Amusement ride with robot system

{
  "publication_number": "US10391412B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Amusement ride with robot system",
  "abstract": "An amusement ride includes a robot assembly having at least one multi-link robot arm with a base and a passenger holder for transporting at least one person. A controller for controlling the robot assembly includes a storage device for storing a limit of a working space arrangement having at least one work space, a distance device for determining a distance of the passenger holder from the working space arrangement, and a safety device for determining maximum permissible motion components in at least two spatial directions depending on the determined distance.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An amusement ride, comprising: a robot system including at least one multi-link robot arm, the robot arm having a base and a passenger holder for transporting at least one person; and a controller for controlling the robot system, the controller comprising: a storage means for storing a boundary of a work space arrangement with at least one work space, a distance means for determining a distance of the passenger holder from the work space arrangement, and a safety means for determining maximum allowable motion components in at least two spatial directions depending on the determined distance.",
    "2. The amusement ride of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises a reducing means for reducing a motion component of the robot system in at least one spatial direction as a function of the determined maximum allowable motion component in the at least one spatial direction.",
    "3. The amusement ride of claim 2, wherein the reducing means is for reducing the motion component of the robot system to the determined maximum allowable motion component.",
    "4. The amusement ride of claim 1, wherein the distance means comprises at least one of: a) at least one position means for determining at least one of a position or velocity of the passenger holder; or b) at least one distance sensor.",
    "5. The amusement ride of claim 4, wherein at least one of: the at least one position means is fixed relative to the robot system or the environment; or the at least one distance sensor is fixed relative to the robot system.",
    "6. The amusement ride of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises an input means for specifying a movement of the robot system.",
    "7. The amusement ride of claim 6, wherein at least one of: the input means is disposed on the passenger holder; or the input means is for randomly specifying movement of the robot system.",
    "8. The amusement ride of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises an automatic operating mode for at least one of: automatically moving along a predetermined path of the robot system; or automatically moving toward a predetermined position of the passenger holder.",
    "9. The amusement ride of claim 8, wherein the controller further comprises at least one of: a randomizing means for randomly presetting the path of the robot system; or a simulation means for presetting the path of the robot system on the basis of a simulation model.",
    "10. The amusement ride of claim 1, wherein the base of at the least one robot arm of the robot system is one of fixed relative to the environment, or is movable.",
    "11. The amusement ride of claim 10, wherein the base is movable and is supported on rails or comprises a carriage.",
    "12. The amusement ride of claim 1, further comprising: a landing zone for getting in and out of the passenger holder, the landing zone comprising at least one of: a platform; or an engagement device connectable to the passenger holder.",
    "13. The amusement ride of claim 12, wherein at least one of: the platform is a moveable platform; or the engagement device is at least one of mechanically or electrically connectable to the passenger holder.",
    "14. The amusement ride of claim 1, wherein at least one of: a) at least one work space of the work space arrangement is defined as environment-fixed; or b) at least one work space of the work space arrangement is defined as movable.",
    "15. The amusement ride of claim 1, wherein the storage means stores a maximum allowable velocity within at least one work space of the work space arrangement.",
    "16. The amusement ride of claim 1, wherein the determined distance comprises at least one of: a magnitude, a direction, or a magnitude and a direction of a minimum distance to at least one work space of the work space arrangement; or distance components in at least two spatial directions to at least one work space of the work space arrangement.",
    "17. The amusement ride of claim 1, wherein the safety means executes a STOP 0, STOP 1, or STOP 2 command if at least one of the determined distance or at least one maximum allowable motion component falls below a predetermined limit value, wherein the commands are defined as: STOP 0 - the at least one robot arm is disconnected from a power supply and is stopped by applied brakes; STOP 1 - the at least one robot arm is stopped by drives or motors of the robot arm and is thereafter disconnected from a power supply; and STOP 2 - the at least one robot arm is stopped by drives or motors of the robot arm and thereafter remains connected to a power supply.",
    "18. A computer program product for operating an amusement ride as set forth in claim 1, the computer program product including program code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable data medium and that, when executed by the controller of the amusement ride, causes the controller to: determine the distance of the passenger holder from the work space arrangement; and determine the maximum allowable motion components in the at least two spatial directions as a function of the determined distance."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to an amusement ride with a robot system.\n\nThe published document EP 1 289 616 B1 discloses an amusement ride with a multi-link robot arm, which comprises a passenger holder for transporting a plurality of persons.\n\nOne object of the present invention is to improve a generic amusement ride, in particular, its operation.\n\nThis engineering object is achieved, in particular, by means of an amusement ride as shown and described herein.\n\nAccording to one aspect of the present invention, an amusement ride comprises a robot system with one or more multi-link robot arms, each having a base and a passenger holder for transporting one or more persons, and a controller for controlling the robot system.\n\nThe term “amusement ride” is defined in this context, in particular, as a system or an assembly or an apparatus for the amusement of people, in particular, in amusement parks or the like.\n\nIn one embodiment, one or more robot arms of the robot system comprise two, three, four, five, six or more articulated links, which are connected to each other, in particular, rotatably or, more specifically, pivotally.\n\nThe controller may be a central controller for controlling, in particular, in a coordinated way a plurality of robot arms of the robot system. Similarly the controller may also comprise a plurality of individual controllers, each controlling one robot arm of the robot system. According to one aspect, the controller is configured, in particular, in hardware and/or software to carry out a method, described herein.",
  "cpc": [
    "A63G 31/00",
    "A63G 31/02",
    "A63G 31/16",
    "B25J 11/003",
    "B25J 9/162",
    "B25J 9/163",
    "B25J 9/1669",
    "B25J 9/1674"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A63G 31/00",
    "A63G 31/16",
    "B25J 11/00",
    "B25J 9/16"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "KUKA Deutschland GmbH"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Peter Fornoff",
    "Axel Tillmann"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2016-01-13",
  "publication_date": "2019-08-27",
  "grant_date": "2019-08-27",
  "priority_date": "2015-01-15",
  "application_number": "US-201615543709-A",
  "family_id": "55129828",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US5791903A",
    "EP0997176A2",
    "EP1289616A1",
    "EP1437162A2",
    "US6776722B2",
    "EP1901150A1",
    "US20100288067A1",
    "US9067322B2",
    "DE102011083596A1",
    "US20130079167A1",
    "EP2574384A1",
    "US20130203020A1",
    "DE102012010856A1"
  ]
}