Universal looks to reduce the pain of sudden coaster stops
The last thing a roller coaster should want to experience is the reason why coasters have height limits.
In normal operation, pretty much anyone who can support their torso can go on a roller coaster, especially if its design does not create significant negative G forces that try to push a rider out of their seat. Safety systems, including height restrictions, are in place to keep riders safe when the coaster does not operate normally.
On coasters with multiple trains, one slow dispatch at load can cause a cascade that stops coasters throughout the track. Ideally, the coasters stop in a designed location in their block zone. But sometimes, that does not happen in time and coasters hit the safety brakes that are the final line of defense against collisions.
Every coaster is designed with restraints and restrictions to keep riders safe in that situation. But hitting a safety brake is a rough. It can feel like a low-speed collision in a car, because that is kind of what it is - a sudden, swift deceleration to a stop.
Now Universal is proposing a system to mitigate the force of a sudden stop - or launch - on a roller coaster. In a new patent application, Universal details Acceleration Attenuation Systems and Methods for thrill rides.
From Universal's patent application, a drawing of the proposed thrill ride attenuator system
Think of this as a shock absorber for a roller coaster seat. Universal is offering a design for a mechanism that can help absorb (or, attenuate) the force of a sudden stop or launch on a theme park ride. The device would sit between the seat and the chassis on a ride vehicle, activating when a system sensed a sudden change in speed that might leave riders in discomfort.
This system would not eliminate the need for safety restrictions and restraints on thrill ride. It, however, could help work with those systems to make potentially rough moments at least a touch less rough for passengers.
You can read the details of what Universal is proposing in its full patent application.
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