Autonomatronics in Theme Parks.

Abstract

Theme parks around the world draw in many guests each year. These guests come to the parks for the great attractions and the immersive atmosphere, created by animatronics. These life-like characters are sometimes referred to as autonomatronics because of their capabilities to seemingly autonomously speak or move. Drawing on Gibson’s classic theory of affordances, this study examines the effects of various affordances in autonomatronics on the user experience of frequent theme park visitors and fans. The study investigates how these products keep guests entertained and affect their experience within the theme parks, and how the novel AI-driven capabilities influence and impact various affordances in how adult theme park visitors and children interact with autonomatronic characters. The study was performed using an online survey consisting of open and multiple choice questions within the theme park fan community in the Netherlands.