Tech adapts to your mood

Disney seeks patents for systems that do just that

You’re on Walt Disney World’s ride Flight of Passage, and you start feeling queasy — that turkey leg you had for lunch is like a rock in your stomach.

Sensing your distress, the flying banshee you’re on seems to become tamer. It levels off, slows down and flies much closer to the surface of Pandora.

Disney Enterprises has been seeking new patents for ride technology that could pick a route for your car — or boat or banshee — based on how frightened the guest is. Patent applications describing such technology have been evolving over recent years. The U.S. Patent Office just approved such a patent in October for Disney. Last week, the company filed an application for a patent that could be used in any environment.

“They’ve filed something now that is broader,” said Terry Sanks, registered patent attorney in Orlando, who reviewed the patent. “Disney isn’t limited just to theme parks. They could be wanting to use it in other venues, like cruise ships.”

Disney’s general policy is to decline comment on patent development; its media office didn’t respond to a request for comment.

If it doesn’t use the technology, Disney could license it out, Sanks said.

“A lot of Disney’s research is focused on customizing the guest experience. It’s obviously a huge challenge when you have millions of guests coming through the parks, but it may very well be critical to their future,” said Bob Boyd, a research analyst who covers such topics as gaming and leisure. He said money invested in “game changer” tech is money well spent.

Besides heart rate, recent Disney patent applications also said future tech could monitor skin temperature, facial expressions, voice stress, gestures, and even eye