system 10 in different environments in accordance with the present disclosure.

Now that the general operation of the tracking system 10 to detect the position of the retroreflective marker 24 and/or object 32, as shown in FIG1, has been discussed, certain applications of the tracking system 10 will be described in more detail below. For example, it may be desirable to use the disclosed tracking system to track the position of people within a particular area. This may be useful, for example, for controlling routes within a ride vehicle loading area, controlling access to different areas, determining the appropriate moment when a show effect can be triggered, determining the appropriate moment when certain automated machines can be moved, and may also be useful for assisting in live show performances (e.g., blocking actors on a stage). That is, during a show, it is assumed that an actor will be standing at a specific location on the stage at certain times. To ensure that the actor reaches their appropriate position at the correct time, the tracking system 10 may be mounted above the stage and used to track the position and/or movement of all actors on the stage. Feedback from the tracking system 10 may be used to assess how well the actor is reaching the desired point on the stage.

In addition to on-stage blocking, the tracking system 10 can be used in situations involving tracking and/or evaluating shoppers in a store or other commercial environment. That is, a store can be equipped with the disclosed tracking system 10 to determine where customers spend their time within the store. As an alternative to triggering performance effects, such a tracking system 10 can be used to monitor the flow of people within the store and thereby control the availability of certain items, control the flow of people, and the like. For example, information collected via the disclosed tracking system 10 can be used to identify and evaluate which equipment or displays within the store are most attractive, to determine which items on sale are the most popular, or to determine which areas of the store (if any) are too crowded. This information can be analyzed and used to improve store layout, product development, and crowd management, among other things.

It should be noted that other applications besides those described above may exist for tracking the location of people, objects, machines, etc. within an area. The presently disclosed tracking system 10 can be configured to identify and/or track the location and movement of people and/or objects within a detection area 30. The tracking system 10 can implement this tracking in a number of different ways, as described above and explained in more detail below. It should be noted that the tracking system 10 is configured to simultaneously detect the location of one or more people, one or more objects 32, or a combination of different features within the same detection area 30 using a single emitter 14, detector 16, and control unit 18. However, the use of multiple such emitters 14, detectors 16, and control units 18 is also within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, one or more of the emitters 14 and one or more of the detectors 16 may be present within the detection area 30. Considerations such as the type of tracking to be performed, the desired tracking range, the desired redundancy, etc. may at least partially determine whether to utilize multiple or a single emitter and/or detector.

For example, as described above, the tracking system 10 can generally be configured to track target movement both spatially and temporally (e.g., over time within the detection area 30). When utilizing a single detection device (e.g., detector 16), the tracking system 10 can monitor for reflected electromagnetic radiation from a defined orientation to track a person, object, or the like. Because the detector 16 has only a single viewing angle, such detection and tracking can, in certain embodiments, be limited to performing tracking in only one plane of motion (e.g., tracking in two spatial dimensions). By way of example, such tracking can be utilized in situations where the tracked target has a relatively low number of degrees of freedom, such as when movement is restricted to a constrained path (e.g., a track). In one such embodiment, the target has a determined vector orientation.

On the other hand, when utilizing multiple detection devices (e.g., two or more of detectors 16) to track a target in both space and time, tracking system 10 can monitor the reflected electromagnetic radiation from multiple orientations. Using these multiple vantage points, tracking system 10 can track a target with multiple degrees of freedom. In other words, the use of multiple detectors can provide both vector orientation and range for the tracked target. This type of tracking can be particularly useful in situations where it is desirable to allow the tracked target unrestricted movement in space and time.

Multiple detectors may also be desirable for redundancy in tracking. For example, multiple detection devices applied to situations where the target's movement is limited or unrestricted can enhance the reliability of tracking performed by the tracking system 10. The use of redundant detectors 16 can also enhance tracking accuracy and help prevent the target from being geometrically blocked by complex geometric surfaces (such as winding pathways, hills, folded clothing, open doors, etc.).

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, tracking system 10 can track the relative positions of multiple targets (e.g., people, objects, machines) within detection area 30 using retroreflective markers 24. As illustrated in FIG3 , retroreflective markers 24 can be placed on a person 70. Alternatively or in addition, markers 24 can be located on a machine or other object (e.g., object 26). Thus, the techniques disclosed herein for tracking the movement of a person 70 in space and time can also be applied to the movement of objects in an amusement park, in addition to or in lieu of a person 70. In such embodiments, markers 24 can be located on or outside object 26 (e.g., a residence), as shown in FIG1 .

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG3 , retroreflective marker 24 is positioned on the outside of a person's clothing. For example, retroreflective marker 24 can be applied as a piece of retroreflective tape to an armband, headband, shirt, personal identification device, or other item. Additionally or alternatively, retroreflective marker 24 can be sewn into clothing or applied as a coating in certain embodiments. Retroreflective marker 24 can be positioned on clothing of person 70 in a location accessible to electromagnetic radiation beam 28 emitted from emitter 14. As person 70 moves about detection area 30 (or, in the case of object 32, object 32 may move through area 30), electromagnetic radiation beam 28 reflects off retroreflective marker 24 and returns to detector 16. Detector 16 communicates with control unit 18 by sending a signal 72 to processor 20 indicating the reflected electromagnetic radiation detected by detector 16. Tracking system 10 can interpret this signal 72 to track the position or path of person 70 (or object 32) as it moves about a designated area (i.e., track the person or object in space and time). Again, depending on the number of detectors 16 utilized, the control unit 18 can determine the vector magnitude, orientation, and significance of the movement of people and/or objects based on the received retroreflected electromagnetic radiation.

The tracking of a person 70 (which may also represent a moving object) is schematically illustrated in FIG4 . More specifically, FIG4 illustrates a series of 80 frames 82 captured by a detector 16 (e.g., a camera) over a period of time. As described above, in some embodiments, multiple such frames may be generated per second (e.g., between 30 and 60). It should be noted that FIG4 may not be an actual representation of the output produced by tracking system 10, but is described herein to facilitate understanding of the tracking and monitoring performed by control unit 18. Each frame 82 represents a detection zone 30 and the location of a retroreflective marker 24 within zone 30. Alternatively, frames 82 may instead represent marker occlusion within zone 30, such as when the grid of markers 24 is blocked by an object or person.

As shown, first frame 82A includes a first instance of a retroreflective marker (designated 24A) having a first position. As series 80 progresses in time, second frame 82B includes a second instance of retroreflective marker 24B, which is displaced relative to the first instance, and so on (thus generating third and fourth instances of retroreflective markers 24C and 24D). After some period of time, control unit 18 has generated series 80, wherein the operation of generating series 80 is generally represented by arrow 84.

The series 80 can be evaluated by the control unit 18 in a number of different ways. According to the illustrated embodiment, the control unit 18 can evaluate the movement of the person 70 or object 32 by evaluating the positions of the markers 24 (or the obstruction of certain markers) over time. For example, the control unit 18 can derive vector orientation, range, and significance regarding the movement of the tracked target based on the number of detectors 16 utilized to perform tracking. Thus, the control unit 18 can be considered to evaluate a composite frame 86 representing the movement of the tracked retroreflective markers 24 (or the tracked obstruction of the markers 24) over time within the detection area 30. Thus, the composite frame 86 includes various instances of the retroreflective markers 24 (including 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D), which can be analyzed to determine the overall movement of the markers 24 (and therefore the person 70 and/or object 26, whichever may be the case).

4 , this monitoring can be performed relative to certain environmental features 88, which can be fixed within the detection area 30 and/or can be associated with reflective materials. The control unit 18 can perform operations based not only on the detected position of the marker 24, but also on the extrapolated movement of the environmental features 88 (e.g., the projected path of the retroreflective marker 24 through the detection area 30 or the projected position of a marker grid block).

Another method for tracking one or more people 70 or objects 32 in an area is schematically illustrated in FIG5 . Specifically, FIG5 shows a top view of a group of people 70 standing in a detection area 30. Although not shown, the tracking system 10 can be positioned directly above this detection area 30 to detect the positions of people 70 (and other objects) within the detection area 30 (e.g., to obtain a plan view of the detection area 30). In the illustrated embodiment, the retroreflective markers 24 are positioned in a grid pattern 90 on the floor 92 of the detection area 30 (e.g., as a coating, tape, or similar attachment method). The retroreflective markers 24 can be arranged in any desired pattern (e.g., a grid, diamonds, lines, circles, a solid coating, etc.), which can be regular (e.g., repeating) or random.

This grid pattern 90 can be stored in the memory 22, and portions of the grid pattern 90 (e.g., individual markers 24) can be correlated with the locations of certain environmental elements and amusement park features (e.g., amusement park equipment 12). This allows the location of each marker 24 relative to such elements to be known. Consequently, when a marker 24 retroreflects a beam of electromagnetic radiation 28 onto the detector 16, the location of the reflecting marker 24 can be determined and/or monitored by the control unit 18.

As illustrated, when a person 70 or object 32 is positioned over one or more of the retroreflective markers 24 on the floor 92, the blocked markers are unable to reflect emitted electromagnetic radiation back to the detector 16 above the floor 92. Indeed, according to embodiments, the grid pattern 90 may include retroreflective markers 24 spaced a distance apart that allows for detection of a person or object positioned on the floor 92 (e.g., blocking at least one of the retroreflective markers 24). In other words, the distance between the markers 24 may be small enough so that an object or person may be positioned over at least one of the retroreflective markers 24.

In operation, detector 16 can be used to detect electromagnetic radiation beams 28 retroreflected from retroreflective markers 24 that are not obscured by a person or object located in detection zone 30. As discussed above, detector 16 can then provide data associated with this detection to control unit 18 for processing. Control unit 18 can compare the detected electromagnetic radiation beams (e.g., detected patterns) reflected from uncovered retroreflective markers 24 with the stored positions of completely uncovered grid patterns 90 (e.g., stored patterns) and/or other known grid patterns resulting from the obstruction of certain markers 24. Based on this comparison, control unit 18 can determine which markers 24 are covered to approximate the position of person 70 or object 32 within the plane of floor 92. Indeed, using a grid located on floor 92 in conjunction with a single detector 16 can enable tracking of movement in two dimensions. If higher-order tracking is desired, additional grids and/or additional detectors 16 can be utilized. In certain embodiments, control unit 18 can adjust the operation of amusement park ride 12 based on the position of person 70 or object 32 within detection zone 30.

The process of emitting a beam of electromagnetic radiation 28, sensing the reflected electromagnetic radiation from uncovered retroreflective markers 24 on floor 92, and determining the position of person 70 may be performed multiple times within a short period of time by control unit 18 in order to identify a series of positions of person 70 moving about floor 92 (to track the movement of a group). Indeed, such a procedure may be performed essentially continuously to facilitate identifying paths that a person 70 has moved through within detection area 30 during a particular time frame or simply in a continuous series. Once one or more positions or paths of a person 70 have been detected, control unit 18 may further analyze the position or path to determine whether any action should be performed by device 12.

As discussed in detail above with respect to FIG. 1 , control unit 18 can be configured to identify certain objects within detection zone 30 that are expected to traverse the path of electromagnetic radiation beam 28, including objects that are not marked with retroreflective material. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6 , certain embodiments of tracking system 10 can be configured to enable control unit 18 to identify person 70 (also intended to represent object 32) located within detection zone 30 without the use of retroreflective markers 24. That is, control unit 18 can receive data indicating electromagnetic radiation reflected from detection zone 30 and compare the digital signature of the detected radiation to one or more possible digital signatures stored in memory 22. That is, if the signature of the electromagnetic radiation reflected back to detector 16 closely matches the signature of person 70 or known object 32, control unit 18 can determine that person 70 or object 32 is located within detection zone 30. For example, control unit 18 can identify a "dark spot" or area within detection zone 30 where electromagnetic radiation is absorbed rather than reflected. These regions may have a geometry that control unit 18 may analyze (eg, by comparing to stored shapes, sizes, or other characteristics of objects or people) to identify the presence, location, size, shape, etc. of an object (eg, person 70).

As can be appreciated with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6, tracking system 10 can be positioned in a variety of positions to obtain different views of detection area 30. Indeed, it is now recognized that different positions and combinations of positions of one or more of tracking systems 10 (or one or more elements of tracking system 10, such as multiple detectors 16) may be desired in order to obtain certain types of information regarding retroreflective markers 24 and their obstruction. For example, in Figure 1, tracking system 10, and in particular detector 16, is positioned to obtain an elevation view of at least object 26 and object 32, which are equipped with retroreflective markers 24. In Figure 2, detector 16 is positioned to obtain a top perspective view of detection area 30, which enables detection of retroreflective markers 24 located on various environmental elements, moving objects, or people. In the embodiments of Figures 3 and 6, detector 16 can be positioned to obtain a plan view of detection area 30.

