Systems and methods for animated figure display

An animated figure display system, comprising:

• an animated figure having a body;
• a projection surface;
• a figure control system, comprising:
• a set of actuators configured to adjust the body of the animated figure and the projection surface;
• an actuator controller communicatively coupled to the set of actuators, wherein the actuator controller is configured to:
• instruct the set of actuators to adjust the body of the animated figure and the projection surface;
• and
• generate actuator control data indicative of a position and an orientation for each actuator of the set of actuators;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to the actuator controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
• receive the actuator control data provided by the actuator controller;
• generate location data indicative of the position and the orientation of the body of the animated figure and the projection surface based on the actuator control data;
• and
• generate a control signal indicative of an image content to be projected onto the body of the animated figure and the projection surface based on the location data.

A method of operating an animated figure projection system, the method comprising:

• instructing, via a controller, a set of actuators to begin a motion sequence for an animated figure and a projection surface;
• receiving, via the controller, first actuator control data from a portion of the set of actuators configured to control positioning of the animated figure;
• receiving, via the controller, second actuator control data from an additional portion of the set of actuators configured to control positioning of the projection surface;
• generating, via the controller, location data indicative of a first current position and a first current orientation of the animated figure based on the first actuator control data, and of a second current position and a second current orientation of the projection surface based on the second actuator control data;
• generating, via the controller, a control signal indicative of an image content to be projected onto a body of the animated figure and an exposed surface of the projection surface based on the location data;
• and
• instructing, via the controller, a projector to project the image content onto the body of the animated figure and the exposed surface of the projection surface.