Automation lessons can be taken from Disney theme park rides

Drilling rigs and theme park rides share similarities that most people may not be aware of, said Mike Withers, Retired VP of Ride Engineering for Walt Disney Imagineering. Both the theme park and drilling industries need equipment with high uptime, that can last for many years and is safe. Mr Withers gave a presentation on Disney’s use of automation in its theme parks at a symposium jointly held by the SPE Drilling Systems Automation Technical Section and the IADC Advanced Rig Technology Committee on 29 February in Fort Worth, Texas. The workshop focused on human and machine interaction in automation. In this video with DC, Mr Withers explains how automation has been used in Disney Parks and the company’s process for designing its rides.