Overview
- Patent application US 2026/0072453 A1 was published March 12, 2026, after a September 11, 2024 filing by inventors Derek Lee Howard and Edward Allen Nemeth.
- It details vehicles designed to traverse uneven, off‑road terrain and grade changes, citing elements such as hills, bumps, rocks, stumps, puddles, and valleys.
- Guests would steer and modulate speed within limits, with onboard controls subject to overrides from vehicle and centralized fleet controllers to maintain safety and pacing.
- Guidance relies on an embedded guidewire and line detectors, and the layout supports branching routes, lateral positioning, and varied difficulty to boost replayability.
- Coverage links the system to the Cars‑themed Piston Peak rally attraction under construction at Magic Kingdom, noting prior off‑road testing, while stressing that patents do not guarantee implementation.