Disney has a new patent application out called “System and Method for Verifying Proper Usage of Passenger Restraints” where it uses a combination of cameras, sensors and machine learning (AI) to verify restraints on rides are being used properly. The cameras can look for several “keypoints” to assure the rider is secured. For example, a sensor can tell you that a seatbelt is buckled, but a camera can confirm it is on top on the rider’s torso and not underneath it. The cameras could also assure a restraint is completely closed and securing the rider so that there is a second check to the position sensors already used on rides. This could be especially important for riders with unique physical characteristics (large riders, small riders, missing limbs, odd body shapes, etc.) where a sensor would register as good, but perhaps a potential safety issue remains.

It is probable that this could be used on much more than station dispatch as well. Cameras with machine learning could monitor the ride throughout its cycle to assure riders are compliant with safety warnings. For example if someone on a roller coaster lift hill was attempting to unbuckle a seatbelt or get out of a seat the AI could immediately flag it for the station or engage an e-stop itself. Parks often have human operators monitoring cameras, but this would provide a second faster set of eyes.

Using this AI and cameras could have many benefits to a park. It could merely serve as a double check to the regular work of operators or it could check less critical thing, leaving less things for operators to check and allow for faster dispatch times. Park fans would probably be ok with AI assisted ride control too as long as it was used to assist humans and not replace humans. Cameras are already everywhere, this is just a matter of AI helping to flag things and potentially acting on it faster than a human can. There have been several accidents in the last few years this could have potentially helped with such as the Glenwood Cavern accident where a rider was sitting on top of a buckled seatbelt and the control system allowed the ride to dispatch because the sensor reported everything was ok. It’s still too early to tell if it could have helped with the recent incident with Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia, but I’d imagine parks and guests will welcome anything that can add to safety.