These different views can provide information that can be used by control unit 18 for specific types of analysis and, in some embodiments, control actions depending on the specific environment in which they are located. For example, in FIG7 , tracking system 10, and in particular emitter 14 and detector 16, are positioned to obtain a perspective view of person 70 (or object 32) in detection area 30. Detection area 30 includes floor 92 and also includes wall 93 on which retroreflective markers 24 are located, forming grid pattern 90. Here, person 70 is blocking a subset of markers 24 located on wall 93. This subset of markers 24 cannot be illuminated by emitter 14, cannot retroreflect electromagnetic radiation back to detector 16, or both, because person 70 (also intended to represent an object) is located between the subset of markers 24 and emitter 14 and/or detector 16.

The grid pattern 90 on the wall 93 can provide information not necessarily available from the plan views shown in Figures 3 and 6 . For example, the obstruction of the retroreflective markers 24 enables the control unit 18 to determine the height of the person 70, the outline of the person 70, or, in embodiments where an object 32 is present, the size of the object 32, the outline of the object 32, etc. Such determinations can be made by the control unit 18 to assess whether the person 70 meets the height requirements for the ride, assess whether the person 70 is associated with one or more objects 32 (e.g., a bag, a walker), and can also be used to track the movement of the person 70 or object 32 through the detection area 30 with greater accuracy than the plan views illustrated in Figures 3 and 6 . That is, the control unit 18 is better able to associate movement identified by the obstruction of the markers 24 with a specific person 70 by determining the person's outline, height, etc. Similarly, the control unit 18 is better able to track the movement of the object 32 through the detection area 30 by identifying the geometry of the object 32 and specifically associating the identified movement with the object 32. In certain embodiments, tracking the height or profile of person 70 may be performed by tracking system 10 to enable control unit 18 to provide recommendations to person 70 based on analysis of the person's assessed height, profile, etc. Similar determinations and recommendations may be provided for objects 32, such as vehicles. For example, control unit 18 may analyze the profile of guests at the entrance to a queue area for a ride. Control unit 18 may compare the overall dimensions, height, etc. of person 70 to ride rules to warn the individual before spending time in line or provide confirmation that they can ride the ride. Similarly, control unit 18 may analyze the overall dimensions, length, height, etc. of a vehicle to provide parking recommendations based on available space. Additionally or alternatively, control unit 18 may analyze the overall dimensions, profile, etc. of an automated equipment component before allowing the device to perform a specific task (e.g., moving through a group of people).

Pattern 90 may also be located on both wall 93 and floor 92. Thus, tracking system 10 may be able to receive retroreflected electromagnetic radiation from markers 24 on both wall 93 and floor 92, thereby enabling monitoring of movement in three dimensions and detection of marker obstruction. Specifically, wall 93 may provide information in height direction 94, while floor 92 may provide information in depth direction 96. Information from both height direction 94 and depth direction 96 may be correlated with each other using information from width direction 98, which may be obtained from both the plan view and the elevation view.

Indeed, it is now recognized that if two objects 32 or persons 70 overlap in width direction 98, information obtained from depth direction 96 can be used to at least partially distinguish them from each other. Furthermore, it is now also recognized that the use of multiple emitters 14 and detectors 16 at different locations (e.g., different locations in width direction 98) can enable the resolution of height and profile information, which might otherwise be lost or difficult to discern with only a single emitter 14 and detector 16. More specifically, if there is overlap between objects 32 or persons 70 in width direction 98 (or more generally, overlap between marker 24 on wall 93 and detector 16), the use of only a single emitter 14 and detector 16 may result in the loss of some information. However, embodiments using multiple (e.g., at least two) detectors 16 and/or emitters 14 can facilitate the generation of distinct retroreflection patterns by marker 24 and observations from detectors 16 and/or emitters 14 at different viewing angles. Indeed, because the marker 24 is retroreflective, it will reflect electromagnetic radiation back toward the source of the electromagnetic radiation, even when multiple sources are emitting substantially simultaneously. Thus, electromagnetic radiation emitted from the first of the emitters 14 at a first viewing angle will be reflected back by the marker 24 toward the first of the emitters 14, while electromagnetic radiation emitted from the second of the emitters 14 at a second viewing angle will be reflected back by the marker 24 toward the second of the emitters 14, enabling multiple sets of tracking information to be generated and monitored by the control unit 18.

It is also now recognized that the retroreflective markers 24 on the wall 93 and floor 92 can be identical or different. Indeed, the tracking system 10 can be configured to use the directionality of the retroreflected electromagnetic radiation from the wall 93 and floor 92 to determine which electromagnetic radiation is reflected from the wall 93 relative to which electromagnetic radiation is reflected from the floor 92. In other embodiments, different materials can be used for the markers 24 so that, for example, different wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation can be reflected back toward the emitter 14 and detector 16 by the different materials. As an example, the retroreflective markers 24 on the floor 92 and wall 93 can have the same retroreflective elements, but with different layers for filtering or otherwise absorbing portions of the emitted electromagnetic radiation, so that the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the retroreflective markers 24 on the floor 92 and wall 93 has characteristics and different wavelengths. Because different wavelengths will be retroreflected, the detector 16 can detect these wavelengths and separate them from the ambient electromagnetic radiation filtered by the filtering elements within the detector 16.

To aid in illustration, FIG8 depicts an enlarged cross-sectional view of exemplary retroreflective markings 24 disposed on floor 92 and wall 93 within detection area 30. Markings 24 on floor 92 and wall 93 each include a reflective layer 96 and a retroreflective material layer 98, which can be the same or different for floor 92 and wall 93. In the illustrated embodiment, they are identical. During operation, electromagnetic radiation emitted by emitter 14 can pass through transmissive coating 99 before striking retroreflective material layer 98. Thus, transmissive coating 99 can be used to adjust the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation retroreflected by the markings. In FIG8 , marking 24 on floor 92 includes a first transmissive coating 99A that is different from a second transmissive coating 99B in marking 24 on wall 93. In certain embodiments, the different optical properties between first and second transmissive coatings 99A, 99B can cause different bandwidths of electromagnetic radiation to be reflected by marking 24 on floor 92 and marking 24 on wall 93. Although presented in the context of being disposed on the floor 92 and walls 93, it should be noted that markers 24 having different optical properties can be used on various different elements within an amusement park (such as on people and environmental elements, people and mobile equipment, etc.) to facilitate separation for processing and monitoring by the control unit 18.

Any one or combination of the techniques described above can be used to monitor a single object or person or multiple objects or persons. Indeed, even when utilizing only one detector 16, it is currently recognized that a combination of multiple grids of retroreflective markers (e.g., on the floor 92 and walls 93 as described above) or a combination of one or more grids of retroreflective markers affixed to an active object or person and one or more tracked retroreflective markers 24 can be utilized to enable three-dimensional tracking. Furthermore, it is also recognized that the use of multiple retroreflective markers 24 on the same person or object can enable the tracking system 10 to track both position and orientation.

In this regard, FIG9A illustrates an embodiment of an object 26 having a plurality of retroreflective markers 24 located on different sides of the object 26. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the retroreflective markers 24 are disposed at three different points on the object 26 corresponding to three orthogonal directions (e.g., the X, Y, and Z axes) of the object 26. However, it should be noted that other placements of the plurality of retroreflective markers 24 may be used in other embodiments. Additionally, the tracking depicted in FIG9A may be performed as generally illustrated, or a grid of retroreflective markers 24, such as that shown in FIG7 , may also be utilized.

As described above, the tracking system 10 may include, for example, a plurality of detectors 16 configured to sense electromagnetic radiation reflected from an object 26. Each retroreflective marker 24 disposed on the object 26 may retroreflect the emitted electromagnetic radiation beam 28 at a specific, predetermined frequency of the electromagnetic spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation beam 28. That is, the retroreflective markers 24 may retroreflect the same or different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, as generally described above with respect to FIG.

Control unit 18 is configured to detect and distinguish electromagnetic radiation reflected at these specific frequencies and, accordingly, track the movement of each of the individual retroreflective markers 24. Specifically, control unit 18 can analyze the detected positions of the individual retroreflective markers 24 to track the roll (e.g., rotation about the Y-axis), pitch (e.g., rotation about the X-axis), and yaw (e.g., rotation about the Z-axis) of object 26. That is, instead of merely determining the position of object 26 in space relative to a particular coordinate system (e.g., defined by detection zone 30 or detector 16), control unit 18 can determine the orientation of object 26 within the coordinate system, which enables control unit 18 to perform enhanced tracking and analysis of object 26's movement through detection zone 30 in space and time. For example, control unit 18 can perform predictive analysis to estimate the future position of object 26 within detection zone 30, which can enable enhanced control of object 26's movement (e.g., to avoid collisions, or to adopt a specific path through an area).

In certain embodiments, such as when object 26 is a motorized object, tracking system 10 can track the position and orientation of object 26 (e.g., a ride vehicle, robot, or unmanned aerial vehicle) and control object 26 to follow a path in a predetermined manner. Control unit 18 can additionally or alternatively compare the results with the expected position and orientation of object 26, for example to determine whether object 26 should be controlled to adjust its operation and/or to determine whether object 26 is operating properly or requires maintenance. Furthermore, the estimated position and orientation of object 26 determined by tracking system 10 can be used to trigger actions (including preventing certain actions) by other amusement park equipment 12 (e.g., a show effect). As an example, object 26 can be a ride vehicle, and amusement park equipment 12 can be a show effect. In this example, it may be desirable to only trigger amusement park equipment 12 when object 26 is in the expected position and/or orientation.

Continuing with how tracking in three spatial dimensions can be preformed, FIG9B depicts an example of an object with a first marker 24A, a second marker 24B, and a third marker 24C positioned similarly to those illustrated in FIG9A . However, from the perspective of a single one of the detectors 16, the detector 16 sees a two-dimensional representation of the markers 24A, 24B, 24C and the object 16. From a first perspective (e.g., a top or bottom view), the control unit 18 can determine that the first and second markers 24A, 24B are separated by a first observation distance d1, the first and third markers 24A, 24C are separated by a second observation distance d2, and the second and third markers 24B, 24C are separated by a third observation distance d3. The control unit 18 can compare these distances to known or calibrated values to estimate the orientation of the object 26 in three spatial dimensions.

Moving to FIG9C , as object 26 rotates, detector 16 (and accordingly control unit 18) may detect that the apparent shape of object 26 is different. However, control unit 18 may also determine that first and second markers 24A, 24B are separated by an adjusted first viewing distance d1′, first and third markers 24A, 24C are separated by an adjusted second viewing distance d2′, and second and third markers 24B, 24C are separated by an adjusted third viewing distance d3′. Control unit 18 may determine the difference between the distances detected at the orientation in FIG9B and the distances detected at the orientation in FIG9C to determine how the orientation of object 26 has changed and then determine the orientation of object 26. Additionally or alternatively, control unit 18 may compare the adjusted viewing distances d1′, d2′, d3′ resulting from the rotation of object 26 with stored values to estimate the orientation of object 26 in three spatial dimensions, or further refine updates to the orientation determined based on the change between the distances in FIG9B and FIG9C .

As explained above, the present embodiments are directed to, among other things, using the disclosed tracking system 10 to track objects and/or people within an amusement park environment. As a result of this tracking, the control unit 18, in certain embodiments, can cause certain automated functions to be performed within various subsystems of the amusement park. Having thus described the general operation of the disclosed tracking system 10, a more specific embodiment of the tracking and control operations is provided below to facilitate a better understanding of certain aspects of the present disclosure.

Turning now to FIG. 10 , an embodiment of a method 100 for monitoring changes in reflected electromagnetic radiation to track the movement of an object and control an amusement park ride based on the results of this monitoring is illustrated as a flow chart. Specifically, method 100 includes using one or more of emitters 14 (e.g., an emission subsystem) to flood (block 102) a detection area 30 with electromagnetic radiation (e.g., electromagnetic radiation beam 28) using an emission subsystem. For example, control unit 18 may cause one or more of emitters 14 to intermittently or substantially continuously flood detection area 30 with emitted electromagnetic radiation. Again, the electromagnetic radiation may be of any suitable wavelength capable of being retroreflected by retroreflective marker 24. This includes, but is not limited to, ultraviolet, infrared, and visible wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. It will be appreciated that different emitters 14, and in certain embodiments, different markers 24, may utilize different wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation to facilitate differentiation between various elements within area 30.

