RoboCoaster G2, the next generation of roller
coaster ride, was demonstrated in Orlando on Friday. The secret of RoboCoaster
G2 - it's the only industrial-grade robot available as an amusement park ride,
and it now travels on a track that can be made to any configuration.
The RoboCoaster G2 has a number of degrees of
freedom: the arm has a full range of motion while the seat module at the end of
the arm can spin, move side-to-side, or up-and-down. As seen below in this
mural, the RoboCoaster G2 can be used to help you experience your favorite
science fiction scenario.
RoboCoaster G2 can be programmed for specific ride
parameters depending on the desires of the passenger - from mild (parents, take
note) to extreme (you know who you are). It is a highly flexible system, unlike
most roller coaster rides that simply take passengers in identical cars along
the same path.
"Riders can be saved by superheroes, soar past
galaxies, or experience adventures from around the world on RoboCoaster G2,"
explains Ron Kelly, President, AMEC's Dynamic Structures business. "The first
amusement park to have RoboCoaster will make roller coaster history."
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 RoboCoaster G2: Keep your hands, feet and elbows tucked
in.
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I've never quite seen anything like this in science
fiction (even though it might help you experience science fiction). But
if you like immersive entertainment, sf writers have envisioned these
environments for decades. For examples, read about the alien-designed rifle range (possibly the first
mention of a first-person-shooter game) from Way Station and
dimensino from Time is the Simplest Thing, both classic novels from the 1960's by Clifford Simak.
RoboCoaster G2 is the result of a collaboration
between roller coaster builder
AMEC and industrial robot manufacturer KUKA Roboter. AMEC has designed, fabricated and installed such roller coaster rides
as Space Mountain and Spiderman at major amusement parks.
(This Science Fiction in the News story used
with permission from Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction.)