Patent ID: 8303426
Filing Date: 2012-11-06
Classification: A63G

Abstract:
1. A ride apparatus for allowing passengers to initiate vehicle movements, comprising: a drive assembly including a structure rotatable about a central axis at one or more rotation speeds, the drive assembly further including a plurality of support arms extending outward from the structure; a plurality of passenger vehicles each mounted proximate to an end of one of the support arms distal to the drive assembly, one or more triggering devices associated with each of the vehicles generating a discrete signal when activated by a passenger of a vehicle, wherein each of the support arms is pivotally mounted to the structure for angular rotation by an actuator to change a height of the corresponding vehicle; and a controller in communication with the actuators and the triggering devices, the controller receiving the discrete signals from the triggering devices, selecting a motion profile based on each of the received discrete signals, and operating the actuators based on the selected motion profiles to move the vehicles associated with the discrete signals through a travel path defined by a particular one of the selected motion profiles, wherein each of the motion profiles defines a different magnitude of angular rotation for a support arm to cause vertical lift of a supported vehicle, and wherein the selecting of the motion profile for use in the operating of the actuator step includes determining a hub position or an angular orientation of the support arm, comparing the determined hub position or the angular orientation of the support arm with a predefined zone of the ride apparatus, and, based on the comparing, selecting between a base motion profile and an enhanced motion profile providing a larger magnitude of angular orientation of the support arm.