After flooding detection area 30 with electromagnetic radiation according to the actions generally represented by block 102, method 100 proceeds to detecting (block 104) electromagnetic radiation that has been reflected from one or more elements (e.g., retroreflective markers 24) in detection area 30. This detection may be performed by one or more detectors 16, which may be positioned relative to emitter 14, as generally described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 . As described above and described in greater detail below, the features performing the detection may be any suitable elements capable of and specifically configured to capture retroreflected electromagnetic radiation and cause the captured retroreflected electromagnetic radiation to be correlated to an area of detector 16, such that information transmitted from detector 16 to control unit 18 maintains positional information regarding which of the markers 24 reflected electromagnetic radiation to detector 16. As a specific but non-limiting example, one or more of detectors 16 (e.g., present as a detection subsystem) may include a charge-coupled device within an optical camera or similar feature.

As described above, during operation of tracking system 10, and while a person 70 and/or objects 26, 32 are present within detection zone 30, changes in reflected electromagnetic radiation can be expected. These changes can be tracked (block 106) using a combination of one or more detectors 16 and a routine executed by processing circuitry of control unit 18. As an example, tracking changes in reflected electromagnetic radiation according to the actions generally represented by block 106 can include monitoring changes in the reflection pattern from a grid over a period of time, monitoring changes in a spectral signature potentially caused by certain absorptive and/or diffusely or specularly reflecting elements present within detection zone 30, or by monitoring certain moving retroreflective elements. As described below, control unit 18 can be configured to perform certain types of tracking of changes in reflections depending on the nature of the control to be performed within a particular amusement park attraction environment.

Substantially simultaneously, or shortly after tracking changes in reflected electromagnetic radiation in accordance with the actions generally represented by block 106, certain information may be evaluated (block 108) by control unit 18 as a result of these changes. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the evaluated information may include information about one or more individuals (e.g., amusement park guests, amusement park employees) to enable control unit 18 to monitor the movement and positioning of various individuals and/or make determinations regarding whether a person is appropriately positioned relative to certain amusement park features. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the information evaluated by control unit 18 may include information about objects 26, 32, which may be environmental objects, mobile objects, amusement park equipment 12, or any other device, item, or other feature present within detection area 30. Further details regarding the manner in which information may be evaluated are described in greater detail below with reference to specific examples of amusement park equipment that is at least partially controlled by control unit 18.

As illustrated, method 100 also includes controlling (block 110) amusement park equipment based on information evaluated according to the actions generally represented by block 108 (e.g., monitored or analyzed movement of people and/or objects). It should be noted that this control can be performed in conjunction with simultaneous tracking and evaluation, enabling control unit 18 to appropriately perform many of the steps set forth in method 100 on a substantially continuous basis and in real time (e.g., at approximately the capture rate of detector 16). Additionally, the amusement park equipment controlled according to the actions generally represented by block 110 can include automated equipment such as rides, access gates, point-of-sale kiosks, information displays, or any other actuatable amusement park equipment. As another example, control unit 18 can control certain show effects, such as the ignition of flames or fireworks, as a result of the tracking and evaluation performed according to method 100. Further details regarding some of these specific examples are described in greater detail below.

According to a more specific aspect of the present disclosure, this embodiment relates to tracking certain objects 26, 32 and people 70 within an amusement park attraction area. In certain embodiments, amusement park equipment can be controlled based on this information. The amusement park equipment controlled according to this embodiment can include, for example, robots, automated vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and performance equipment (e.g., flames, fireworks). According to this aspect, FIG11 illustrates an embodiment of a method 120 for monitoring reflection patterns as a result of monitoring any one or two people within an amusement park area to track and control automated amusement park equipment.

As illustrated, method 120 includes monitoring (block 122) the reflected pattern. Monitoring performed according to the actions generally represented by block 122 may be considered to be performed using tracking system 10, either alone or in combination with other features of an amusement park control system. To facilitate discussion, the present disclosure set forth below may refer to a control system that is communicatively coupled to many different devices, including tracking system 10, and to amusement park equipment to be controlled.

Monitoring the reflected pattern according to block 122 can include monitoring a number of different features in the manner described above with respect to Figures 3-9. Thus, monitoring performed according to block 122 can include monitoring the pattern generated by a tracked marker within the detection area 30 over time, or can include monitoring the reflected pattern generated at any one time by a plurality of retroreflective markers 24 positioned within the detection area 30 (e.g., a grid), or a combination of these techniques. Still further, monitoring performed according to block 122 can involve no use of markers 24, such as in situations where the tracking system 10 is employed to track specular and/or diffuse reflections. In certain embodiments, a combination of these patterns can be monitored according to block 122, for example, when one or more of the retroreflective markers 24 are positioned on a person 70, while other retroreflective markers 24 are positioned on other objects 32, walls 93, floor 92, or any other environmental features within the detection area 30.

Method 120 also includes determining (block 124) a difference between the detected reflection pattern and a stored reflection pattern. For example, the detected pattern can be considered to be the pattern generated by a single or multiple tracked retroreflective markers 24 at any one moment in time (e.g., using a grid) or over time. The stored pattern can be considered to represent a pattern stored in the memory 22 of the control unit 18, which can be associated with different types of information (such as behavioral information, certain types of movement, orientation and/or position, altitude or other geometric information, etc.). In one embodiment, the control unit 18 can determine the difference between the detected reflection pattern and the stored reflection pattern to further determine whether the detected pattern is associated with a particular control action associated with the stored pattern based on this information alone or when combined with additional a priori information (e.g., a priori knowledge of the expected path of travel through the amusement park, a priori knowledge of the size and shape of the objects 26, 32).

Method 120 may also include using the identified location to cause the triggering (including blocking) of an automated amusement park device (block 128). For example, the identified location may cause the control unit 18 to trigger a show effect, adjust an operating parameter of a ride vehicle, adjust the orientation, speed, etc. of a motorized object (e.g., a UAV), or the like. Still further, in the case where certain show effects are associated with controlled objects (e.g., controlled ride vehicles), the show effect may be triggered based at least in part on the location, orientation, speed, etc. of the controlled object.

An exemplary embodiment of an amusement park attraction and control system 140 that can perform all or a portion of method 120 is depicted in FIG12 . Specifically, system 140 of FIG12 includes a control system 142, which can include processing circuitry configured to perform functions for a particular amusement park attraction and coordinate those actions with tracking system 10. Indeed, as illustrated, control system 142 can include control unit 18. As also illustrated, control system 142 is communicatively coupled to an emission subsystem 144 including one or more of emitters 14 and a detection subsystem 146 including one or more of detectors 16.

In some embodiments, control system 142 can track and control the automation attraction equipment 12 that is coupled to by communication and/or operation using the information that obtains from detection subsystem 146 and the routine and reference information that are stored in the processing circuit of control unit 18. The amusement park attraction shown in Figure 12 and the particular embodiment of control system 140 are configured to carry out various monitoring and control actions based at least in part on the reflection pattern that obtains from the retroreflective marker 24 on the static and/or mobile element that is positioned at detection zone 30. As an example, detection zone 30 can represent that the automation mobile object is configured to move around the attraction area to reach the amusement park attraction area of entertainment purpose, interactivity purpose etc. The operation of attraction equipment 12 is described in further detail below.

In the particular embodiment shown in Figure 12, can think that retroreflective marking 24 is divided into first subset 148 and second subset 150.Each mark 24 of first subset 148 is in or less than the threshold distance from attraction equipment 12 from the distance of attraction equipment 12.Really, can think that first subset 148 of retroreflective marking 24 represents the vicinity of attraction equipment 12, this means that can think that any object or people on one or more on the retroreflective marking 24 that are positioned at first subset 148 are positioned as closely approaching attraction equipment 12.On the other hand, the mark 24 of second subset 150 has the distance outside the predetermined distance that exceeds definition first subset 148.Therefore, can think that second subset 150 of mark 24 exceeds approaching boundary 152 (for example, outside thereof) that is associated with attraction equipment 12.Therefore can think that any object or people that are positioned at second subset 150 are not closely approaching attraction equipment 12.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, can determine based on the specific configuration of attraction equipment 12 and approach boundary 152.For example, if attraction equipment 12 is motorized or movable object, then approach boundary 152 can move with attraction equipment.In addition, the control degree of attraction equipment 12 (for example, the ability of the fine control of the movement of execution attraction equipment 12) can also determine at least in part that approach boundary 152 is apart from the distance of attraction equipment 12.

In operation, the control system 142 can use the emission subsystem 144 and the detection subsystem 146 to monitor certain obstructions (blocking) in the retroreflective markers 24. As an example, the control system 142 can monitor a first subset 148 of the markers 24, and as a result of any identification that one or more of the markers 24 of the first subset 148 are blocked by an object or a person, the attraction device 12 can be prompted to trigger (e.g., move). This trigger can additionally or alternatively be the triggering of a show effect, the triggering of an automated door, or similar actions. However, the triggering of the attraction device 12 may not necessarily represent the triggering of an amusement feature. For example, the triggering of the attraction device 12 can in some cases prompt certain fail-safe devices that prevent certain actions of the attraction device 12 from being involved. An example of such a control action may be to prevent the movement of the attraction device 12 (e.g., to prevent the movement of a robot). For example, as shown in Figure 12, the attraction device 12 may include or be associated with an actuation system 154, which may include various electromechanical drives, brakes, rotors, pumps, propellant release systems, or any other system capable of generating motive force to move the attraction device 12 through the detection area 30.

Attraction equipment 12 can comprise the circuit of certain type that promotes communication and processing in some embodiments.For example, although attraction equipment 12 is shown as and control system 142 communicates via communication line 156, the communication between these features can be wired or wireless.Therefore, in certain embodiments, attraction equipment 12 can comprise for example transceiver 158, and it is configured to make it possible to receive and transmit respectively from and go to the signal of attraction equipment 12.Attraction equipment 12 can also comprise the processing circuit that is configured to process input signal and as the result execution instruction of this processing.This processing circuit is illustrated as and comprises one or more processors 160 and one or more stores 162.

As an example, the control system 142 may relay position, orientation, and/or speed information and instructions to the attraction device 12 via the transceiver 158 (and communications equipment associated with the control system 142), and the attraction device 12 may process the information and instructions to make position, orientation, and/or speed adjustments using the actuation system 154.

As described above, the presently disclosed tracking system 10 can be used to track one or more targets within a detection area 30, including multiple people 70 and multiple objects 26, 32, both individually and in relation to each other, as well as amusement park equipment 12. Again, one or more emitters 14, one or more detectors 16, and one or more control units 18 can be utilized in combination with each other and with the control system 142 to perform such tracking. FIG13 schematically illustrates a top view of an embodiment of a detection area 30 including a floor 92 having an embodiment of a grid 90 applied thereto (see, for example, FIG5 and FIG7). Specifically, FIG13 schematically illustrates how the tracking system 10 tracks the position and movement of both a machine 170 (objects 26, 32) and a person 70 within the detection area 30. The machine 70 can be considered to represent a specific embodiment of an amusement park equipment 12. For clarity, the person 70 is depicted as a circle, while the machine 170 is depicted as a polygon.

The tracking schematically illustrated in FIG13 can be used in areas where humans 70 are expected to interact with or be in close proximity to machines 170, such as warehouse or factory floors, or amusement park attractions with interactive show elements and equipment. For example, in a parade show, various robots can move around an amusement park area, at least a portion of which is detection area 30. Humans 70 watching the parade can also be in detection area 30. Similarly, in a factory environment, humans 70 can move around floor 92 while machines 170 are present.

In a typical parade or similar environment, people will remain behind physical barriers that prevent machines 170 and/or people 70 from coming within a certain proximity of each other. However, it is now recognized that it may be desirable to remove physical barriers between people 70 and mobile machines 170. It is also now recognized that distance barriers can be used in place of physical barriers to achieve the ability of machines 170 and control systems 142 to react in a timely manner just as effectively as physical barriers.

It is also now recognized that large physical obstacles between machines 170 and people 70 can become pinch points for flow (e.g., human and/or machine traffic). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control system 142 can utilize inherent show reasons (e.g., reasons associated with the normal course of an entertainment show) to allow a specific amount of space when the machine 170 is performing rapid, complex moves, and then allow contact at other times when the machine 170 is in a dormant state.

