Roller Coaster Simulator For The Redbull Creation Contest

[Dave] and [Martin], otherwise known as Ballistic Locomotive, sent in their entry for the Redbull creation contest. It’s a roller coaster simulator that can emulate the twists, turns, and drops of a roller coaster in your living room.

The simulator is built around a plywood roller coaster car mounted on a 2 DOF table. With a few first-person roller coaster videos and the speed, roll, and tilt data provided. Ballistic Locomotive had a functioning roller coaster simulator.

Of course, watching a 1st-person shot of a roller coaster just isn’t the same experience without the wind blowing through your hair. To simulate this aspect of a roller coaster ride, so the Ballistic Locomotive team connected a relay to the bullduino and connected a carpet drying fan.

Not only did Ballistic Locomotive build something awesome with their bullduino, they also manage to make a great ride for one of the builder’s son’s birthday party this weekend. You can check out the demo and a few videos after the break.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1Jmdy-LOFA&w=470]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRAP0v-lBfc&w=470]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IExpqaoh6Uk&w=470]

6 thoughts on “Roller Coaster Simulator For The Redbull Creation Contest

  1. What be funny is to insert the open mouth of a monster as the car breaks the top of the rise, and starts falling down. Well probably not a good idea to scare the bejusus of most pint sized kids, but the possibilities are endless for those of adolescent age and on up, stuff that will never be seen (hopefully) while riding the real deal. Birds about to fly in your face,track falling away right before you get to it, horrific aircraft collisions in the distance.

    1. Not a bad idea! It takes live serial commands from the PC so you could take it the other way, put a joystick in the cart, and have it launch off a track and sprout wings. Then the cart could just track your actual pitch and roll as you fly around.

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