Light tracking system and associated methods

A light tracking system, comprising:

• one or more lighting units configured to emit lighting beams and to rotatably move about one or more axes to change directions of the lighting beams;
• a lighting mount carrying the one or more lighting units;
• one or more lighting hoists attached to the lighting mount and configured to move the lighting mount between a raised position and a lowered position;
• a hoist controller in communication with the one or more lighting hoists and configured to generate a hoist command to control movement of the lighting mount;
• a lighting controller in communication with the one or more lighting units and configured to generate a lighting command to control the one or more lighting units;
• one or more tracking units configured to monitor and detect a tracked object and generate tracking data;
• and
• a tracking controller in communication with the one or more tracking units, the hoist controller, and the lighting controller;
• wherein the tracking controller is configured to receive the tracking data, determine a location of the tracked object based on the tracking data, generate a dynamic control signal based on the determined location, and send the dynamic control signal to coordinate the lighting beams to be directed toward the tracked object.

A method for tracking an object with a light tracking system, comprising the steps of:

• emitting a lighting beam from a lighting unit configured to rotatably move about one or more axes;
• receiving tracking data regarding a location of a tracked object at a tracking controller;
• generating a dynamic control signal at the tracking controller based on the tracking data;
• sending the dynamic control signal from the tracking controller to a lighting controller in communication with the lighting unit;
• sending the dynamic control signal from the tracking controller to a hoist controller configured to control movement of a lighting mount carrying the lighting unit;
• generating a lighting command at the lighting controller based on the dynamic control signal;
• generating a hoist command at the hoist controller based on the dynamic control signal;
• and
• coordinating positioning of the lighting unit and the lighting mount based on the lighting command and the hoist command to maintain the lighting beam on the tracked object.