In an alternative setting, humans 70 may work in conjunction with machines 170 (e.g., robots) in a factory environment to perform certain tasks. In this case, for example, detection area 30 may be considered to represent the factory floor. Typically, machines and other equipment are at least partially controlled by human operators, for example, as fail-safe devices. It is now recognized that this embodiment can be used to reduce reliance on human operators to control equipment, which can enhance the efficiency of, for example, manufacturing processes, inventory processes, and the like.

In the illustrated embodiment, the tracking system 10 is configured to track the movement and position of people 70 and machines 170 and function as a whole or as part of a machine guard that prevents machines 170 from colliding with people 70 within the detection zone 30. To function as a machine guard system, the tracking system 10 can be configured to determine the presence of people 70 and machines 170 on the floor 92 and track their positions, as well as assess their positions relative to one another. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the detection zone 30 includes a grid pattern 90 of retroreflective markers 24, as described in detail above with reference to Figures 5 and 7. The control unit 18 can assess the blockage of the retroreflective markers 24, for example by comparing the currently detected reflection pattern with stored patterns, to determine whether the blockage is characteristic of a person or group of people 70 or a machine or group of machines 170. For example, the control unit 18 can assess the geometry of features causing the blockage of certain retroreflective markers 24 and determine whether the geometry is more closely associated with a person 70 (or group of people 70) or a machine 170 (or group of machines 170).

Although the illustrated embodiment includes retroreflective markers 24 disposed in a pattern on floor 92, other embodiments may utilize different methods for detecting the presence of people 70 and machines 170 moving about floor 92. For example, retroreflective markers 24 may be disposed on clothing of people 70 (see, e.g., FIG3 ), or tracking system 10 may be configured to identify and determine the location of people 70 and/or machines 170 without the use of retroreflective markers 24 at all, as discussed with respect to FIG5 .

The tracking system 10 can provide control signals to various machines 170 operating on the floor based on the detected position and movement of a person 70 on the floor (e.g., based on the vector magnitude, vector orientation, and/or vector significance of the movement). As an example, a machine 170 can receive a go/no-go signal from the control system 142 (e.g., the control unit 18 of the tracking system 10). That is, the machine 170 can be operated to move along certain predetermined trajectories and perform desired functions according to predetermined routines stored in memory 162 (see FIG. 12 ). When the tracking system 10 detects that a person 70 or another machine 170 is about to cross the path of one of these machines 170, the tracking system can send a "no-go" signal to the machine 170, prompting the machine 170 to stop its routine and wait until a go signal is provided again (e.g., remain stationary). Once the person 70 is out of the machine 170's path, the control unit 18 can send a "go" signal prompting the machine 170 to resume its intended operation (e.g., resume movement). In other embodiments, the machine 170 may receive specific dynamic instructions from the control system 142 (e.g., the control unit 18) based on the detected position and movement of the person 70 on the floor. For example, the tracking system 10 may prompt the machine 170 to switch from one operation to another or redirect its trajectory along the floor 92 in response to the position of the person 70 detected by the tracking system 10.

As also illustrated, certain retroreflective markers 24 may be positioned on the machine 170 to provide additional tracking functionality and information. For example, the combination of grid blocking information and tracking information regarding the moving retroreflective markers 24 on the machine 170 may enable greater freedom of movement of the machine 170 and greater control of their movement by the control system 142. As an example, the retroreflective markers 24 on the machine 170 may be configured to reflect the electromagnetic radiation beam 28 (or other electromagnetic radiation) back to the detector 16 (or detector group 16) at a different frequency than a retroreflective marker 24 positioned on the floor using different retroreflective elements, different coatings, etc.

As explained above with respect to FIG12, the tracking system 10 can monitor the position of a person 70 and/or objects 26, 32 relative to certain amusement facility equipment 12 and can establish proximity boundaries 152 relative to the amusement facility equipment 12 to determine, for example, whether certain control actions may need to be performed. As illustrated in FIG14, a plurality of such proximity boundaries, illustrated as boundary zones 180, can be applied by the tracking system 10 around one or more of the machines 170 on the floor 92. Each of the boundary zones 180 can extend a certain distance away from the outer perimeter of a corresponding one of the machines 170 being tracked by the tracking system 10. In accordance with this aspect of the present disclosure, it is now recognized that the boundary zones 180 can, in certain embodiments, replace the physical boundary between a person 70 and an automated machine 170 altogether to enhance interactivity between the person 70 and the machine 170.

According to some embodiments, boundary zone 180 may be defined relative to the location of a detected retroreflective marker 24 located on one of machines 170. That is, for each machine 170, one boundary zone 180 may be defined relative to the retroreflective marker 24 located on that same machine 170. Additionally or alternatively, boundary zone 180 may be defined by a distance relative to a detected boundary of the machine 170 discernible based on obstruction of grid pattern 90. Indeed, for example, tracking system 10 may define boundary zone 180 as a certain number of retroreflective markers 24 extending the grid 90 from the machine 170, rather than a specific distance measured in meters.

Tracking system 10 can monitor a boundary zone 180 for each machine 170, and when one or another machine 170 among people 70 crosses into boundary zone 180, control unit 18 can provide a control signal to machine 170 instructing it to adjust its movement (e.g., stop, redirect). In some embodiments, a different range, shape, or distance of boundary zone 180 extending from a machine 170 can be applied to each of the machines 170 located on floor 92, for example, based on the machine's size, shape, maneuverability, etc. However, in other embodiments, the same distance of boundary zone 180 extending from a machine 170 can be applied to all machines 170 on the floor. In yet another embodiment, boundary zone 180 can be applied to both machines 170 and people 70, such that when a boundary zone 180 of one of the machines 170 intersects a boundary zone 180 of one of the people 70, control unit 18 sends a control signal to the machine 170 to divert or stop the machine's operation (e.g., movement).

As noted above with respect to FIG. 9A , the use of a grid 90 in combination with a single detector 16 may, in some embodiments, limit the ability of tracking system 10 to track and control the movement of an object in more than two spatial dimensions. However, the use of multiple detectors 16 and/or the use of a grid 90 located on additional features (e.g., wall 93), and/or retroreflective markers 24 located on machine 170 may enable tracking system 10 to monitor and control the movement of machine 170 in three spatial dimensions. For example, in embodiments where machine 170 is capable of moving both within the plane of floor 92 and laterally relative to the plane of floor 92 (e.g., upward), tracking system 10 may cause machine 170 to move within the plane of floor 92, laterally relative to the plane of floor 92, or a combination of both, as appropriate. In this regard, boundary zones 180 may be applied not only in directions along the plane of floor 92 but also in directions laterally relative to floor 92, so that tracking system 10 ensures an appropriate amount of clearance to avoid collisions. As described in further detail below, one such machine capable of this type of movement may include an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) controlled by or otherwise in communication with the control system 142 and tracking system 10 .

FIG15 illustrates a method 200 for using the boundary zone 180 illustrated and described with reference to FIG14 . The method 200 may include steps stored in the memory 22 and executable by one or more processors 20 of the control unit 18 . The steps of the method 200 may be performed in a different order than shown or omitted altogether. Furthermore, some of the illustrated blocks may be performed in combination with one another. Furthermore, although described from the perspective of a single machine 170 , the method 200 may be applied to multiple machines 170 simultaneously.

In the illustrated embodiment, method 200 includes determining (block 202) the location of machine 170 based on the location of reflected electromagnetic radiation received by detector 16 of tracking system 10. Again, this location can be determined based on the detection of electromagnetic radiation reflected from retroreflective markers 24 (disposed on the floor and/or on machine 170 itself), including the absence of such electromagnetic radiation at an expected location. In other embodiments, control unit 18 can interpret the reflection of electromagnetic radiation received via detector 16 as having a contour corresponding to machine 170.

The method 200 also includes applying a boundary (e.g., a boundary zone 180) to the machine location (and/or the human location, whichever is the case) (block 204). Again, the boundary zone 180 may be applied in two or three spatial dimensions and may include not only scalar distance information but also, in addition or alternatively, a number of retroreflective markers 24 within the grid 90.

The method 200 also includes determining (block 206) the proximity of the machine 170 (having the bounding region 180) to another machine 170, a person 70, a stationary object, etc., and any bounding regions associated with those tracked features. The determination associated with block 206 can be performed, for example, by comparing the positions of the two identified objects in question to each other and estimating, modeling, etc., the distance between the two.

Furthermore, method 200 includes determining (INQUIRY 208) whether the identified proximity is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, which may correspond to a distance associated with boundary region 180. Thus, the threshold may be the same for all machines 170 or may be different for certain machines 170.

If the determined proximity is less than or equal to the threshold distance, method 200 includes adjusting (block 210) the operation of machine 170 or redirecting machine 17. As discussed above, control unit 18 of tracking system 10 may send a control signal to a controller of machine 170 (e.g., in communication with or associated with actuation system 154 of FIG. 12 ) to cause such adjustment and/or redirection of machine 170. However, if the determined proximity is greater than the threshold distance, no change is made and method 200 is repeated.

In some embodiments, the degree of adjustment may depend on the proximity determination associated with query 208. For example, if vector information associated with the movement of machine 170 indicates that machine 170 has a certain likelihood of colliding with another feature or person in detection zone 30, control unit 18 may cause a relatively small adjustment to some aspect of the machine's movement that, over time, causes machine 170 to avoid collisions with other features or people. In other words, tracking system 10 may involve a certain amount of predictive control to mitigate situations where a positive answer to query 208 is given. In this regard, other variations of method 200 may be used in other embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, method 200 may not include applying boundary 180 to the machine position (block 204), but may instead include estimating the outer edge of machine 170 based on electromagnetic radiation reflected onto detector 16 and determining the proximity of that outer edge to other machines 170, people 70, and so on.

Continuing with the example mentioned above regarding the movement of automated amusement park equipment in a parade setting, the tracking system 10 can also evaluate information regarding the grouping of people 70 relative to individual machines 170 to enhance interactivity between people 70 and machines 170 (e.g., by removing physical barriers or reducing reliance on them). More specifically, the control system 142 can use the tracking system 10 to monitor and control interactive systems where the variable actuation and controlled embodiments of amusement park equipment 12 are closely integrated with the audience. The tracking system 10 can be configured to provide control signals to the show motion equipment 12, which causes the actuation of the equipment 12 to closely integrate with or interact with the audience in a relatively efficient and dynamic manner. Figures 16 and 17 illustrate two examples in which the tracking system 10 can help control the show motion equipment 220 to closely integrate with members of the audience 222. By way of non-limiting example, the show motion equipment 220 can include various automation and movement features, such as robots, robots, etc. The audience 222 can include any number of people 70 standing in close proximity to each other.

As shown in FIG16 , as would be expected when seating is available, the audience 222 is scattered throughout the detection area 30 and does not include a clearly describable group. The dynamic performance motion device 220 is configured to weave its way through the audience 222 based on tracking performed according to the embodiments described above. For example, the tracking system 10 can identify the location of the person 70 in the audience 222 by detecting reflections of electromagnetic radiation from the person 70 themselves, by evaluating the obstruction of the grid 90 on the floor 92, by tracking retroreflections from retroreflective markers 24 disposed on the person's clothing, or any combination thereof.

Using the detected position of person 70, control system 142 (e.g., including tracking system 10) can identify the presence of a void 224 within audience 222 and assess this void 224 to implement certain types of movement of dynamic performance motion device 220. Upon identifying void 224 within audience 222 and any associated assessments thereof (e.g., a comparison of the size of void 224 to the size of performance motion device 220, the likelihood that void 224 will change based on the movement vector of person 70), control system 142 (including tracking system 10) can provide a control signal to performance motion device 220 to actuate performance motion device 220 to move into void 224. As illustrated by arrow 226, performance motion device 220 can move into void 224 formed within audience 222, and as person 70 moves into different locations around performance motion device 220, tracking system 10 can continue to dynamically determine the locations of voids 224 in the audience that performance motion device 220 can fill. Thus, the control system 142 controls the show motion device 220 to move in and out of the open space, thereby allowing the show motion device 220 to dynamically adapt to the audience 222 .

