An automated damping system including a damping device arranged and disposed to provide variable resistance to a load. The variable resistance provides resistance values corresponding to a displacement position of the damping device. The system includes a damping profile generator that calculates a damping profile and a sensor is arranged and disposed to measure one or more damping affecting properties. The sensor provides the one or more damping affecting properties to the damping profile generator. The damping profile provides the variable resistance based upon the one or more damping affecting properties of the load.

An automated damping system including a damping device arranged and disposed to provide variable resistance to a load. The variable resistance provides resistance values corresponding to a displacement position of the damping device. The system includes a damping profile generator that calculates a damping profile and a sensor is arranged and disposed to measure one or more damping affecting properties. The sensor provides the one or more damping affecting properties to the damping profile generator. The damping profile provides the variable resistance based upon the one or more damping affecting properties of the load.

An inverted Stewart platform assembly includes a first platform having a first surface, a second platform having a second surface facing the first surface of the first platform, and six legs extending between and coupling the first platform and the second platform. The six legs are configured to be actuated between a first arrangement in which adjustable lengths of the six legs, measured from the first platform to the second platform, are substantially equal to one another, and a plurality of second arrangements in which the adjustable lengths of the six legs are not substantially equal to one another, wherein each leg of the six legs forms, in the first arrangement, an angle of less than or equal to 45 degrees with a plane defined by the first platform.

An inverted Stewart platform assembly includes a first platform having a first surface, a second platform having a second surface facing the first surface of the first platform, and six legs extending between and coupling the first platform and the second platform. The six legs are configured to be actuated between a first arrangement in which adjustable lengths of the six legs, measured from the first platform to the second platform, are substantially equal to one another, and a plurality of second arrangements in which the adjustable lengths of the six legs are not substantially equal to one another, wherein each leg of the six legs forms, in the first arrangement, an angle of less than or equal to 45 degrees with a plane defined by the first platform.

An amusement ride requires the participant to ascend to a platform for the beginning of the amusement ride via a single or a double helix ladder. The participants are tethered for safety. Operators attend the tether lines. The moving climbing wall surmounts an upper roller and a lower roller. One of the rollers is connected to a power source for movement of the moving climbing wall around the rollers. A controller controls the power source.

An amusement ride requires the participant to ascend to a platform for the beginning of the amusement ride via a single or a double helix ladder. The participants are tethered for safety. Operators attend the tether lines. The moving climbing wall surmounts an upper roller and a lower roller. One of the rollers is connected to a power source for movement of the moving climbing wall around the rollers. A controller controls the power source.

This mechanism for driving motions of a surface of spherical, ellipsoidal, plane, or other shape comprises a pair of drive wheels mounted on a freely pivoting frame, each wheel being driven by its own bidirectional motor. The motors and the active electronics of an angle encoder are mounted in an associated fixed frame, so no slip rings or other rotating connections are needed for motor power and control, or for determining the rotation angle of the pivoting frame. Control of the motors provides differential rotation of the two wheels to effect controlled rotation of the pivoting frame, and therefore of wheel direction. This avoids the use of a separate motor for changing the direction of motion of the surface. All parts of the mechanism driving wheel rotation are enclosed by the pivoting frame or the fixed frame.

This mechanism for driving motions of a surface of spherical, ellipsoidal, plane, or other shape comprises a pair of drive wheels mounted on a freely pivoting frame, each wheel being driven by its own bidirectional motor. The motors and the active electronics of an angle encoder are mounted in an associated fixed frame, so no slip rings or other rotating connections are needed for motor power and control, or for determining the rotation angle of the pivoting frame. Control of the motors provides differential rotation of the two wheels to effect controlled rotation of the pivoting frame, and therefore of wheel direction. This avoids the use of a separate motor for changing the direction of motion of the surface. All parts of the mechanism driving wheel rotation are enclosed by the pivoting frame or the fixed frame.

An attraction system includes an elevator assembly having an elevator path that intersects a ride path of the attraction system, an elevator car having a support and configured to travel along the elevator path, a ride vehicle having a cabin coupled to a bogie, and a cabin projection of the cabin. The ride vehicle is configured to travel along the ride path via the bogie, in which the bogie is configured to travel into the elevator car via the ride path, and the support is configured to capture the cabin projection on at least two sides when the ride vehicle is in a loaded position.

A haptic floor system is provided that produces large vibration-based effects through the use of one-to-many panel or plate assemblies that can each be selectively operated by a controller in a programmed manner or in response to sensor outputs. Each of these panel or plate assemblies may be labeled a quake plate assembly as the special effect delivered by the haptic floor system can provide a person supported by one of the quake plate assemblies with ground trembling and vibrations similar to that felt in an earthquake or when a super strong fictional character strikes the floor nearby or a large animal or robot walks or runs by the person. Each quake plate assembly may include a thin plate or panel with an upper contact surface for supporting people or objects and an opposite lower surface, and one-to-many actuators may be provided on the lower surface of the thin plate.