Imagine sitting in a theatre and feeling like you are flying through space, sliding down an avalanche, or descending deep into a volcano. That’s the sensation engineers at MediaMation (Torrance, CA) wanted for their new Invader 4D EFX theater seats.
The new seats are designed to simulate motion, wind, rain, earthquakes, and creatures touching the seat occupants. MediaMation introduced the new version of its Invader 4D EFX seats in the first quarter of 2007.
The “coolest” things about the seats are the motion and the built-in special effects, according to Dru Smith, a design engineer at MediaMation. “The air and water effects surprise you,” he says. “It really brings the movie to life.”
MediaMation specializes in show controls and multimedia entertainment. They have experience mixing audio, video, animatronics, robotics, and other entertainment technologies. For the motion base of the 4D EFX, they planned to use a digital control system, but the seats’ occupants easily perceived the resulting “jerky” movements.
Searching for greater realism, Smith and the Invader 4D EFX team decided to go with an analog control system. Smith reports that with analog control the seats’ motion is smooth, accurate, and in-sync with the visuals of the movie. Another benefit of the analog control system is the greatly reduced programming time, as they are not trying to translate motions on the screen to a series of digital on/offs.
Adding position feedback to the actuators of the motion base allowed the control system to compensate for the varying weight of the seats’ occupants.
The second-generation seat has a traditional fabric-covered seating surface, but underneath the surface, it is packed with servo-pneumatic control systems from Enfield Technologies (Trumbull, CT). Benefits listed by Smith include improved seat dynamics, quieter operation, and a reduction in system cost. The Enfield Technologies control system delivers the high response necessary to track the motion command signal with virtually zero lag.
Each axis of the Invader 4D EFX utilizes an Enfield Technologies LS-C10 Analog Device Controller, LS-V15C valve, LS-Cable, and A-PS12VSB power supply. The three axes allow control of pitch, roll, and heave. Mounted under the chair, the servo-pneumatic control system creates realistic motion, according to Smith. “This is fluid motion, not just bouncing,” he says. “It can lift you up, back, forward, and side to side.”
Each seat includes three analog LS-V15C valves plus up to ten digital valves to create the special effects. Air supply is 100-120 psig for the motion base and effects, and 40 psig for the in-seat air bladders.
“Enfield Technologies was able to provide us with a very compact and cost effective way to add the smooth, controllable motion of an analog system while using air…not hydraulics,” says Smith. “This gives us an edge over the competition as well as having a safer, cleaner system.”
Smith adds that Enfield Technologies was willing to work with them to provide the performance and price they needed. “The combination of the controllers and valves was a definite plus,” says Smith. “Everything worked right out of the box with no problems.”
The first complete Invader 4D EFX off the MediaMation production line went to the Euro Attractions Show (EAS) in Spain in January of 2007. It was so popular, that MediaMation’s CEO received orders for the seats…to read the rest of the story, click here.
Websites to visit:
Enfield Technologies
MediaMation