In FIG17 , dynamic performance motion devices 220 are configured to target specific groups 230 of people 70 for enhanced interaction. Based on the techniques disclosed above, control system 142 (including tracking system 10) can identify the locations of people 70 present in detection area 30 by detecting reflections of electromagnetic radiation from the people 70 themselves or from retroreflective markers 24 arranged in a pattern along the floor where group 70 stands. Based on the detected locations of people 70, control system 142 (including tracking system 10) can detect groups 230 of people 70 present within area 30. That is, control system 142 can determine where along detection area 30 people 70 are most densely clustered in groups 230 based on the locations of people 70. Upon identifying a group 230, control system 142 can provide control signals to performance motion devices 220 to actuate performance motion devices 220 to move into relatively close proximity with group 230. In some embodiments, performance motion devices 220 initially positioned away from groups 230 can be actuated to move toward one of the identified groups 230, as illustrated by arrow 232. In other embodiments, the control system 142 may send a signal to a performance motion device 220 located near the identified group 230 to trigger an effect via the performance motion device 220. When different components of the performance motion device 220 are positioned in certain orientations relative to each other, other actions (such as interactions, effects, or stops between components) may be initiated.

It should be noted that in any form of dynamic performance motion device interaction with a person 70, as illustrated in Figures 16 and 17, the performance motion device 220 can be controlled to maintain a desired threshold distance from the person 70 or other performance motion devices 220 within the detection area 30. Specifically, the control system 142 can utilize a control scheme similar to that discussed above with reference to the method 200, for example, to maintain a spatial barrier rather than a physical barrier around each component of the performance motion device 220. In some embodiments, the physical barrier may not be eliminated but may be less restrictive, thereby allowing for more enhanced interaction between the person 70 and the device 220.

The enhanced interactivity afforded by the disclosed embodiments of the tracking system 10 is not necessarily limited to scenarios involving moving vehicles or similar devices through crowds. Indeed, the tracking system 10 can be used in some embodiments to provide feedback for evaluating the animation quality of an animated character, such as an automated device with human-like features. Other embodiments of an animated character can include a robotic dog, cat, or other organism whose movements can be simulated using a robot. FIG18 illustrates an embodiment of an automated device 250 equipped with a plurality of retroreflective markers 24, each of which is placed at strategic points along the automated device 250 (e.g., the top and bottom of the head, shoulders, elbows, and wrists). The placement of the retroreflective markers 24 enables tracking of the automated device's movements. As all or part of the automated device 250's movement through space and time, one or more of the emitters 14 can emit an electromagnetic radiation beam 28 toward the automated device 250, and one or more detectors 16 can detect reflections of the electromagnetic radiation beam 28 from the retroreflective markers 24. Based on the data received from one or more detectors 16, control unit 18 can determine the approximate positions of the various limbs of robot 250 and compare these approximate positions to the expected positions stored in memory 22. Thus, control unit 18 can determine whether the limbs of robot 250 are operating within predetermined constraints. Feedback 252 based on this analysis or representing raw or minimally processed data can be provided from control unit 18 to other amusement park processing and control features, such as animation control circuitry 254. Again, similar techniques can be applied to any desired animated character, not just one representing a human. It should be noted that techniques according to this embodiment can be used to calibrate robot 250 and other such moving devices, for example, to provide consistent realistic motion. For example, robot 250 can be tracked according to this technique and matched to a motion template associated with realistic motion. Control unit 18 can periodically perform recalibration of robot 250 within the amusement park according to the motion template by tracking the movement of retroreflective markers 24 located on robot 250 and adjusting the movement of robot 250 so that the movement of markers 24 substantially corresponds to the motion template. Such calibration may be performed, for example, when no objects or people are expected to be close to or positioned within the field of view of the robotic device 250 .

Machine control in the manner set forth above can also be applied to amusement park equipment 12 that is capable of moving throughout an amusement park 268, as illustrated in the top view of FIG19. Indeed, as illustrated in FIG19, it is now recognized that the disclosed tracking system 10 can be used in conjunction with, for example, an unmanned aerial system (UAS) 270 to track the position and movement of one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAS) 272 to, for example, provide all or part of a light show, enhance a themed show, support special effects, for surveillance, interact with people, broadcast wireless (e.g., WiFi) signals, and similar functions within the amusement park 268.

More specifically, FIG19 depicts an example layout of an amusement park 268 in which one or more UAVs 272 can be tracked in three spatial dimensions and in time using the disclosed tracking system 10. According to certain embodiments, the tracking system 10 can track retroreflective markers 24 located on (e.g., affixed to) the UAVs 272. According to the embodiments discussed above with respect to FIG9A , the presence of multiple retroreflective markers 24 on the UAVs 272 can enable the detector 16 to compare electromagnetic signals reflected from different markers 24 to determine the position, orientation, velocity, etc. of each UAV 272. As shown, each UAV 272 includes three retroreflective markers 24, although fewer or more retroreflective markers 24 may be used depending on the tracking performed by the tracking system 10 and the intended manner of movement of the UAVs 272.

Tracking UAVs 272 according to this embodiment may also enable automated control of their movements, for example by providing tracking information generated by the tracking system 10 as feedback to UAV control circuitry 274 associated with the control system 142. For example, the UAV control circuitry 274 may be one or more instruction sets (e.g., software packages) stored on a memory of the control system 142 (such as the memory 22 of the control unit 18), or may include one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more general-purpose processors, or any combination thereof. The UAV control circuitry 274 may also include a communication device configured to communicate with the UAVs 272, although it is presently contemplated that the UAVs 272 may utilize communication technology shared by the tracking system 10 to facilitate processing and control of the UAV's position, velocity, and the like.

One or more of the tracking systems 10 can be positioned within the amusement park 268. Indeed, as explained above, the use of multiple detection devices enables enhanced tracking capabilities, particularly when the target being tracked is expected to have several degrees of freedom of movement. Thus, the amusement park 268 will typically include at least a plurality of detectors 16 to enable the tracking system 10 to obtain a signal from at least one of the retroreflective markers 24 on the UAV 272 at any given time, regardless of the orientation of the UAV 272 relative to the ground. As illustrated, the UAV 272 can move along a guest pathway 276, which can be used by people 70 to travel on foot (or on a conveyance) between certain attractions (e.g., buildings 278). Elements of the tracking system 10 can be positioned on some or all of the buildings 278, for example, on portions of the buildings 278 that face the guest pathway 276. This can allow the emitters 14 to have overlapping electromagnetic emissions (e.g., beams 28) so that each retroreflective marker 24 is substantially continuously illuminated, thereby allowing the detector 16 associated with the emitter 14 to have a substantially continuous field of view of the traveling UAV 272. The emitters 14 and detectors 16 can alternatively or additionally be positioned on other environmental objects in the amusement park 268 or on their own supports. For example, as shown in FIG19 , one or more of the emitters 14 and one or more of the detectors 16 can be affixed to a pillar 280 positioned proximate to the pathway 276 in a manner that allows the emitters 14 to emit beams of electromagnetic radiation 28 into or onto the pathway 276 and the detectors 16 to receive retroreflected light from retroreflective elements on the pathway 276 or on the UAV 272.

The amusement park 268 may use a single control unit 18 that communicates (e.g., wirelessly) with several (e.g., some or all) emitters 14 and detectors 16 positioned along a pathway 276, or may use several control units 18 as illustrated. As the UAVs 272 travel along the pathway 276, which may represent the detection zones 30 of several tracking systems 10, they may travel through and beyond the detection zones 30 of each emitter/detector pair. Thus, the control system 142 may coordinate the switching of signals from one detector 16 to another as the UAVs 272 travel along the pathway 276 to achieve substantially continuous tracking of each UAV 272. Such switching may also occur between the control units 18 of the tracking systems 10. That is, when one tracking system 10 stops tracking one of the UAVs 272 because the UAV 272 has moved out of the detection area 30 associated with its transmitter 14 and detector 16, it can (e.g., based on the vector orientation and significance of the UAV's movement) switch tracking of that UAV 272 to another tracking system 10 positioned along the predicted path of the UAV 272.

Tracking system 10 can also track the obstruction of grid 90 by retroreflective markers 24 on pathway 276 of floor 92, which can correspond to the description above regarding people 70 and machines 170 in the tracking area. Indeed, tracking system 10 can be configured to track the presence and location of people 70 (such as a group of people 70) along pathway 276. Tracking people 70 along pathway 276 can be desirable for a number of reasons, such as to enable UAV 272 to avoid collisions with people 70 and achieve enhanced interactions with people 70. Furthermore, tracking system 10 can also use the obstruction of grid 90 as part of an overall tracking method for tracking UAV 272. For example, one or more of detectors 16 can have a top view of pathway 276 and UAV 272, such that UAV 272 is located between grid 90 and detectors 16. Thus, in some embodiments, tracking system 10 can associate certain patterns of grid obstruction with UAV 272.

The tracking system 10 may also associate a boundary 282 with a group of people 70, for example, using the grid 90, to enable the tracking system and the UAV control system 274 to keep the UAVs 272 a certain distance away from the people 70. The tracking system 10 may also monitor certain areas where people 70 are expected to gather or group, such as guest seating areas 284, and may apply boundaries 286 to these areas in order to keep the UAVs 272 a certain distance away from the seating areas 284.

In this regard, the UAV control system 274 may be configured to adjust the flight path of the UAV 272 due to a number of reasons, including proximity to the boundaries 282, 286, or when the UAV control system 274 evaluates certain diagnostic information associated with the UAVs 272 and determines that one of the UAVs 272 requires maintenance.

To achieve enhanced interaction, flight path adjustments, and other aspects mentioned above with respect to the UAVs 272, each of the UAVs 272 can have various components 288, which can include, among other things, various electrical and electromechanical systems. As illustrated, in a general sense, the UAVs 272 can include a motion control system 290 that includes various electromechanical devices, such as helicopter-like blades, various pumps associated with a propulsion system, or the like. In embodiments where the UAVs 272 utilize a propulsion system, the propulsion system can utilize compressed gas and/or combustible fuel and oxidizer. The lift system associated with the UAVs 272 can also include a propulsion-based lift system, or can utilize rotating blades to create lift as implemented in a helicopter, or a combination of these features.

Components 288 may also include various interactive features 292 that enable enhanced interaction with person 70, such as coordination of performance effects and/or specific effects for a performance performed within performance area 294. By way of non-limiting example, interactive features may include audio transducers such as speakers or microphones, and may include various electromagnetic radiation sources such as lasers, light emitting diodes (LEDs), flashlights, etc. Additionally or alternatively, interactive features 292 may include other emitters that provide discernible stimuli to person 70, such as scent emitters configured to emit certain chemicals associated with certain types of scents, compressed air emitters that emit bursts of compressed air for tactile stimulation, etc.

In order to enable the UAV 272 to be controlled by the UAV control system 274, and in some embodiments, to enable redundant tracking of the UAV 272, the component 288 may also include a communication system 296. The communication system 296 may include various communication devices, such as a WiFi transceiver, a radio frequency communication device, or any other device capable of communicating via certain bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. The communication system 296 may enable the UAV 272 to communicate with the UAV control system 274, and vice versa, to enable the UAV control system 274 to initiate position adjustments using the motion control system 290, to cause the UAV to trigger one or more performance effects or other interactive elements using the interactive features 292, and so on.

Having described various features of UAV 272 and amusement park 268, various aspects related to the operation of UAV 272 will be described in further detail herein to provide a better understanding of certain aspects of the present embodiment. For example, as UAVs 272 travel along pathway 276, tracking system 10 can track them based on their associated retroreflective markers 24 and/or based on the aforementioned grid blocking. When UAV 272 encounters an object or person, as illustrated by a group of people 70 approaching one of buildings 278, tracking system 10 can recognize that UAV 272 has a trajectory that would potentially cause UAV 272 to interfere with people 70. Consequently, UAV control system 274 can communicate with UAV 272 to instruct UAV 272 to alter its flight path around boundary 282 associated with group of people 70. The adjusted flight path of UAV 272 is generally shown as arrow 298.

The tracking system 10 can also be used to keep the UAV 272 within certain areas of the amusement park 268. For example, the tracking system 10 can track the retroreflective markers 24 on the UAV 272 relative to a known boundary 300, which can be considered to represent an area that is not in the field of view of one or more of the tracking system 10. Therefore, if the tracking system 10 determines that the UAV 272 has gone outside or exceeded the known boundary 300, the UAV control system 274 can send a control signal to the UAV 272 that causes the UAV 272 to stop or be directed to a different area. Similarly, the UAV 272 can include onboard features to perform this operation, as described in further detail below.

