Motorized Platform

lightingtek

Member
Ok, so I know the normal procedure of a winch with cables and a track, but I want a bit more freedom of movement here. I am looking for a way to have a small wagon with one or two actors and a small set piece (small bed, styrofoam flat attached to the front) remotely motorized around the stage. It can have its own casters, just with a remote controlled device underneath it to power it around the stage. Is there anything like this that already exists? My director has on a few occasions asked me for a set piece that "Magically appears on stage", and my answer has been to make it freshmen powered, but then you have to make it big enough to hide a freshmen inside to crawl around the stage, and that loses some of the "magic". This would work great in productions like Aladdin for a magic carpet, Seussical for many pieces like the bathtub or even Jojo's bed, the gondola in Phantom, the list goes on and on. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
 
A company I worked for did a motorized platform once using the guts of a electric wheel chair. Square platform with a swivel caster in each corner and the two drive wheels from the chair in centered along 2 sides. However it was not remotely controlled. The little joystick that controls movement was recessed just below the deck and the blocking was staged with the driver of the platform kneeling down and manipulating the controls. The idea could work for a magic carpet...
 

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