We all have heard about rollercoasters and some of us might have experienced what it is like riding in one either firsthand or second hand. Well, technology enthusiasts have created an innovative rollercoaster for people who are interested in the backend procedures of how the ride works. The mechanism behind the functioning and operation of this rollercoaster is not like anything we have seen before.
A miniature version of a self-launching rollercoaster is created by Dan Fritsche who has printed the entire model of the ride through a 3D printer. The entire project took around 900 hours to get completed with 3000 separate parts 3D printed. By dissecting the entire mechanism of a real rollercoaster, he was able to derive a simple and plain layout of the entire system.
He was able to plan the entire layout on NL2. Afterward, Fritsche imported the complete layout on Fusion 360. On Fusion 360, he had to hand model everything. It was clear to him what he had to do but the process was intensive and required a lot of work and dedication from him. The self-launch mechanism had already been established by him a year earlier. Now, he was only printing parts as he moved along the layout.
In order to make things automated to an extent, he added micro servo motors. Along with this, his friend wrote a code for the mechanism to be backed up and made automatic. According to him, the code was the most difficult task for him. He suggests moving from the modeling of a static train towards track design once the knowledge about 3D printing is acquired.
The young man who invented the entire model studies at Iowa State University and is working on the Weebly website for now. He also has a YouTube channel and Instagram.