As shown, the UAV 272 can be directed along a number of different pathways depicted as dashed arrows leading to different environmental features of the amusement park 268. For example, the UAV control system 274 can direct the UAV 272 along a first path 302 to a stopping area 304. The stopping area 304 is generally intended to represent an area of the amusement park 268 that is away from areas where people 70 are located and/or away from areas where show attractions are located. In this manner, the stopping area 304 can also be intended to represent an emergency stopping location.

The UAV 272 may be directed to a stopping area 304 for a number of reasons. As one example, the UAV control system 274 may determine, based on diagnostic information, that the UAV 272 requires repair or maintenance. In these cases, the UAV 272 may be directed along the first path 302 to a stopping area 304 accessible to various technicians or other operators who may then repair the UAV 272. Alternatively, the UAV 272 may include its own flight path adjustment instructions, which in some cases may be executed by the mobile control system 290. For example, if the communication system 296 of the UAV 272 loses connection with the control system 274, the UAV 272 may direct itself to the nearest area deemed to be away from guests and show attractions, in this case, the stopping area 304.

In other embodiments, the UAV 272 can be directed along the second pathway 306 back toward the guest pathway 276. For example, the UAV 272 can begin traveling along the first path 302 and change its destination in response to certain instructions updated by the UAV control system 274. For example, if the control system 274 determines that the UAV 272 needs assistance during a performance, the UAV control system 274 can send appropriate instructions to the UAV 272 to deviate from the first path 302 to the second path 306 and toward the guest pathway 276, which can lead to the performance area 294. Thus, the UAV control system 274 can make real-time adjustments to the various flight paths of the UAV 272 as needed.

As yet another example of a deviated flight path, the UAV 272 may be diverted from the first path 302 to a third path 308 leading to one of the buildings 278. Such a flight path adjustment may be made by the UAV control system 274 in response to the UAV 272 being outside of a particular communication range or outside of the range of one or more of the tracking systems 10.

Thus, the UAV control system 274 may generally send a signal to the UAV 272 that causes the UAV 272 to return to a particular area of the amusement park 268 to reestablish tracking by the tracking system 10. Further, the UAV 272 may have automated routines that are executed when certain connections are terminated between the UAV 272 and the UAV control system 274. In one such example, the UAV 272 may follow an adjusted flight path (such as illustrated by the third flight path 308) that directs the UAV 272 to a known location or a location having a particular type of beacon that can be recognized by the communication system 296 of the UAV 222.

The UAV control system 274 can also coordinate the movements of the UAV 272 with the performers 310 in the performance area 294, in combination with one or more of the tracking systems 10 located at the performance area 294. For example, upon receiving tracking information from the tracking system 10, the UAV control system 274 can coordinate the movements of the UAV 272 with the tracked movements of the performers 310 and/or any other objects within the performance area 294. Furthermore, the UAV 272 can provide enhanced interactivity to guests in the guest seats 284 by moving from the performance area 294 to within the boundaries 286 of the guest seats 284 and back. In the event that the UAV control system 274 determines that the UAV is not performing as expected or begins to drift out of the tracked location, or in any other adverse circumstances, the UAV control system 274 can direct the UAV 272 to one of a plurality of stopping zones 312 and initiate a stop of the UAV 272. Within the stopping zone 312, the initiated stop of the UAV 272 may cause the UAV 272 to shut down. As an example, the stopping area 312 may be an island surrounded by a body of water, or a separate body of water where it is undesirable for the person 70 or other show object to be located.

Example configurations of the UAV 272 can be further appreciated with respect to Figures 20 and 21 , which are bottom and elevation views, respectively, of various embodiments of the UAV 272. Specifically, the bottom view of the embodiment of the UAV 272 illustrated in Figure 20 depicts the UAV 272 as a quadcopter having a plurality of lift and/or propulsion devices 320. The lift and/or propulsion devices 320 are attached to the body 322 of the UAV 272 via arms 324. However, it should be appreciated that the illustrated embodiment of the UAV 272 is merely an example, and other configurations are within the scope of this disclosure. As depicted, the body 322 and arms 324 can be equipped with one or more retroreflective markers 24. Thus, the tracking system 10 can be configured to track the three-dimensional spatial movement of the UAV 272 in real time. For example, the UAV 272 can have at least one, at least two, or at least three of the retroreflective markers 24. It will be appreciated that including several retroreflective markers 24 may enable the tracking system 10 to track the UAV 272 with greater precision and accuracy, including tracking the orientation of the UAV 272 based on the relative perspective positioning of the retroreflective markers 24. For example, the orientation of the UAV 272 may be tracked according to the techniques described above with respect to Figures 9B and 9C.

It should also be noted that the positioning of retroreflective markers on the UAV 272 (e.g., on the body 322 and/or the arms 324) may provide the tracking system 10 with the ability to track the roll, pitch, and yaw of the UAV 272. This tracking may be useful for adjusting or otherwise controlling the flight path of the UAV 272 via, for example, the control unit 18 and/or the UAV control system 274.

The illustrated embodiment of the UAV 272 also includes specific examples of components 288. As shown, the components 288 may include a speaker 326, which is part of the interactivity feature 292 depicted in FIG19; a transmitter 328, which is also part of the interactivity feature 292 in FIG19; lift and/or propulsion control circuitry 330, which may be part of the mobility control system 290 in FIG19; and a transceiver 332, which may be part of the communication system 296 depicted in FIG19. The components 288 may also include processing circuitry, including one or more processors 334 and one or more memories 336, for performing various analysis and control routines related to operations or information received from any one or a combination of the components 288.

Turning now to the embodiment of a UAV 272 depicted in FIG. 21 , as shown, UAV 272 can include all or a portion of the tracking system 10 configured in accordance with this embodiment. For example, UAV 272 can incorporate at least one of the emitters 14 and at least one of the detectors 16 via attachment to a body 322 (e.g., attachment to a downward-facing surface 350 of the body 322). Use of the tracking system 10 on UAV 272 can be desirable, for example, to enable UAV 272 to navigate through or otherwise follow a path of retroreflective markers 24 disposed, for example, on pathway 276. Thus, UAV 272 can be configured to navigate at least partially through amusement park 268 using only tracking and instructions contained on or within UAV 272. However, the present disclosure also encompasses embodiments in which the communication system 296 of UAV 272 receives instructions (e.g., to update a destination) from the UAV control system 274 and the UAV 272 follows the retroreflective markers 24 to a specific destination. Thus, it should be appreciated that some of the retroreflective markers 24 forming the paths may have different optical properties that enable the paths to be distinguished from one another. Additionally, the UAV 272 may include the emitter 14 and detector 16 and utilize them to track other devices or track people using any one or a combination of the techniques described above.

The overall structure of the UAV 272 can also be further appreciated with respect to the illustration in Figure 21. As illustrated, the UAV 272 includes a top surface 352, which can serve as a ledge or platform configured to carry certain special effects devices or equipment that comprise or are a portion of all of the interactive features 292. Indeed, features integrated into the UAV 272 can be located on the top surface 352, on the downward-facing portion 350, or anywhere else on the UAV 272.

As described above, the tracking system 10 can be used according to the present embodiment to track several different types of devices, machines, vehicles, etc. Indeed, in addition to tracking robots, UAVs, etc., the present embodiment can utilize the tracking system 10 to track the movement of a riding vehicle in space and time along a physically constrained path (e.g., a track or rail system) or along an unconstrained path (e.g., a path defined by environmental features). Figures 22-25 depict an embodiment in which a riding vehicle 360 (or multiple such vehicles 360) is positioned on a constrained path 362 and tracked using the tracking system 10, while Figures 26-29 depict an embodiment in which a riding vehicle 360 is positioned on an unconstrained path 363 and tracked using the tracking system 10. Tracking can generally be performed according to any one or a combination of the embodiments described above with respect to Figures 3-9, depending on, for example, whether the tracking is for two-dimensional motion or three-dimensional motion.

In evaluating the operation of an amusement park attraction, it may be desirable to spatially track the location of the ride vehicle 360 to ensure that the ride vehicle 360 is moving and operating as expected. If the ride vehicle 360 is not at the expected location or orientation at a certain time, this may indicate that the ride vehicle 360 is not operating as expected and, therefore, may benefit from preventative maintenance.

22 illustrates an embodiment of different ride vehicles 360 on a track 362 that together form an amusement park attraction 364, each ride vehicle 360 featuring one of the retroreflective markers 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D. Each of the markers 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D is configured to retroreflect electromagnetic radiation (e.g., electromagnetic radiation beam 28) at a different frequency back to the detector 16. The tracking system 10 can track the retroreflective markers 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D to distinguish each specific ride vehicle 360 from another and to detect the approximate position of each of the ride vehicles 360 relative to a coordinate system, relative to each other, or both.

For example, in some embodiments, different ride vehicles 360 may be associated with different instructions or location information stored in the control unit 18 of the tracking system 10. In this example, the control unit 18 may be configured to send a control signal configured to cause actuation of certain amusement park equipment 12 when one of the ride vehicles 360 passes a certain point on the track 362. The control unit 18 may identify a particular ride vehicle 360 based on the frequency of electromagnetic radiation reflected by the retroreflective marker 24 associated with that ride vehicle 360, thereby triggering the amusement park equipment (e.g., an effect device) when the ride vehicle 360 passes that point on the track 362. In other embodiments, a specific quality of electromagnetic radiation (e.g., a specific frequency, phase, wavelength) retroreflected by a specific retroreflective marker 24 (e.g., 24A, 24B, 24C, or 24D) may signal the control unit 18 to utilize a different algorithm stored in the memory 22 (e.g., associating the ride vehicle 360 and its marker with different effect devices or different control parameters). It should be appreciated that other types of systems and applications may utilize a tracking system 10 having a control unit 18 that is encoded to follow a first set of instructions when electromagnetic radiation reflected from the retroreflective marker 24 is, for example, at a first frequency and to follow a second set of instructions when electromagnetic radiation from the retroreflective marker 24 is, for example, at a second frequency.

As also explained above, for example with respect to FIG9A , multiple separate detectors 16 can be utilized to each detect the retroreflective marker 24 from a different viewing angle and/or track different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation reflected by the retroreflective marker 24. FIG23 illustrates one such embodiment of a tracking system 10 used to track a ride vehicle 360 in three dimensions. Specifically, the tracking system 10 includes two sets of emitters 14 and detectors 16, illustrated as a first set 370 and a second set 372.

A first emitter/detector assembly 370 is positioned above amusement park attraction 364, and a second emitter/detector assembly 372 is positioned to the side of amusement park attraction 364. Thus, the first assembly 370 is configured to obtain a top view (e.g., a plan view), while the second assembly 372 is configured to obtain an elevation view of the ride vehicle 360. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the first assembly 370 is positioned so that the emitters 14 and detectors 16 are aligned with the plane formed by the X-axis 374 and the Y-axis 376 of the amusement park attraction 364. Furthermore, the second assembly 372 is positioned so that the emitters 14 and detectors 16 are aligned with the plane formed by the X-axis 374 and the Z-axis 378. In this manner, the first assembly 370 can track the position of the ride vehicle 360 along the X-Y plane, while the second assembly 372 can track the position of the ride vehicle 360 along the X-Z plane, which is orthogonal to the X-Y plane. This can provide a relatively accurate approximation of the three-dimensional position and/or orientation of the ride vehicle 360. In embodiments where the ride vehicle 360 operates only in a single plane (e.g., the X-Y plane), only one of the sets 370, 372 of emitters 14 and detectors 16 may be used to track the two-dimensional position of the ride vehicle 360. Alternatively, redundant sets of emitters 14 and detectors 16 may be utilized (e.g., to provide range).

24 , an embodiment is illustrated in which a track 362 is positioned indoors or near an amusement park attraction 364 having a support mechanism for the tracking system 10. More specifically, FIG 24 depicts how the tracking 362 may include complex turns and how the tracking system 10 of the present disclosure may be used to track the movement of a ride vehicle 360 along the track 362.

Tracking system 10 may include one or more emitters 14 configured to emit light beams 28 and detectors 16 configured to detect electromagnetic radiation reflected from objects in the detector's field of view. In the illustrated embodiment, emitters 14 and detectors 16 are positioned on a ceiling 380 of an amusement park attraction 364. However, in other embodiments, emitters 14 and detectors 16 may be positioned along other stationary components of amusement park attraction 364 that face track 362. Each of the ride vehicles 360 includes a retroreflective marker on its outer surface 382. In this scenario, tracking system 10 can be used to determine and maintain an accurate count of the number of ride vehicles 360 present on a particular amusement park attraction 364 and to associate tracking information with a particular ride vehicle 360 (e.g., when the ride vehicles 360 include retroreflective markers 24 having different optical properties).

