Robotic marionettes on magnetically-supported and highly mobile puppeteer platforms

A marionette-based show system,

• comprising:
• a thin, planar support positioned above a stage;
• two or more marionette support and positioning assemblies, each of the assemblies comprising:
• a tender vehicle positioned on an upper surface of the planar membrane with a rotatable magnetic element abutting the upper surface and a drive mechanism moving the tender vehicle on the upper surface in response to control signals;
• a puppeteer vehicle positioned against a lower surface of the planar support with a rotatable magnetic element abutting the lower surface and magnetically coupled to the magnetic element of the tender vehicle;
• and
• a show component supported by the puppeteer vehicle;
• and
• a show control system in wireless communication with the tender vehicle to transmit the control signals to selectively position the tender vehicle on the planar support.

A marionette support apparatus, comprising:

• a tender assembly comprising a chassis supporting a pair of motors and a pair of magnetic drive wheels;
• a puppeteer assembly comprising a chassis supporting a pair of free spinning magnetic wheels, a marionette suspended from the chassis, and a marionette operating mechanism selectively operable to lift at least a portion of the marionette;
• a support membrane comprising a sheet of flexible and at least translucent material under tension, wherein paired ones of the magnetic wheels of the tender assembly and of the puppeteer assembly abut opposite sides of the support membrane, whereby the puppeteer assembly is suspended by the tender assembly;
• and
• a show controller transmitting wireless control signals to the tender assembly to selectively operate each of the motors to position the tender assembly in a plurality of positions on the support membrane, wherein the control signals are transmitted in response determination of a relative position of the tender assembly based on light passing through the support membrane.

An apparatus for suspending and positioning objects, comprising:

• a non-magnetic support membrane;
• a tender vehicle positioned proximate to a first side of the support membrane, the tender vehicle comprising a drive mechanism selectively positioning the tender vehicle relative to the support membrane;
• and
• a vehicle supporting an object and positioned proximate to a second side of the support membrane opposite the tender vehicle, wherein at least one of the tender vehicle and the vehicle comprises one or more rotatable magnetic elements providing a magnetic field maintaining the vehicle proximate to the support membrane,
• wherein the drive mechanism comprises at least one electric motor rotating the magnetic elements in the tender vehicle and the magnetic elements each comprises a disc-shaped permanent magnet with a peripheral edge abutting the first side of the support membrane such that the peripheral edge rolls upon the first side when the disc-shaped permanent magnet is driven to rotate.