I did a few rooms like this in the dot-com hey-day...
One was a "Japanese" room - with the carpenter that did the "Tea garden" here in SF - NO NAILS, SCREWS OR GLUE!! Quite a room... Essentially a rice mat room - you hit a button and the conference table came out of the floor. Another button and a desk...
I have also done the hot tub in the floor... Hit the button, the floor would open.
Both of these were hydraulic - and done by the same guy. All I had to do was an up/down/stop button. In both cases I had to do a bunch of arm twisting with him about safety devices... One I walked off the job 3X's in the design phase until he capitulated as it was using 10 ton double acting cylinders and there were young children in the home. This guys thing was hydraulics and all of his engineering had huge pistons big enough to lift my fully loaded van, or shear off limbs. Or do really serious damage to the structure if seized or any other type of failure occurred. So in both cases I demanded really complicated, extremely expensive safety devices unless he toned it down. Both times ended with pre-written letters for him to view that I would send to the building department about liability etc. So in both cases all of the items became (and I suggest this to you... As it sounds that you are doing a pretty heavy wall?)
counter-balanced to only require that absolute minimum force to move each item! And dead-man switch operated, and auto-reversed unless complete with opening/closing cycle, or power failure. Then once complete - locked in place. I forced a lot of design change and influenced it a lot - but it was the only way I could be involved with a clean conscience. I don't work with those people anymore, and quite frankly GOOD RIDDENS!!!!
Anyway, outside of the electrical portion of both of those which eventually got 'so simple a caveman could do it', i.e. a momentary SPDT, three relays (open - close and lock) and two alarm contacts that signaled that it was open or closed and safe to lock in place. The main safety feature was more mechanical than electrical -
minimal force! Due to good counter-balance, and fulcrum/leverage changes, they used really small hydraulics with "blow-outs" (limiters), and back check valves that even if the family dog decided to do something dumb like ride it up, or get caught under it - it would stall or open.
Gravity is cool! It doesn't shut off, or change it's effect much.
It's kind of funny... The best example (That I have on hand right now...) of counter-balance and fulcrum/leverage change is my BBQ that I finished last month. The cover is 14ga steel, 30X30" and wieghs about the same as an equally sized J-bx or panel - something we can all gage... But you can open it with one finger! And as it opens the balance changes because the counter-weight (cinder blocks in a tray hanging on cable on the bar in the back) moves further away from the fulcrum point (at the back) - so it holds itself open...
FYI animated furnature, cabinetry and rooms is one of those things I day dream about specializing in. If I can find the right cabinet maker/carpenter... Might have to become one myself...
Don't suppose you've checked into theatrical supply places?
