Water effects enhanced motion base simulator ride

Abstract

A simulator for water rides, that has a raft which is moved about such that it approximates the movement of a raft floating along a body of water. The simulator has a theater projection system constructed to display visual images onto a screen located inside a simulator room. The visual images typically being scenes of a rapidly flowing river as seen from the front of a raft floating down the body of water. Within the room is a raft constructed to support an audience while they view the visual images. The raft is surrounded by a pool of water that can have valves or actuators incorporated to create waves and water mist to simulate a river. The raft can be moved within the pool, by displacing the water beneath the raft such that the raft moves in conjunction with the scene depicted on the screen. Water displacement may be induced by a wave created in the pool, or by pushing the water under the raft with actuators or a flexible plate located at the bottom of the pool directly under the raft. In the alternative the raft can be attached to a flexible plate, wherein the flexible plate can be bent and moved about a staff that elevates the raft above the pool floor. The devices that move the raft can be connected to a computer that moves the raft in accordance with a set of operating instructions provided by a computer program, such that the raft moves in conjunction with the scenes depicted on the screen.