Multiple emitters 14 and detectors 16 can provide redundancy while monitoring the ride vehicle 360 as it travels along the track 362. Some detectors 16 can be better positioned than others to detect electromagnetic radiation reflected from certain areas of the amusement park attraction 364. In some embodiments, multiple emitters 14 and detectors 16 can be set at different angles throughout the amusement park attraction 364 to provide redundancy, and therefore more accurate tracking, of the various retroreflective markers 24 set within the amusement park attraction 364. Multiple sets of emitters 14 and detectors 16 can be communicatively coupled to the same control unit 18 or different control units 18 in order to compare the results from different detectors 16. However, it should be noted that a single detector 16 can also be used to track the three-dimensional orientation of the ride vehicle 360, for example, according to the techniques described above with respect to Figures 9B and 9C.

As illustrated, track 362 may include a series of complex curves that may otherwise be difficult to track using existing tracking technologies (such as linear encoders). However, according to this embodiment, track 362 may include a plurality of retroreflective markers 24 located thereon, and tracking system 10 (including a plurality of emitters 14 and detectors 16) may track and evaluate the blockage of these retroreflective markers 24 in order to evaluate the performance of ride vehicle 360 on track 362.

The illustrated amusement park attraction 364 also includes a ride control system 382 that communicates with the control unit 18 and includes control circuitry 384 configured to adjust one or more various operating parameters of the ride vehicle 360. Specifically, the control circuitry of the ride control system 382 may include an actuation control circuit 386 and a braking control circuit 388. The actuation control circuit 386 may be implemented as software code stored in memory and executed by one or more associated processors within the amusement park's control system 142, or may be implemented as control logic circuitry local to the amusement park attraction 364.

According to the present embodiment, the amusement park attraction 364 includes the features described above that enable the control unit 18 and the ride control system 382 to monitor the operation of the ride vehicle 360 as it moves along the track 362. The control unit 18 and the ride control system 382 may also adjust the speed, braking, or other operating parameters associated with the ride vehicle 360 as appropriate due to the monitoring performed by the tracking system 10.

As illustrated, track 362 includes the complex curved sections mentioned above, specifically hill 390, bend 392, and a combination of hills and bends, represented as curved hills or curved slopes 394. Again, it can be difficult for conventional tracking features (such as linear encoders) to track movement along track 362. Indeed, these conventional tracking features are typically used to track motion along straight lines. Therefore, it is now recognized that the use of retroreflective markers 24 positioned along track 362 can provide enhanced tracking of the movement of ride vehicle 360 along track 362.

As an example of the operation of an amusement park attraction 364 and its associated tracking system 10 and ride control system 362, the emitters 14 and detectors 16 can be operated to detect electromagnetic radiation reflected from markers 24 located on the track 362 and on the ride vehicle 360 (if present). As the ride vehicle 360 moves along the track 362, the ride vehicle 360 blocks certain retroreflective markers 24 located along the track 362. In some embodiments, when the ride vehicle 360 is operating properly, the retroreflective markers 24 blocked by the ride vehicle 360 may not be visible to any of the detectors 16. However, in embodiments where the ride vehicle 360 is slightly elevated away from the track 362 (e.g., at high speeds and around sharp turns), all or a portion of one or more retroreflective markers 24 that would otherwise be blocked by the ride vehicle 360 may be visible to at least one of the detectors 16, which may receive retroreflected electromagnetic radiation from the unblocked markers 24. In this case, the tracking system 10 and more specifically the control unit 18 may identify patterns associated with this type of situation which may be further appreciated with reference to the illustration in FIG. 25 .

Specifically, FIG25 depicts a top view of track 362 in FIG24 . As shown, the leftmost ride vehicle, illustrated by dashed line 360A, may block certain retroreflective indicia 24, which is illustrated as a 3×3 pattern of blocked retroreflective indicia (i.e., a pattern of three adjacent indicia blocked in two rows). As can be appreciated from the illustration, unblocked or visible retroreflective indicia 24 are depicted as solid/filled circles, while blocked retroreflective indicia 24 are depicted as unfilled circles. A second ride vehicle 360B is also illustrated as blocking all retroreflective indicia 24 on track 362 corresponding to the geometry of ride vehicle 360. Therefore, tracking unit 18 can determine that ride vehicle 360 is moving appropriately (e.g., at an appropriate speed) along track 262.

On the other hand, the complex curves associated with curved ramp 394 can sometimes make ride vehicle 360 difficult to move at relatively fast speeds for proper navigating. Therefore, as shown, third ride vehicle 360C is also depicted as blocking only some of the retroreflective indicia 24 corresponding to its geometry. This is illustrated in FIG25 as a 2×3 set of blocked retroreflective indicia 24 (i.e., a first row of two adjacent blocked indicia is opposite a second row of three adjacent blocked indicia), with one of each retroreflective indicia 24A shown as unblocked or partially blocked based on the field of view of one or more of detectors 16. Tracking unit 18 can process this tracking data and determine that the speed of the ride vehicle is too high to enter curved ramp 394, and can adjust the speed of ride vehicle 360 via ride control system 382. In embodiments where the tracking unit 18 and/or ride control system 382 and/or control system 142 determine that such speed adjustments will not have an impact on the blocking of the retroreflective marker 24A, the tracking unit 18 and/or ride control system 382 and/or control system 142 may determine that the ride vehicle 360 requires maintenance or that the track 362 may need to be adjusted.

Moving now to embodiments in which the ride path of the ride vehicle 360 is not constrained by the track 362, the illustrated embodiment of the amusement park attraction 364 in FIG. 26 includes an unconstrained ride path 363 as mentioned above. The unconstrained ride path 363 can be considered unconstrained because the path 363 is constrained only by the environmental elements that demarcate the path through which the ride vehicle 360 may travel (not by the joints between the wheel assembly and the rails, such as on a typical roller coaster). With respect to certain embodiments described above, the transmitters 14 and detectors 16 can be positioned on various different environmental features of the amusement park attraction 364. For example, as illustrated, the transmitters 14 and detectors 16 can be positioned on a building 278, a column 280, or a similar structure that enables a view of the path 363.

As shown, the tracking system 10 can be more closely involved in the movement of the ride vehicle 360 than in the embodiments described above with respect to Figures 22-25. That is, the ride vehicle 360 shown in Figure 26 can be controlled substantially in real time by the ride control system 382. More specifically, the ride control system 382 can include communication circuitry 400, such as a transceiver, configured to communicate with a corresponding control unit 402 of the ride vehicle 360. As illustrated, the corresponding control circuitry 402 of the ride vehicle 360 can include communication circuitry 404 (such as a transceiver), one or more processors 406, and one or more memories 408, which are configured to execute various control routines in response to instructions received from the ride control system 382. For example, the control circuitry 402 of the ride vehicle 360 can be configured to adjust the speed and/or direction of the ride vehicle along the path 363.

The instructions provided by the ride control system 382 to the control circuitry 402 may depend on tracking information provided by one or more control units 18 associated with one or more tracking systems 10 provided throughout the amusement park attraction 364. For example, the ride control system 382 may, upon receiving the tracking information, use one or more associated processors 412 to execute various routines stored on the memory 410 to adjust the operation of one or more of the ride vehicles 360.

By way of example, the tracking information provided by the tracking system 10 disposed throughout the attraction area may include information related to the retroreflective markers 24 located on the exterior of the ride vehicle 360 and/or the retroreflective paint used as the retroreflective markers 24 on the vehicle 360. The tracking information may be as generally described above with respect to FIG3-9, in which case the tracking system 10 uses one or more of the detectors 16 to track the ride vehicle 360 in space and time in two or three dimensions, as appropriate. Because the ride path 363 is unconstrained, it is desirable to track the ride vehicle 360 in space and time in three spatial dimensions.

According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, tracking system 10 and ride control system 382 can coordinate to implement block control, in which case path 363 is divided into a plurality of blocks or zones, wherein a predetermined number of ride vehicles 360 are permitted to occupy a particular block (e.g., by way of rules stored in memory 22). Thus, by way of example, path 363 is illustrated as including a plurality of such blocks, including a first block 414 associated with the loading of empty ride vehicles 416 (e.g., associated with loading area 418 of amusement park attraction 364 where people 70 are queued behind entrance 420). The plurality of blocks also includes a second block 422 and a third block 424, as well as other blocks, separated from each other by a retroreflective boundary line 426. Tracking system 10 can be configured to track the obstruction of boundary line 426 to determine whether ride vehicles 360 have passed between certain blocks, thereby determining whether the appropriate number of vehicles 360 are located within each block. Additionally or alternatively, tracking system 10 can monitor the position of each vehicle 360 relative to boundary line 426 via retroreflective markers 24 located on vehicles 360. If the tracking system 10 determines that there are too many vehicles 360 within or in close proximity to certain blocks, the tracking system 10 may cause certain vehicles 360 to stop until the particular block has been cleared of vehicles 360. In other embodiments, the ride control system 382 may initiate actuation of a feature that causes additional pathways to be opened for certain vehicles 360. Indeed, as described above, such block control may be applied not only to unconstrained paths 363, but also to constrained paths 362.

Continuing with the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 26 , the path 363 may include an embodiment of a grid 90 within a fourth block 428 that enables the tracking system 10 to monitor for obstructions of the markers 24 and track the position and movement of the vehicles 360. In certain embodiments, the tracking system 10 may apply boundaries to each of the vehicles 360 in the fourth block 428 (or any other block) to maintain a certain distance between the vehicles 360 to avoid collisions and maintain substantial movement of the vehicles 360 along the path, such as described above with respect to FIG. 13-17 . Furthermore, the tracking system 10 may utilize the grid 90 to give the rider the feeling of complete freedom in piloting the vehicle 360 within an open, yet effectively electrically confined, area. Indeed, the rider may be allowed to direct the vehicle 360 anywhere within the grid, but not outside of it.

In certain embodiments, the tracking system 10 may cause one of the vehicles 360 to stop (e.g., via the ride control system 382). For example, the tracking system 10 may determine that a vehicle 360 approaching the boundary 426 between the first and fourth blocks 414, 428 is too close to the first block 414 because it has not yet loaded an unoccupied vehicle 416. In this case, the tracking system 10 may cause the vehicle 360 to stop (e.g., via the ride control system 382). However, the tracking system 10 may also cause one or more show effects to be triggered so that the stop appears intentional (i.e., part of the ride) to those on the stopped vehicle 360. Once the tracking system 10 determines that the vehicle 416 is loaded and begins to move, the tracking system 10 may also reinitiate (or re-allow) the movement of the vehicle 360. Indeed, the tracking system 10 may simply send a "go" or "no go" signal to allow or disallow movement, as appropriate, rather than controlling all aspects of the movement of the vehicle 360.

FIG27 illustrates another embodiment of how tracking system 10 can be used to control the movement of a ride vehicle 360. Specifically, FIG27 is an elevation view of an embodiment of an attraction 364 guiding ride vehicle 360 along a guide path 440, which can be considered a more specific embodiment of an unconstrained path 363. As illustrated, guide path 440 includes a plurality of retroreflective markers 24 arranged in a funnel-shaped pattern 442, which can ultimately serve to encourage ride vehicle 360 to follow a specific trajectory along path 440 and toward a predetermined location 444.

More specifically, the illustrated pattern 442 is formed by a first plurality of retroreflective markers 446 located on a first side 448 of the path 440 and a second plurality of retroreflective markers 450 located on a second side 452 of the path 440. The first and second pluralities of retroreflective markers 446 and 450 are spaced apart by a distance that varies along a direction extending toward a predetermined location 444. As illustrated toward the left side of the path 440, the distance is depicted as W1 (which represents a first width), and moving to the right and toward the predetermined location 444, the width becomes a second width W2 that is less than the first width W1. In this manner, the converging pluralities of retroreflective markers 446 and 450 define a conical space 454 in which no retroreflective markers 24 are present. As described in further detail below, the tracking system 10 and the ride control system 382 can operate to constrain the ride vehicle 360 within the conical space 454.

As also illustrated, the ride vehicle 360 can include various features that enable a person 70 within the ride vehicle 360 to move the ride vehicle 360 in many different directions. Generally speaking, these features of the ride vehicle 360 function to allow the person 70 to feel as if they are in full control of the ride vehicle 360 while in reality the vehicle 360 is being directed in the general direction of the predetermined location 444. By way of example, the features include a vehicle drive system 456 that can communicate with the tracking system 10 and/or the ride control system 382 via the transceiver 404.

