Universal Studios Awarded Patent for a New Flying Simulator Could be a Game Changer for Flying Theaters

Universal Studios was awarded on May 9, 2017 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office a new patent for a new Flying Simulator Design. What? Another flying theater? Yes, but as you'll see this one could be a game changer in the world of flying theaters  Below, some excerpts from the patent text as well as the patent pictures. The full Universal patent page is HERE.

So, according to the patent: "The flying simulator ride includes a track and a bogie coupled to the track. The flying simulator ride also includes a rotator ring and a plurality of cables suspending the rotator ring from the bogie such that the rotator ring is capable of rotating with respect to the track and such that the rotator ring is capable of motion in six degrees of freedom. The flying simulator ride also includes a passenger support system suspended from the rotator ring. The passenger support system includes a first passenger support unit; and a second passenger support unit, wherein at least one of the first passenger support unit or the second passenger support unit are configured to move relative to one another to assume a stacked configuration and a loading configuration, wherein a distance between the rotator ring and the first passenger support unit is decreased in the stacked configuration relative to the loading configuration."

"In accordance with another embodiment, a flying simulator ride assembly is provided. The flying simulator ride assembly includes a bogie configured to move along a track; a motion base; and a plurality of cables suspending the motion base from cable control assemblies coupled to the bogie to permit the motion base to move with six degrees of freedom. The flying simulator ride assembly also includes an extending portion fixedly coupled to the motion base and extending away from the bogie; and a passenger support system coupled to the extending portion. The passenger support system includes a first passenger row; a second passenger row; and a support coupled to the extending portion and the first passenger row and the second passenger row, wherein the support is capable of rotating with respect to the extending portion to change a position of one or more of the first passenger row or the second passenger row relative to the motion base."

If you're not sure that you understood everything from this patent description, that's normal. The way patents description are written is always a bit abstruse but thanks to the patent drawings we can at least understand that guests will stand up and not being sit as they are for instance in Soaring. There is more, of course, but even only this would be a game changer in the sensation of flying that flying theaters are supposed to provide.

Pictures: cooyright Universal Studios