Systems and methods according to present principles allow social distancing within themed attractions such as haunted attractions in order to allow the enjoyment of the same in various circumstances. These circumstances include times of pandemic, for customers that are afraid to congregate in large groups, for customers that desire to control aspects of the experience, and so on.

A carousel ride system includes a first rotatable platform and multiple second rotatable platforms. Each second rotatable platform of the multiple second rotatable platforms is positioned within a respective opening in the first rotatable platform. A first drive system is configured to drive rotation of the first rotatable platform and multiple second drive assemblies are configured to drive rotation of the multiple second rotatable platforms. Multiple figures extend over the multiple second rotatable platforms and multiple figure drive assemblies are configured to independently lift and rotate the multiple figures relative to the multiple second rotatable platforms. One or more processors are configured to coordinate operation of the first drive system, the multiple second drive assemblies, and the multiple figure drive assemblies to maintain the multiple figures in a forward-facing orientation relative to a direction of travel of the first rotatable platform during operation of the carousel ride system.

A method of providing physiological self-regulation challenges prior to participating in a series of activities or exercises at a series of predefined locations includes determining a physiological goal associated with each location. A sensing device measures a physiological state of a user, and a mobile communication device communicates to a user whether or not the user has achieved the physiological goal for the challenge. The level of difficulty of the physiological goal may be reduced if the user does not meet the goal. The physiological goal may comprise a brain state that is conducive to learning, and the sensing device may be configured to measure brain state values representing cognitive engagement. Upon achievement of each physiological goal, the participant is provided with a reward such as information concerning the current predefined location and/or information concerning the next predefined location.

A method of providing physiological self-regulation challenges prior to participating in a series of activities or exercises at a series of predefined locations includes determining a physiological goal associated with each location. A sensing device measures a physiological state of a user, and a mobile communication device communicates to a user whether or not the user has achieved the physiological goal for the challenge. The level of difficulty of the physiological goal may be reduced if the user does not meet the goal. The physiological goal may comprise a brain state that is conducive to learning, and the sensing device may be configured to measure brain state values representing cognitive engagement. Upon achievement of each physiological goal, the participant is provided with a reward such as information concerning the current predefined location and/or information concerning the next predefined location.

An entertainment system has an interactive component for an amusement park. The interactive component includes a detection device disposed within a housing and configured to read an identification tag via long range and short range radio communications, an interactive sensor disposed within the housing and configured to detect physical interaction with a portion of the interactive component, a control device communicatively coupled to the detection device and the interactive sensor, where the control device is configured to receive feedback from the detection device and the interactive sensor, an effect device configured to receive a signal from the control device and to generate an effect based on detection of the physical interaction, and a transmitter configured to transmit data to the identification tag based on detection of the physical interaction with the portion of the interactive component while detecting the identification tag within a threshold distance of the interactive component.

An entertainment system has an interactive component for an amusement park. The interactive component includes a detection device disposed within a housing and configured to read an identification tag via long range and short range radio communications, an interactive sensor disposed within the housing and configured to detect physical interaction with a portion of the interactive component, a control device communicatively coupled to the detection device and the interactive sensor, where the control device is configured to receive feedback from the detection device and the interactive sensor, an effect device configured to receive a signal from the control device and to generate an effect based on detection of the physical interaction, and a transmitter configured to transmit data to the identification tag based on detection of the physical interaction with the portion of the interactive component while detecting the identification tag within a threshold distance of the interactive component.

An apparatus for an amusement park includes a bogie system that moves along a ride path, a platform coupled to the bogie system, and a plurality of seats coupled to a surface of the platform. The platform may rotate about a guide axis with respect to the bogie system, and the plurality of seats may rotate about the guide axis with the platform.

An immersive amusement system features a path to be traversed by participants, a first array of devices mounted on a first side of said path, and a second array of devices mounted on an opposing second side of said path. Each device comprises either a beam emitter operable to transmit a respective visible beam, or a beam receiver operable to detect receipt thereby of a visible beam. The arrayed devices are setup in co-operable pairs, of which each co-operable pair comprises a beam emitter in one of said arrays and a corresponding beam receiver in the other of said arrays. A controller operably connected to the arrayed devices is configured to selectively activate and deactivate said beam emitters to cause transmission of visible beams from said beam emitters to said corresponding beam receivers, and to monitor for breaking of any of said visible beams by any of said participants.

An interactive playground system including a user interface including a speaker and at least one of a microphone and a camera; a plurality of nodes distributed over a surface of the playground system, each one of the nodes including a printed circuit board with at least one sensor and at least one output component connected thereto; and a central unit in data communication with the plurality of nodes. The central unit comprises a memory and a processor; at least one of a speech recognition module and a motion recognition module and an interaction control module in data communication with the at least one of the speech recognition module and the motion recognition module, the speaker and the nodes. The interaction control module implements at least one of conversation instructions through output of audio data on the speaker and game action instructions through control of the output components of the nodes.

The present disclosure describes a method for providing an interactive experience. The method includes illuminating, by an enhancer, an area with light having wavelength invisible to humans. A plurality of image detectors capture at least two images of a person in the area including a portion of the light reflected from the person. A processing element determines a first skeletal feature of the person based on the at least two images. The processing element determines a position characteristic of the first skeletal feature; constructs, from the first skeletal feature, a vector in three dimensions corresponding to the position characteristic; and outputs an interactive effect based on the position characteristic.