The vehicle drive system 456 generally includes a drive system 458 and a steering system 460, which are configured to move the vehicle 360 along the path 440 and also allow the person 70 to have a certain degree of control over the movement of the vehicle 360. The drive system 458 can include one or more electromechanical drives (e.g., electric motors) and associated power systems, one or more internal combustion engines, one or more propulsion devices, etc. The steering system 460 can include any suitable set of features that enable the vehicle 360 to be steered, such as, for example, a rack and pinion system, a steering column, etc.

As explained above, the tracking system 10 and the ride control system 382 may operate in conjunction with the vehicle drive system 456 to adjust the degree of control that the person 70 driving the ride vehicle 360 has over the general direction of travel of the ride vehicle 360. For example, the tracking system 10 may track the position and movement of the ride vehicle 360 and send this tracking information to the ride control system 382. Alternatively, the tracking system 10 may process the tracking data to provide command input to the ride control system 382.

As one example of how the amusement park attraction 364 functions, a ride vehicle 360 may travel along a path 440 while being tracked by the tracking system 10 using any or a combination of the techniques described above. The tracking system 10 may also, for example, consider the first and second pluralities of retroreflective markers 446, 450 as boundary features, in which case the tracking system 10 monitors the position of the vehicle 360 relative to the first and second pluralities of retroreflective markers 446, 450 and determines whether the vehicle 360 has encroached upon, or may encroach upon, any of the plurality of retroreflective markers based on the determined trajectory.

If the tracking system 10 determines that the vehicle 360 needs to be adjusted (e.g., according to a stored set of rules or instructions associated with the attraction 364), the tracking system 10 can send appropriate instructions to the ride control system 382 to cause the vector orientation or magnitude of the vehicle's movement to be adjusted. According to the illustrated embodiment, adjustments can be made so that the vehicle 360 is propelled in a direction toward the predetermined location 444. Thus, although the person 70 may believe that they are in full control of the vehicle 360, they are being slowly propelled toward the location 444.

The amusement park attraction 364 may also include an amusement park ride 12 that creates a reason for the vehicle 360 to move along the path 440 toward the location 444. For example, as shown, the person 70 may, upon identifying an amusement park ride 12, such as a show effect (e.g., fire, a performance), steer the ride vehicle 360 toward the ride 12. In doing so, the person 70 causes the vehicle 360 to be directed further into the tapered area 454 and, therefore, closer to the location 444.

Other embodiments of path 440 are depicted in the top views of Figures 28 and 29. Specifically, in Figure 28, path 440 can be viewed as a top view of path 440 in Figure 27, where the movement of vehicle 360 is constrained within a cone-shaped region 454 where no retroreflective markers 24 are present. As also shown in Figure 28, tracking system 10 can utilize multiple emitters 14 and detectors 16 to enable control unit 18 to determine the vector orientation of vehicle 360 through path 440 and also provide a range.

As illustrated in FIG29 , in some embodiments, different layers of retroreflective indicia 24 may be used. Specifically, FIG29 illustrates an embodiment of a guide path 440 in which each of the first plurality of indicia 446 and the second plurality of indicia 450 includes a first subset of retroreflective indicia 464 and a second subset of retroreflective indicia 466 that include different retroreflective elements or reflect different wavelengths. The first subset of retroreflective indicia 464 and the second subset of retroreflective indicia 466 may be located at different lateral positions relative to the guide path 440 and may be considered to function as layers used to differently encourage movement of the riding vehicle 360 along the path 440 toward the predetermined location 444, even though a rider in the vehicle 360 may believe that the vehicle may travel outside the path 440, as generally depicted by arrows 470.

For example, as illustrated with respect to the first ride vehicle 360A, the tracking system 10 can detect that the first ride vehicle 360A has blocked a portion of the first subset of retroreflective markers 464 and can initiate a first response in the first vehicle 360A, such as a popping sound emitted by the first vehicle 360A, a deceleration of the first vehicle 360A, or some other tactile feedback that encourages the rider to direct the first vehicle 360A back into the path 440. In the event that the rider continues to direct the vehicle 360 outside of the path 440, as illustrated with respect to the second ride vehicle 360B, the tracking system 10 can detect that the second ride vehicle 360B has blocked a portion of the second subset of retroreflective markers 466 and can initiate a second response in the second vehicle 360B (which is more severe than the first response), such as stopping the second vehicle 360B, turning the second vehicle 360B, or some other control to move the second vehicle 360B back into the path 440.

30 depicts an embodiment of a guide path 440 where, rather than constraining a vehicle to a conical area where no retroreflective markers are present as in FIGS. 27-29 , an amusement park attraction 364 utilizes a tracking system 10 to ensure that the vehicle 360 remains on a grid path 480 established by a particular pattern of retroreflective markers 24. As shown, the retroreflective markers 24 are formed in a conical pattern such that to remain on at least some of the markers 24, the vehicle 360 must generally follow a predetermined trajectory 482 and not follow a trajectory 484 that would cause the vehicle 360 to stop blocking at least some of the markers 24. To taper the path 440 in a manner similar to that described above with respect to FIGS. 27 and 28 , the grid path 480 tapers from a first width W1 to a second width W2. Thus, the tracking system 10 can monitor the grid blockage to determine vector magnitude, orientation, and meaning information about the movement of the vehicle 360, and can make certain adjustments to these or other parameters (e.g., using the ride control system 382) if the tracking system 10 determines that the vehicle 360 has moved or is likely to move off the grid path 480.

While only certain features of the present embodiments have been shown and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure.

Claims (20)

1. An amusement park system, comprising: Multiple bounce markers are located within the guest attraction area; A transmitting subsystem configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the plurality of retroreflection marks; A detection subsystem configured to detect the echo of electromagnetic radiation from the plurality of echo markers while filtering the unreflected electromagnetic radiation; and The control system, which is communicatively coupled to the detection subsystem and includes processing circuitry configured to: Monitor the echoes from the plurality of echo markers; and The reflected electromagnetic radiation is correlated with people and automated amusement park machines in guest attraction areas; and The movement of the person and the automated amusement park machine relative to each other in space and time is tracked based on changes in the reflected electromagnetic radiation detected by the detection subsystem. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection subsystem comprises at least one detection camera having at least one optical filter, wherein the at least one optical filter is configured to filter electromagnetic radiation that is not reflected while not filtering electromagnetic radiation reflected by the plurality of retroreflected marks, such that the at least one detection camera has a dynamic signal-to-noise ratio. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of retroreflective markers includes at least one retroreflective marker located on the automated amusement park machine, and the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to track the movement of the at least one retroreflective marker to facilitate tracking of movement associated with the automated amusement park machine. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of retroreflective markers comprise a pattern of retroreflective markers located on the floor or wall, or both, in a guest attraction area, and wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to: Monitor changes in the reflected electromagnetic radiation from a pattern of reflected markers located on the floor, wall, or both; Correlating changes in the reflected electromagnetic radiation from the pattern to the person's position and movement; and The movement of the automated amusement park machine relative to the position and movement of the person is controlled at least in part based on the movement of at least one retroreflected marker located on the automated amusement park machine. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of retroreflective markers comprise a pattern of retroreflective markers located on the floor or wall, or both, in a guest attraction area, and wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to: Monitor changes in the reflected electromagnetic radiation from a pattern of reflected markers located on the floor, wall, or both; The variation in the reflected electromagnetic radiation from the pattern is correlated with the position and movement of the person and at least one position of the automated amusement park machine; The boundary is applied to the location of the automated amusement park machine, the boundary including a predetermined distance extending away from the location of the automated amusement park machine or an aspect of the arrangement of a retroreflective marking pattern closely surrounding the automated amusement park machine; Tracking the movement of the person and the automated amusement park machine relative to each other and relative to the boundaries of the positions applied to the automated amusement park machines; and The automated amusement park machine is controlled based on the tracked location and movement of the person and the location of the automated amusement park machine. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to stop the movement of the automated amusement park machine if the tracked position and movement of the person encroaches on the boundary of the position applied to the automated amusement park machine. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection subsystem comprises at least two detection cameras configured to detect echo electromagnetic radiation from the plurality of echo markers from different perspectives to track the movement of the automated amusement park machine or person, or both, in three spatial dimensions. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of retroreflective markers comprises three retroreflective markers located on different parts of the automated amusement park machine, and wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to track the movement of the three retroreflective markers to track the movement of the automated amusement park machine in three spatial dimensions. 9. The system of claim 8, comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) existing as an automated amusement park machine having three retroreflective markers located on the UAV, and wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to wirelessly communicate with the UAV and control the movement of the UAV through the guest attraction area based at least in part on the location of a person within a tracked guest attraction area and the corresponding boundary of the area applied to the guest attraction area. 10. The system of claim 1, comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) existing as an automated amusement park machine, including at least one retroreflective marker located on the surface of the UAV, and the detection subsystem including at least one detection camera located within a guest attraction area to detect retroreflective electromagnetic radiation from the at least one retroreflective marker located on the surface of the UAV. 11. The system of claim 1, comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) existing as an automated amusement park machine, having a launch subsystem and a detection subsystem, wherein the launcher of the launch subsystem and the detector of the detection subsystem located on the UAV have a top view of the guest attraction area when the UAV moves through the guest attraction area. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of retroreflective markers comprise retroreflective markers in a pattern located on the floor of a guest attraction area, and wherein the UAV is configured to move according to retroreflective electromagnetic radiation from the pattern on the floor. 13. A method for tracking and controlling amusement park equipment, comprising: Using a launching subsystem comprising one or more transmitters, electromagnetic radiation is used to fill the guest attraction area of the amusement park attraction; A detection subsystem with one or more optical filters is used to detect the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation reflected from the guest attraction area while filtering the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation that is not reflected from the guest attraction area. The control system, which utilizes communication coupled to the detection subsystem, tracks the movement and position of automated amusement park machines in space and time relative to human movement and location based on changes in reflected electromagnetic radiation. 14. The method of claim 13, comprising: Electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emission subsystem is reflected back using a reflective marker located on the automated amusement park machine; and Tracking the movement and position of the automated amusement park machine in space and time includes tracking the movement and position of the retroreflected markers located on the automated amusement park machine in space and time. 15. The method of claim 13, further comprising using the control system to track the movement and position of the person based on identified changes in electromagnetic radiation reflected from a grid of retroreflective markers located on the floor of a guest attraction area, the identified changes being based on retroreflective electromagnetic radiation from the grid detected by a detection camera of a detection subsystem having a top view of the guest attraction area. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the control system to control the movement and position of the automated amusement park machine based at least in part on the tracked movement and position of the person. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the automated amusement park machine is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and wherein using the control system to control the movement and position of the automated amusement park machine based at least in part on the tracked movement and position of the person comprises tracking the pitch, roll, yaw, or any combination thereof of the UAV, and adjusting the pitch, roll, yaw, or any combination thereof of the UAV. 18. The method of claim 13, comprising: Use a grid of reflective markers on the floor of the guest attraction area to reflect electromagnetic radiation emitted by one or more emitters; The control system is used to compare the pattern of reflected electromagnetic radiation from the grid as observed from a top view by at least one detection camera of the detection subsystem with a stored pattern of reflected electromagnetic radiation. The control system is used to determine the difference between the pattern of the reflected electromagnetic radiation and the stored pattern of the reflected electromagnetic radiation in order to identify, from a top view of at least one detection camera, which of the reflected marks located on the floor are blocked; and The control system is used to identify whether a blocked retroreflective marker, viewed from a top view of at least one detection camera, is blocked by the person or an automated amusement park machine. 19. An amusement park system, comprising: A transmitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation; A camera configured to detect electromagnetic radiation after it has been reflected back; Multiple retroreflecting markers are located within the visitor attraction area of the amusement park and are configured to reflect electromagnetic radiation. The control system includes processing circuitry configured to receive data from a camera indicating the echo of electromagnetic radiation through the plurality of echo markers, wherein the control system is configured to monitor the echoed electromagnetic radiation to track the movement of the people and machines within the guest attraction area based solely on changes in the echoed electromagnetic radiation. 20. The amusement park system of claim 19, wherein the control system is configured to communicate with the machine, and the control system is configured to control the corresponding movement and position of the machine based at least in part on the tracked movement and position of the person within the guest attraction area.