Rick_Irvin

The whole project from start to finish is meant to be just a concept, so can be a little OTT, however, I have also tried my best to make it as realistic as I could. The problem is Im a designer first and foremost, the engineering and especially physics side of things takes a bit of back seat, hence maybe its a tad unrealistic. The actual mechanism of moving the seats in and out is supposed to be quite random, hence keeping the riders on the edge a bit. It is also primarily controlled by ones inertia, so each rider gets a slightly different experience round bends etc... but ultimately controlled by computer which operates a very simple rack and pinion type mech. Also the rider if he/she chooses, can request the seat isn't released at all, before they embark. Another point which makes it unique is that it isn't actually a roller coaster to the truest sense off the word. I fully expect to get some frowns and slating from what comes next... But I believe future designs and the current industry can only be pushed forward by crazy concepts... So this "roller coaster" actually uses MagLev technology in its arms instead of wheels. But before I'm slated I'd like to point out that Magnets are already being used, in terms of LIM's and also magnetic brakes, but Iv taken it one step further by making the whole thing magnetic.... hence why the train is so big, and the seats are far away from the track, to protect the riders. MagLev is also maintenance free because of no moving parts, and also doesn't generate friction with the track, so less energy is lost, so faster/further the train can go. Coaster Sim. Fan - the animation was all done in Maya 2008 and 2009. The modeling was all done in Maya too, except the scenery which is credited to the amazing Vue. paintballer - no RTC sounds in here my friend, theyr all real life recordings. But im glad you all like it (to a degree) I really enjoyed making it but remember though, its just a concept

Hi folks, I posted on here a few months back (before xmas) enquiring about your views on current roller coaster. I asked for help and to fill out my 13 point questionnaire. Alot of you sent back replies and for that I am very grateful. But I would like you to know I have now finished my degree at Coventry University and I have posted my finished animation on Youtube. The link is... 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShQBI36g1ck' Please click the HD button to see it in all its glory. I look forward to your comments. Regards, Rick

Hi forum, I am a student in my 4th and final year at Coventry University studying Transport and Product Design. For my final major project I have decided to design, model and animate an entire roller coaster. I hope to talk with Alton Towers and with their permission have it theoretically replace the corkscrew. My design revolves around designing the next BIG thing in Roller coasters. I have devised a quick questionnaire to gain knowledge, with your help, of what the users really want. If you could please fill this in and repost your answers, I would be extremely grateful. (Don’t answer any questions if you wish not to) Thanks for your help. Richard Irvin Q1) Are you Male/Female? Q2) How old are you? Q3) When you go to a theme park, do you prefer riding wooden roller coasters, or steel roller coasters? Q4) Of all the different roller coaster trains, which do you prefer and why? Seated, standing, inversion etc… Q5) What’s your most favourite ride? Q6) When your on a roller coaster what do you think is the most THRILLING part of the ride? (Gives you the biggest buzz/rush?) Q7) What do you think is the most SCARY part of the ride? (Makes you think twice about it?) Q8) Do you think roller coasters are LESS scary and thrilling after you’ve ridden them once before? Q9) Do you like the idea of an extreme roller coaster? (Think roller coasters crossed with extreme sports) Q10) Themeing… Is the theme important in the overall ride anticipation and ride satisfaction? Q11) Queuing… Do you like to see the ride whilst in the queue? Or do you prefer the sense of not knowing what is going to happen? Q12) Because of the direct proportionality between rides and queue length, do you prefer short ride/short queue, or long ride/long queue? Q13) Is there anything you would like to see improved/changed with roller coasters? Thank you again for your participation.