Interactive seating system and method for interacting with a crowd

An interactive seating system, comprising:

• a first plurality of seats disposed within a first section of a venue;
• a first sensor device directed towards the first section and configured to observe each of a first plurality of occupants of the first plurality of seats;
• a second plurality of seats disposed within a second section of the venue;
• a second sensor device directed towards the second section and configured to observe each of a second plurality of occupants of the second plurality of seats;
• a third plurality of seats disposed within a third section of the venue, wherein the first, second, and third sections of the venue are non-overlapping;
• a third sensor device directed towards the third section and configured to observe each of a third plurality of occupants of the third plurality of seats;
• a first processing unit configured to receive data from the first sensor device, the second sensor device, and the third sensor device and to interpret an emotional state of each of the first plurality of occupants, each of the second plurality of occupants, and each of the third plurality of occupants, based on the received data from the first sensor device, the second sensor device, and the third sensor device, respectively;
• a second processing unit configured to score the emotional state of the first plurality of occupants based on the interpreted emotional state of each of the first plurality of occupants, the interpreted emotional state of each of the second plurality of occupants weighted according to a distance between the first section and the second section, and the interpreted emotional state of the third plurality of occupants weighted according to a distance between the first section and the third section;
• a third processing unit configured to score the emotional state of the second plurality of occupants based on the interpreted emotional state of each of the second plurality of occupants, the interpreted emotional state of each of the first plurality of occupants weighted according to a distance between the second section and the first section, and the interpreted emotional state of the third plurality of occupants weighted according to a distance between the second section and the third section;
• a fourth processing unit configured to score the emotional state of the third plurality of occupants based on the interpreted emotional state of each of the third plurality of occupants, the interpreted emotional state of each of the first plurality of occupants weighted according to a distance between the third section and the first section, and the interpreted emotional state of the second plurality of occupants weighted according to a distance between the third section and the second section;
• a fifth processing unit configured to receive the scored emotional state of the first plurality of occupants, to receive the scored emotional state of the second plurality of occupants, to receive the scored emotional state of the third plurality of occupants, and to compare the scored emotional state of the first plurality of occupants with the scored emotional state of the second plurality of occupants and the scored emotional state of the third plurality of occupants;
• and
• an output device configured to automatically produce an output, that is observable by each of the first plurality of occupants, each of the second plurality of occupants, or each of the third plurality of occupants, based on the comparison of the scored emotional state of the first plurality of occupants with the scored emotional state of the second plurality of occupants and the scored emotional state of the third plurality of occupants.

A method for interacting with a crowd, comprising:

• receiving first video data of a first plurality of occupants of a first plurality of seats disposed within a first section of a venue;
• interpreting an emotional state of each of the first plurality of occupants;
• receiving second video data of a second plurality of occupants of a second plurality of seats disposed within a second section of a venue;
• interpreting an emotional state of each of the second plurality of occupants;
• receiving third video data of a third plurality of occupants of a third plurality of seats disposed within a third section of a venue;
• interpreting an emotional state of each of the third plurality of occupants;
• scoring the first section based on the interpreted emotional state of each of the first plurality of occupants, the interpreted emotional state of each of the second plurality of occupants weighted according to a distance between the first section and the second section, and the interpreted emotional state of each of the third plurality of occupants weighted according to a distance between the first section and the third section;
• scoring the second section based on the interpreted emotional state of each of the second plurality of occupants, the interpreted emotional state of each of the first plurality of occupants weighted according to a distance between the second section and the first section, and the interpreted emotional state of each of the third plurality of occupants weighted according to a distance between the second section and the third section;
• scoring the third section based on the interpreted emotional state of each of the third plurality of occupants, the interpreted emotional state of each of the first plurality of occupants weighted according to a distance between the third section and the first section, and the interpreted emotional state of each of the second plurality of occupants weighted according to a distance between the second section and the third section;
• comparing the scores of the first section, the second section, and the third section;
• and
• providing an output observable to each of the first plurality of occupants, each of the second plurality of occupants, or each of the third plurality of occupants, based on the comparing of the scores of the first section, the second section, and the third section.