4D Coasters

[ViperLover]

I know that it has probably been asked already, but how does a 4d coaster work? Are there motors next to the cars that spin the seats?

[dippindotsguy8]

If you look closely at the track, you will notice that there are two extra rails on the track. The rails on the sides control the spinning. There are wheels on the train connected to "posts" that, when moved up and down, create seat rotation via some kind of gear system. Those wheels run on the two side rails, and as those rails move higher and lower on the track, the posts are pushed up and pulled down and the seats are rotated forwards and backwards.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Check out this video. At about the 3:00 mark you can see the mechanism very clearly. There are basically 4 rails on the coaster which raises and lowers the mechanism causing the seats to rotate. I know there is a more technical answer, but since you can see it so well on this ...

 

[ViperLover]

^Thank You. You explained it really well.

[coasterkyle]

It depends on what company makes the 4D coaster.

 

S&S has the more complicated system. It uses the 2 sets of rails on the outside of the track that vary in height along the course. And the trains have a wheel connected to a rod with gear teeth on it. As the train runs the course the wheel follows the rail the wheel goes up and down. The seats sit on an axle that have a gear that is interlocked with that rod causing the seats to rotate as that wheel moves up and down.

 

Intamin's is free spinning and weight of the riders and the elements cause the seats to rotate.

 

I am not aware of any 4D coasters that use motors to rotate.

 

I tried to put this into basic principle to help you understand.

[Loefet]

Speaking of 4D coasters, could a normal spinner be counted as one? It also have 4 degrees of movement so in one sense they are one. Also an Zac-Spin only have 3 degrees of movement (track 2 dimensions and spinning seats) so they shouldn't really be called a 4D coaster, at least until Intamin put some lateral turns on them.