Building Interactive Technology for Theme Parks

Project statement

Firmware meets physical experience.

Attribution and context

Work completed as part of my role at Innovated Studios.

Context

The work supported physical guest experiences in theme parks in Orlando, Hollywood, and Japan.

Problem

An interactive has to respond as part of a physical experience, not as an isolated software demonstration.

Constraints

Impact detection has to work through noise, vibration, repeated use, real-time event behavior, high throughput, and long operating days.

My role and personal contribution

I led development of Rambi’s Bongo Breakout and wrote accelerometer firmware used in other physical interactives.

System

Accelerometer input in, interactive event out.

Decisions and tradeoffs

The focus was on reliable physical response while keeping the technology invisible inside the guest experience.

Verified outcome

Those interactives run in parks in Orlando, Hollywood, and Japan.

Lesson

The best physical computing disappears into the experience.

Relevant domains

• Firmware
• Embedded systems
• Interactive technology