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Robocoaster

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the you-have-ten-seconds-to-comply dept.

AnswerIs42 writes "Got the announcement thru work email.. but a German company name Kuka has a very unique ride they are demonstrating. It has all the thrills, chills, loops, twists, puke factor of a rollercoaster.. but it only needs 11x12 meters of space! What they did is take a material handling robot (like you would find in any automotive plant) and put 2 seats on it. They also gave it a clever name: Robocoaster. I have a start of a review here, and will post more once I actually go and ride the sucker next month in Detroit. With everything it can do and more... it could start replacing rollercoasters.. perhaps?"

5 of 319 comments (clear)

  1. Re:For folks near Disney... by jred · · Score: 3, Informative

    My 6yo daughter & I rode a Rollercoaster simulator at Putt-Putt, and it was pretty cool. Well, the first time they forgot to turn the interior screen on. Imagine riding a rollercoaster in near complete darkeness! It even freaked me out a bit, but she didn't have any problems accepting the free replacement ride :)

    And it did have wind, courtesy of fans, although not as strong as on a real rollercoaster.

    --

    jred
    I'm not a mechanic but I play one in my garage...
  2. Is ths 1989? by djrogers · · Score: 3, Informative

    Coaster sims have been around for years - they're in freaking shopping malls for crying out loud! I know /. geeks don't get out much, but come on...

    --
    Think outside the... Hey, where'd the friggin' box go?
  3. Re:could be safer than rolercoaster by pfred · · Score: 3, Informative

    Despite what the brochure says, the robot is not running on Windows. There is a real-time OS that runs the motion system. Windows is used only for the operator's user interface.

  4. I've been on the robocoaster... by vlorre · · Score: 5, Informative

    From a pure geek perspective, the Robocoaster is mesmerizing. Once I saw it (at IAAPA http://www.iaapa.org ) I just stood there and watched it for about 10 minutes with a huge grin on my face. The attraction is powerful - in multiple ways. Riders who opted for the highest setting would literally have their arms and legs flung about unless they held on tightly. While an avid coaster enthusiast, I have complete respect for this new type of attraction. The robocoaster is capable of generating 1.8Gs. I, of course, chose to ride it at the maximum setting. The ride was smooth, abrupt, unique and .. fun. While being flung from one position to the next, the speed was fast enough to occasionally blur my vision. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, and would ride multiple times. This is merely one component that can be integrated with additional media, lighting, sound (themeing, etc). My company is working on a VR center that will feature a Robocoaster with custom themeing/programming, etc. It's not meant to replace a coaster - rather it's something new and unique that can be used as an 'attractor' in certain locations. ps. Even without the themeing, the ride rocked. It'll make most simulators seem lame in comparison. ps#2. Someone posted inacurate pricing. Per unit cost is approximately $300k vlorre

  5. Not 1.5M by bhsx · · Score: 5, Informative

    According to this
    http://www.kuka.co.uk/NewFiles/pr_dd.html
    I t costs 160,000UKP not $1.5M. Multiply your figures for the Robocoaster accordingly.
    According to this
    http://www.kuka-roboter.de/robocoaster/nofla sh/eng lish/flexibilitaet.html
    they can accomidate 2000 rides per hour.
    Of course then you're talking configurations of around 18 to 20 machines, I'd guess, so then you're talking closer to your $2M figure for the TopSpin.
    Not ridiculing your opinions, just trying to correct a major error in your calculations.

    --
    put the what in the where?