The use of ICT in roller coasters

Next I will talk about how the track was designed for the roller coasters of Disneyland Paris. It was first done with a roller coaster set, which was rather inaccurate so they used ICT to design the track that was then built as a scale model and cut using laser cutters. Some help for the design process came from the aerospace industries that designed the Electric Motor powered catapult like the one on their aircraft carriers. The next design problem was getting the train moving. For space-mountain the designers wanted the rider to get the impression of being launched out of a cannon so it takes you up about half way up the tunnel and then stops for about five seconds before the catapult suddenly kicks in and ‘fires’ you out of the cannon at 70kph. This is all controlled by a logic controller based system with six main computers and 1300 input/output points In the Rock’n’roller coaster you get into the car with two loudspeakers right next to your ears (120 on the whole train) and then you slowly go round the first corner and stop suddenly. You go past the control room where all the action is controlled from and then after a five second countdown that is displayed on the wall, you disappear into the tunnel at high speed. The control system for the rock’n’roller coaster is called a duplex system (which means it has two control systems in case one fails) that was specially designed for use on this roller coaster.

As these roller coasters are indoors there has to be something for the rider to see to make it more interesting, for example the rock’n’roller coaster has hundreds of flashing lights and unexpected smoky tunnels, all of which must be controlled by the computer with perfect timings with the loud heavy rock music in your ear. Another thing is the fact that there are five different sequences of lights and music to make it different for the rider if he or she goes on the ride again.

The theme on Space-mountain is completely different and the soundtrack is not rock music but calmer orchestra music written by Steven Bramson based on the story by Jules Verne but the control method is the same to get the lights to flash at the right time and the air pressure powered brakes in the track to stop or slow the train at the right time. Also the computer needs to make sure that the timing is right to ensure that it can keep up its time of releasing one rocket ship every thirty six seconds and the special effects such as the boom on ‘take off’ and the smoke effects for both roller coasters. Also the in-ride photos for both of them need to be taken at just the right moment to get each of the carriages in. The same computers that get the train from one end of the track to the other in one piece and even tempt you to try the ride again control all these things.

To conclude, ICT in Disneyland Paris is very important in controlling safety and special effects on all the roller coasters and is what makes them such thrill to ride.