Universal Employees Could Control Rides With a Thumbs-Up Thanks to This WILD New Patent

The creative team at Universal Destinations & Experiences could be cooking up something new and exciting, and we are intrigued. As you may have heard, Universal is preparing to open a brand-new theme park called Epic Universe, complete with flaming windmills, dragons, and some of our favorite Nintendo characters. It’s gonna be, well, EPIC!

Universal Orlando

And in the spirit of new and exciting rides and technology coming to Universal Parks, we thought we should take a closer look at a new patent that could be of use in the future. Wanna see? Let’s take a look!

What if a critical part of the boarding process at Universal rides was completely changed? Say, for instance, a ROBOT was in charge of the controls. Well, thanks to a new patent, this could be a reality.

Velocicoaster at Universal Orlando

There is a Universal Destinations & Experiences patent titled “System and Method for Controlling Operation of a Ride System Based on Gestures” that may use a new system to control rides. The technology could allow a camera to interpret a person’s gestures (say, a ride operator, for example), and begin, stop, or hold a ride, according to the Orlando Business Journal.

Let’s do this.

If the technology in this new patent were to be implemented, it could reduce “overstaffing and inefficiencies by requiring additional employees to perform other operational tasks, e.g., ensuring riders are properly seated and restrained in a ride vehicle, while still maintaining an operator at the console,” per the Orlando Business Journal. Basically, imagine A.I. at the helm of operator control consoles that dictate the operation of the ride.

This could change EVERYTHING!

A big part of the patent technology stems from a “vision system” and “convolutional neural network,” which the Orlando Business Journal explains would read the movements and actions of a ride operator. In short, the A.I. could replace the staff member at the operator control console and potentially lower costs in the process.

What do you think about this idea?

Now, before we continue, we should point out that this is just a patent at this time; there is no guarantee this idea will be implemented any time soon. That said, according to the patent, the camera system could read gestures like a thumbs-up (indicating the ride can start) or two arms crossed above one’s head to indicate an emergency stop. Pretty interesting, eh?

Seuss Landing

Now, let’s be honest. The person at the control panel has a pretty important job. They’re the ones who can stop a ride, start a ride, and even open and close the gates to let people board an attraction. The question is, do we trust artificial intelligence more than humans?

VelociCoaster is closed

We’ll be sure to keep our eyes out for more developments. You never know what kind of incredible new technology a theme park could debut! With so many exciting new additions at Epic Universe on the horizon, there’s a lot to look forward to — and it all started with patents! In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.